Ronald Koeman said Monday’s friendly against Uzbekistan at Icahn Stadium in New York will be used to test a near-first-choice starting XI as the Netherlands finalize their plan for the World Cup opener on June 14.
Koeman told reporters he expects the team that starts against Uzbekistan to “probably” be the same group that faces Japan and that nearly all 26 players in the squad will see minutes in the final warm-up. The coach made clear he wants to keep changes to a minimum for the tournament’s first match, and that the second warm-up on the summer tour is there for players who are not at full fitness.
The result in New York matters because the Oranje are trying to move on from a 1-0 defeat by Algeria, and Koeman used that match as a laboratory—making wholesale adjustments, including six changes at halftime and swapping in Virgil van Dijk and Micky van de Ven. The coach will use Monday to confirm whether the starting group that troubled him in Amsterdam is ready to roll for the World Cup.
For Uzbekistan, the game is part of a historic buildup: it will be their first-ever World Cup and the match in New York will be the first meeting between the two national teams. Uzbekistan arrive having lost 2-0 to Canada in their last outing, while the Netherlands are wrapping up a short tour of North America before returning to final preparations.
The clearest practical takeaway Koeman offered is how minutes will be distributed. He said the first of the two warm-ups will be “largely” with the team’s starters to preserve continuity for the opener, and that the second fixture will be useful for players who are not at 100 percent. He added that giving all 26 players time on the field is part of the plan.
That intention collides with a narrow medical question: Jurrien Timber returned to training after a groin problem that kept him out since March, and Koeman said Timber had taken part in practice. The coach and the medical staff were due to meet late Sunday with Timber to decide whether he would start in New York. Koeman noted Timber leaves a strong impression when fully fit but conceded the defender has not shown that level every day in recent sessions.
The balance Koeman is trying to strike is simple on paper but delicate in practice: use the friendly to lock in a settled, near-first-choice XI while protecting players who are marginally fit. The stakes are immediate because the Netherlands open Group F on June 14 against Japan, and Koeman wants to make as few changes as possible to the lineup for that match.
What to watch on Monday: the composition of the back four, whether Van Dijk and Van de Ven start together after their late changes against Algeria, and whether Timber is included from kickoff. How Koeman allocates minutes across the squad will reveal how committed he is to the idea that the Uzbekistan starters will double as the Japan starters.
The unresolved, consequential item is Timber’s status. Koeman and the medical team’s late-Sunday decision will determine whether the line the Netherlands fields in New York is essentially the one they will send to the World Cup opener — or whether the coach will still be tinkering when the tournament begins.
