QatarCoach Louis van Gaal chose Andries Noppert – 2.03 m tall goalkeeper – to start when the Netherlands kicked off the opening match of the 2022 World Cup against Senegal today.
In the pre-match press conference, Van Gaal said he had already selected a goalkeeper for the Netherlands, but refused to disclose. “I know who will start the game, but I can’t announce it yet. I have never revealed the main squad,” emphasized the 71-year-old coach.
However, according to De Telegraaf – The Netherlands’ largest daily morning newspaper, Noppert will be the goal keeper against Senegal today. This will also be the debut of the 28-year-old goalkeeper in the national team shirt. Compared to two colleagues Remko Pasveer (39 years old) and Justin Bijlow (24 years old), Noppert made a stronger impression in the eyes of head coach Louis van Gaal and goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek on the training ground in Doha a few days ago.
In addition to his professional qualities, Noppert also excels in bodybuilding when he is 2.03 m tall and is the tallest of all players attending the 2022 World Cup. The goalkeeper on the Heerenveen staff may help the Netherlands against better deal in aerial combat situations with Senegal – the team plays very well thanks to the possession of 1.98 m center-back Pape Abou Cisse and many players with a height of 1.86 m or more.
Being captured in the World Cup opening match on his debut at the national team level will be a milestone in Noppert’s career, because he has twice considered retiring due to unemployment.
Noppert (second from right) drinks water during the Dutch training session in Doha on November 19. He is taller than his two colleagues Pasveer (second from left) and Bijlow. Image: AP
The goalkeeper born in 1994 made his first professional debut with NAC Breda in a 1-1 draw at Almere City in April 2016, because number one goalkeeper Jelle ten Rouwelaar was busy with family matters. A month earlier, NAC announced that he would not renew his contract and would part with Noppert at the end of the season. But this club changed its mind, extending Noppert until the summer of 2018 after Rouwelaar retired and became the goalkeeping coach of NAC. It was Ten Rouwelaar who asked the club to keep Noppert.
However, Noppert did not leave much of an impression and was pushed by NAC to Foggia on a free transfer in January 2018. He first lost his job when his contract with the Italian club expired and was not retained. After joining Dordrecht in September 2019, Noppert continued to become a free agent in the summer of 2020.
It was not until January 2021 that Noppert signed a one-year contract with the Go Ahead Eagles. At this Dutch club, he shone, took the main starting position and joined Heerenveen on a two-year contract on May 16, 2022. From the beginning of the season, the 28-year-old goalkeeper started 14 and kept six clean sheets in all competitions.
Noppert blocks the ball during the Netherlands’ internal training match in Qatar on November 19. Image: ANP
This is a dream come true for former NAC Breda, Foggia, FC Dordrecht and Go Ahead Eagles goalkeepers. Telegraaf comment. “Not long ago, Noppert was thinking of retiring. Playing for the Netherlands, let alone playing in the World Cup, seemed light years away from him.”
Noppert is inferior to the other two Dutch goalkeepers in terms of international experience. While Bijlow has made six appearances, Pasveer made his team debut in a 2-0 UEFA Nations League win over Poland on September 22. At 38 years and 318 days, Pasveer is the second oldest player to play for the Netherlands after Sander Boschker against Ghana in 2010 (39 years 224 days).
At the 2022 World Cup, Noppert leads the statistics with a height of 2.03 m, followed by Serbian goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic with 2.02 m. Excluding the goalkeeper, the tallest player in the 2022 World Cup is midfielder Harry Souttar (Australia), at 1.98 m.
Hong Duy
