Internationals | Micky's first start for Holland plus Pape and Brennan in action
Fri 07 June 2024, 12:00|
Tottenham Hotspur
Micky van de Ven made his full debut for the Netherlands as they warmed up for UEFA Euro 2024 with a 4-0 friendly win over Canada on Thursday evening.
Earning his third cap for Oranje, Micky, voted our Player of the Season by supporters, started at left-back - a position he was employed at for us in the final two games of 2023/24 - and impressed throughout as he completed the full 90 for his nation in Feyenoord's De Kuip stadium.
The 23-year-old fashioned Holland's best chance of a goalless first half in the 38th minute, using his speed to latch onto Memphis Depay's pass down the left flank before his cross found Georginio Wijnaldum in space but the midfielder's shot was cleared off the line.
Depay, Jeremie Frimpong and Wout Weghorst scored three goals in 13 second-half minutes to put the Dutch firmly in control over their North American opponents - who play Cristian Romero's and Gio Lo Celso's Argentina in the Copa America opener on 21 June - with Virgil van Dijk also getting on the scoresheet late on.
Next up for Ronald Koeman's side is a final friendly before the tournament against Iceland on Monday.
Pape Matar Sarr, meanwhile, started for Senegal and completed 90 minutes before being substituted in their 1-1 draw with DR Congo in 2026 World Cup qualifying, with Ismaila Sarr's opener on the stroke of half-time cancelled out by Fiston Mayele with five minutes to play in the Group B clash. That was Pape's 18th cap and the 21-year-old is due back in action with another qualifier against Mauritania on Sunday.
Elsewhere, Brennan Johnson was our sole representative for Wales as he came off the bench to earn his 29th cap in their friendly with Gibraltar in Portugal.
The 23-year-old was introduced on the hour-mark for Rob Page's young Welsh side, with his pace causing problems down the right-hand side to fashion chances and went close with an acrobatic attempt on 80 minutes, but it ended goalless in the Algarve. Wales travel to Euro 2024-bound Slovakia next for a friendly on Sunday.
Coming up - Friday
Dane Scarlett – England Elite League Squad (Under-20s) friendly against Sweden Under-21 in Croatia – kick-off 3pm
Radu Dragusin – Romania home friendly against Liechtenstein – kick-off 7pm
Saturday
Dejan Kulusevski – Sweden home friendly against Serbia – kick-off 5pm
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – Denmark home friendly against Norway – kick-off 6.30pm
Sunday
Pape Matar Sarr – Senegal away 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Mauritania – kick-off 5pm
Ben Davies and Brennan Johnson – Wales away friendly against Slovakia – kick-off 7.45pm
Guglielmo Vicario – Italy home friendly against Bosnia-Herzegovina – kick-off 7.45pm
