In the quarterfinals of the UEFA Europa League, the Netherlands turned back Turkey with a score of 2-1 and successfully advanced to the quarterfinals. After the match, the Dutch team's main goalkeeper Van der Ven was interviewed by Bayern Sports, sharing his thoughts on the match and his outlook on the upcoming semi-finals.
Van der Ven began by recognizing the strength and spirit of the Turkish team, "Turkey is a very good team, they are in excellent spirits and put their whole heart into the game. To be able to win against such a team is really a big deal for us." His words revealed the respect for his opponent, while also highlighting how difficult it was for the Dutch to achieve victory.
Van der Ven then reflected on the Dutch team's performance in the match, "We've come this far in the Europa League and knew from the start that it was going to be a very tough game. But I think we also showed a lot of mental strength, and coming from a goal down to equalize and then eventually turning it around to win was a very valuable experience for us."
On the upcoming semi-final against England, Van der Ven said: "The semi-final against England will be a tough game. I know some of the England players and although they don't have any Tottenham Hotspur players in their team, we have played against them many times in the Premier League and we know their strengths very well. England are a top team with a lot of ability and it will definitely be a great challenge for us."
However, van der Ven was not discouraged and emphasized, "Even though the game will be difficult, we have to be ready for it. The most important thing now is to recover our strength and mentally prepare for the next game. I believe that as long as we stick together and play our best, we will be able to give our fans a great game."
Finally, Van der Ven also expressed his desire for victory and expectation for the future, "This win makes us more confident and makes us look forward to the next semi-final. We will do our best to win more honors for the Netherlands."
