The Netherlands reached the semi-finals after eliminating tournament favourites Portugal. The Young Lions failed to win their first two games at the tournament, but haven't conceded a goal in the last two games.
NEC Nijmegen goalkeeper Robin Roefs had to step up right before the tournament after first-choice stopper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro sustained an injury in the warm-up game against Ivory Coast.
Speaking to reporters in Bratislava, Roefs said being the first choice and the added pressure are both different and known to him. "It’s a little different from being the second-choice goalkeeper; you have to play and be ready for every game. I think I’m used to it at my club, I think I can deal with it," Roefs told Flashscore.
The Netherlands will miss captain Devyne Rensch, midfielder Kenneth Taylor, and left winger Ruben van Bommel as the trio sit out suspensions. "They’re three deciding, excellent players," said Roefs. "But I think we have a good team, we have proved that in all our games. We’re going to have to prove that again, that everyone is essential.
"I think you see little difference between all the players during practice, so I think we will be okay."
Long season
During Tuesday's press conference, manager Michael Reiziger announced Jorrel Hato would wear the captain's armband against England in the absence of Rensch and Taylor.
It will be Hato's 60th game of the season. Roefs said it's been a long season for him as well, but not in the same way. "It's less intense for a goalkeeper, but you do notice it now that you play these many games in a smaller number of days."
The NEC stopper said he's doing fine physically, however. "No bruised hip, I haven’t had to dive that much. They’re doing well in front of me."
The last time the Netherlands and England met at the U21 Euros was in 2007, when the two nations also met in the semi-finals. The Netherlands won that game after penalties and ended up winning the tournament for a second-straight year.
The 22-year-old Roefs is ready for an eventual penalty shootout. "Absolutely. We prepare ourselves for penalties before every match."
The Young Lions will have to do without the player Roefs considers the best at penalties: "We have Kenneth (Taylor), who’s scored important and good penalties for Ajax in the Eredivisie."
Growth
After the Netherlands failed to win their first two games of the tournament, in which they drew 2-2 to Finland and lost 2-1 to Denmark, Oranje seemed to flip a switch and improved massively against Ukraine and Portugal. Roefs said he and the team have grown throughout the tournament.
"I wasn’t always happy with how I played at the start of the tournament, just like everybody else, but I think I’ve played well the last few games."
When asked what he thinks has improved since Reiziger switched the team, Roefs looked at the defensive side of the ball. "I think we have some more security in the back. If we lost the ball in the first few games, it was pretty wide open in the back. We’ve handled it well with minor tactical changes and in the mentality."
The moment Ruben van Bommel was shown a red card in the 21st minute against Portugal, Roefs thought he was in for a busy evening. "But I think we’ve done a fantastic job with ten men, everyone fought hard for it."
'Very good team, just like us'
England, just like the Netherlands, have grown throughout the tournament and played their best game against Spain, whom they eliminated with a 3-1 victory.
"They're a very good team, just like us," said Roefs. "They have a lot of players who play at a high level. We have to be at our best to progress to the next round."
The Netherlands and England kick off their U21 Euros semi-final on Wednesday, June 25th, at 18.00 CET.