Wednesday, 12 June 2024 – 09:06 WIB
Jakarta – Calvin Verdonk made his debut with the Indonesian National Team against the Philippine National Team in the 2026 World Cup Qualification Group F match in the Asia Zone at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Tuesday evening WIB 11 June 2024.
Calvin Verdonk’s debut was only a few days after he completed the naturalization process. The player from the NEC Nijmegen club was plotted as a left wing back by Shin Tae-yong.
The appearance of this 27 year old player is highly anticipated by Indonesian national team supporters. Because he has a good record with NEC Nijmegen in the highest caste competition in Dutch football.
Unfortunately in this match, Calvin Verdonk could not play the full 90 minutes. He was pulled out by Shin Tae-yong when the match entered the 67th minute.
He was seen moaning in pain when he tackled a Philippine national team player. This condition seemed to make Shin Tae-yong worried and he immediately replaced him with Pratama Arahan.
Calvin Verdonk, Indonesian vs Philippines National Team in World Cup Qualification
Even though he didn’t play fully, Shin Tae-yong gave his appreciation to Verdonk. Because it is not easy for players from Europe to immediately adapt to the weather in Indonesia.
“Calvin played very well. Indeed, this was his first match,” said Shin Tae-yong in a press conference after the match.
“And it shouldn’t be so easy for him to debut because there are differences in time and environment, but he still performs well as a professional player,” he added.
Verdonk’s statistics quoted from SofaScore show that he made 46 touches on the ball. He also recorded 80 percent pass success. 20 of his 25 attempts were right on target.
Verdonk also recorded three key passes during 67 minutes of play. He made two long passes, and both were successful.
Playing as a left wing back, Verdonk’s aggressiveness was visible. He assisted in the attack, and recorded two attempts on target.
Verdonk’s arrival in the Garuda Squad heated up the position of left wing back. Shayne Pattynama, who is usually a mainstay, even had to sit on the bench.
