Alabama Alumna Merel van Dongen Set to Compete with Netherlands at Tokyo Olympics
7/20/2021 5:45:00 PM | Soccer
Van Dongen will make her Olympic debut with the Netherlands as the team opens the 2020 Tokyo Games on July 21
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama soccer alumna Merel van Dongen makes her Olympic debut this week as she competes with the Netherlands at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Dutch kick off their first Olympic match on Wednesday, facing Zambia at 6 a.m. CT.
The Olympic soccer tournament begins on July 21 and runs through Aug. 5 with the gold medal game kicking off at 9 p.m. CT. Twelve teams will compete in the women's tournament with the Netherlands facing Zambia, Brazil and China in Group F. The Netherlands is ranked fourth in the latest FIFA rankings and enters the tournament as the second-highest ranked team, behind top-ranked USA.
With the Netherlands
- Van Dongen has been a fixture on the backline, competing in all six of the Netherlands' friendly matches this year
- She was also a member of the Dutch national team during the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
- Van Dongen has competed in over 50 international games with the Netherlands after making her international debut in 2015 with a 7-0 win against Thailand
At Alabama
- Van Dongen competed with the Crimson Tide for three seasons (2012-14)
- She still holds the UA record for assists in a single season with 10 during the 2014 campaign
- Van Dongen tallied 16 points that year, adding a goal against Memphis, Austin Peay and LSU to her record-setting season
- She was named a CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-American and All-District 4 First Team honoree as a senior
- She was also voted the SEC Freshman of the Year during her rookie season in 2012
The Netherlands' Schedule
|
Date |
Matchup |
Time |
|
July 21 |
Zambia vs. Netherlands |
6 a.m. CT |
|
July 24 |
Netherlands vs. Brazil |
6 a.m. CT |
|
July 27 |
Netherlands vs. China |
6:30 a.m. CT |
Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. General athletic news can be found at @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and @AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
