Yong Winterhoven
These promising young players will begin the season with Winterhoven's B team. Yong Winterhoven play in the Jupiler League, the second level of the Dutch football system.
Goalkeepers
All three of these 'keepers are capable, and any of them could do a good job between the posts for us. Panhuis is perhaps a bit better than the other two right now, but our staff rate Thorsteinsson's potential more highly. I expect Yong Winterhoven's manager, André Bolstad, will rotate the goalkeepers until one of them asserts himself and grabs the number 1 shirt.
Full Backs
Van Dam will start at left back. He's nearly good enough for the first team at age 17, but he'll remain here so he can play regularly. He's fast, he tackles relentlessly, and he delivers a mean cross. I expect Lesly to be summoned for national team duty, at the U21 or U19 level.
Right back
van der Plas is also close to the first team standard. We're trying to decide if we'd be better off having him trade places with one of the young full backs (
Duer or
Larsson) so they can play more regularly. Van der Plas's leadership and Model Professional personality might have a salutary effect on his younger teammates at Yong Winterhoven.
De Groot and
van der Meer are available here, too. Both are promising players who fit our system well.
Center Backs
Most of the defenders at Yong Winterhoven are versatile, capable of playing more than one position.
Van der Plas, for example, is a fine center back, and
van Dam isn't bad there, either.
Van den Broek is the best natural center half in this group; he isn't fast, even at 17, but he's got a magic wand for a left foot and a tireless work ethic.
Poot, whose name never fails to make the kids smile, is no joke once he steps on the pitch. There, his pace and his sound decision making serve him well. My staff think he could develop into a future international star one day.
Central Midfielders
I'm grouping all these players together, because they're all fairly comfortable filling any of the three roles we ask our CMs to play.
Versteeg is probably the most well-rounded footballer in the group. He's a tenacious ball winner and a slick passer.
De Leeuw, who is a similar player, will also start.
Vos isn't as defensively responsible as either of them, so he'll play as either the eight or the ten.
Joosten, the most athletic of the lot, provides pace and power.
Van der Meer and
van den Broek can also fill in here.
Wide Midfielders
Brink, who's come from the Atlanta suburbs to join us, is first choice on the left. He isn't especially quick for a winger, but he is technically sound and approaches his craft with professionalism.
Vos is also able to slot in here.
Siguršsson occupies the right flank. He is very athletic and provides a threat from set pieces, but his lack of defensive awareness will have to be remedied before he's ready for first team duty.
Center Forwards
Both
Keizer and
Rutten can beat most defenders for pace, and both have a nose for goal. Keizer's ability to use both feet well makes him a slightly better option right now, but both have the potential to help the first team one day.
Brink could lead the line, too, but he's much better playing out wide.
Final Thoughts
Yong Winterhoven are one of four B teams who play in the Jupiler League. Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, and Utrecht also field reserve teams in this level, but the other 16 teams are made up of grown men. Our youngsters, therefore, will face a tough test every weekend.
We're picked to finish fourth, behind Yong Ajax, Yong PSV, and N.E.C. Nijmegen, the best of the unaffilated squads. I'd be happy with this outcome, especially if our promising young players develop in the process.