Ronald Koeman said Monday’s friendly against Uzbekistan will serve to fine-tune his starting lineup for Holland’s opening match at the World Cup.
The Netherlands face World Cup debutants Uzbekistan at the Icahn Stadium, hoping to bounce back from their shock 1-0 loss to Algeria before traveling to North America.
The Oranje’s defeat made them lose their last home game before a major tournament for the fourth time, having done so previously in 1934, 1938 and 2004.
Koeman made the decision to replace his entire team against Algeria, and six of those changes came at half-time, including Virgil van Dijk and Micky van de Ven.
The Netherlands will face an Uzbekistan team that was beaten 2-0 by co-hosts Canada last time out, and it will also be the first meeting between the two nations.
And although Koeman insisted that almost every player within his 26-man squad would play in their final warm-up for the World Cup, he said the team that will line up to start the match will likely be the one that faces Japan in their Group F opener on June 14.
“We want to take advantage of the first match to make as few changes as possible. We have to wait and see if it works,” Koeman told reporters.
“We are going to play the first game largely with our starting team. It is also good for the boys who are not 100% fit and who will then be able to play the second game.
“That’s why we play two games. We have 26 players and they all have minutes to play. That’s what you want.”
Work in progress.
#NEDUZB #NothingLikeOranje #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/tP0oOb5BKO
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) June 7, 2026
The Netherlands will also face Sweden and Tunisia in their other group matches, aiming to improve on their quarter-final exit to Argentina in Qatar four years ago.
And one player who will hope to force his way into Koeman’s team is Jurrien Timber, who featured in Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Timber had been sidelined with a groin injury, and the Dutch coach admitted there were still some concerns surrounding the defender’s fitness.
“If he trains and is in top form, he always makes a good impression. It hasn’t been like this every day, so we have to make a decision,” Koeman added.
“He participated in the training and we are going to sit with the doctor and Jurrien at the end of the [Sunday] late to see if it’s going to start or not.”
