Kees Smit debuts as Netherlands beat Norway to open World Cup warm-up

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]Netherlands[/a] manager [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koeman-ronald/vHeYAvb2/"]Ronald Koeman[/a] surprised by giving 20-year-old AZ talent [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smit-keet/G0KFeND3/"]Kees Smit[/a] his maiden start for Oranje just days after being called up for the first time. Juventus' [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koopmeiners-teun/lOCjQkeo/"]Teun Koopmeiners[/a] started as the Netherlands' right winger on paper, while in-form Roma striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/malen-donyell/KOdKXsao/"]Donyell Malen[/a] started up top alongside [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gakpo-cody/pWyuBud0/"]Cody Gakpo[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/8rP6JO0H/"]Norway[/a], meanwhile, were without [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Erling Haaland[/a], who was given a week's rest by manager Ståle Solbakken after a packed schedule. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/larsen-jorgen/lQ5EYyWg/"]Jørgen Strand Larsen[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sorloth-alexander/QwqgNkTP/"]Alexander Sørloth[/a] played up top with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schjelderup-andreas/SEp0z7ho/"]Andreas Schjelderup[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bobb-oscar/GzxuaXeQ/"]Oscar Bobb[/a] on the wings.[/p][embed guid="b89709c8-37fc-40fe-bf89-52524a67607e" url="https://x.com/OnsOranje/status/2037620113814278158?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The hosts put Norway under pressure early and created the game's first chances after ten minutes, when Cody Gakpo had two shots blocked.[/p][p][b]Andreas Schjelderup was given acres of space after twisting and turning his way past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dumfries-denzel/QR0j1ejk/"]Denzel Dumfries[/a], giving the Benfica winger the chance to curl the ball into [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verbruggen-bart/6PChQYLj/"]Bart Verbruggen[/a]'s far corner to hand Norway a surprising lead after 24 minutes.[/b][/p][p]Koeman's side upped the ante soon after conceding and quickly created chance after chance in the Johan Cruyff ArenA. Cody Gakpo and Donyell Malen got close and had their efforts saved by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nyland-orjan/UJ9btoDi/"]Ørjan Nyland[/a] before Denzel Dumfries tried to test the Sevilla stopper, but clattered into Wolves back [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wolfe-moller-david/MLvBwPN0/"]David Møller Wolfe[/a] instead.[/p][p][b]Netherlands captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-dijk-virgil/U59RNqOr/"]Virgil van Dijk[/a] took his team by the hand and got Oranje back alongside Norway with a towering header in the 35th minute.[/b][/p][p]The Dutch came out of the gates fighting after the break as Donyell Malen took Nyland's goal under fire within three minutes of the game, but rolled the ball a hair wide of the post.[/p][embed guid="afc149af-c95e-482b-97d4-79dbaf7889f4" url="https://x.com/OnsOranje/status/2037636178833256889?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Gakpo denied [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/reijnders-tijani/f17EnPl3/"]Tijjani Reijnders[/a] a chance before Malen's shot, but the Manchester City star wouldn't be denied a second time as Denzel Dumfries found a wide-open Reijnders in the box, after which the no. 14 laced it past Nyland for a quick second-half turnaround.[/b][/p][p]With the hour mark approaching, a peculiar five minutes saw Norway not lose the ball once as the Dutch were put into a rondo. It ended without a goal or even a shot on target for Norway, who used five of their available eight changes.[/p][p]Brian Brobbey nearly made the most of his return after a year-long absence when he connected with a Cody Gakpo cross, but narrowly missed Nyland's goal as the Netherlands and Norway approached the final 15 minutes of their friendly in Amsterdam.[/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="9cf0a951-7237-4be8-ba5e-56cccdbf5ceb" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="63eecbd2-d804-400c-85ea-c973fb136ff0" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]Strand Larsen recorded Norway's first attempt in nearly 40 minutes with a crafty effort, but it was all Norway had to offer in the second half as the Dutch opened their March double header with a 2-1 win.[/p][p]Next up for Ronald Koeman's men is a friendly meeting with Ecuador in Eindhoven on Tuesday, March 31st.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/netherlands-WYintcWb/norway-8rP6JO0H/?mid=rujmEN6L"]Check out the full match statistics on Flashscore[/a][/b][/p]