In the Netherlands' 2-1 reversal of Turkey in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Europa League, substitute defender Van der Ven became one of the team's heroes, and his key block at the end of the game helped the Netherlands hold on to the win and advance to the quarterfinals. After the match, Van der Ven was interviewed by the media, sharing his feelings about the match and his outlook for the future.
Speaking about that decisive block, van der Ven said, "It was a very crucial moment, and to be honest, I didn't realize that the goal was that empty at that moment. I just subconsciously appeared there and managed to block the shot. Looking back at the video of the game afterwards, I realized that if I hadn't been there, the ball would have gone straight in. It was a very important moment in the game and my contribution to the team."
Van der Ven also revealed what it was like to come on as a substitute: "We were always ready to go, whether it was me or Joshua (Zilkzer) or Joey (Feldman), we were all standing on the sidelines waiting for our chance at any time. When Cody (Gakobo) scored we thought for a moment that we could relax a little bit, but I didn't realize that then Joey and I were still called up." He said he ensured his team's defense was solid by keeping a close co-defense on the field with Van Dyke, Stefan (de Vry) and Dumfries.
On the Dutch team's comeback from 0-1 down to win the match, van der Ven said: "It showed the tenacity of our team. The Turkish team is a very good team and they put their heart and soul into the game, plus there was a lot of support from the Turkish fans in Germany, which made the game even tougher. But we didn't give up and through a team effort eventually recovered and won the game."
Looking ahead to their upcoming semi-final opponents England, Van der Ven said, "England will be a very tough opponent. Although they may not be favored in some aspects, the fact that they have made it to the semifinals speaks volumes about their strength. I played in the English Premier League, so I know their strength very well. England have a lot of good players and a great coaching team, and they are one of the most expensive teams in this year's Euros. Therefore, we must be well prepared and give our best to this difficult match."
Finally, van der Ven emphasized the importance of maintaining the team's fighting spirit and team spirit: "We need to continue to maintain this tenacity and united team spirit. Only in this way can we continue to achieve good results in the upcoming matches. I believe that as long as we work together and fight hard, we will be able to defeat any opponent."
