Damaris Egurrola, born in the US, raised in Spain, plays football for the Netherlands
During a wonderful, carefree childhood, Damaris Egurrola played soccer with her nephews and nieces on squares in Groningen during the summer holidays, when she came over from Spain to visit family. ‘On small fields, close to their home. In the summer I was always here for at least three weeks and then at Christmas and all that.’
Damaris Berta Egurrola Wienke is her full name, an apparently perfect amalgamation of names from Spain and the Netherlands, although her mother’s name Wienke originally comes from Germany. In Groningen, she hopes to make her debut against Cyprus on Friday for the team of her choice, the Netherlands, in the qualifying series for next year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Born in the United States, raised in Spain, living in France, with her heart in the Netherlands, her mother’s country. She is a defensive, controlling midfielder with an overview and a good pass, with the great advantage of being left-footed, a specialty that is missing from great forces like Sherida Spitse and Jackie Groenen. They hope for her debut. I have ordered many tickets for family and friends. My parents, sister and brother come over from Spain. Many friends of my mother will be there. It’s really cool.’
She started playing football in Spain, where her parents still live in Bilbao, and to which she emigrated from the United States when she was 6 years old. The love for the game started in Groningen. Of course, it’s not just a feeling for a country, it’s also a calculation of probability. Opportunity stirs affection. While Spain ignored her, Dutch national team coach Mark Parsons visited her in America to persuade her. And Daniëlle van de Donk, co-player at Olympique Lyon, kept ‘nagging’ at her head. “She never stopped. She’s happy for me now.’
Van de Donk is now injured, so that the guide is missing in the selection. The team also practices against South Africa on Tuesday, although the qualifying match against Belarus is officially on the program. The KNVB is going to play against the country that is friends with Putin’s Russia and is with the future of that step. Egurrola, about her first training days in Zeist: ‘It was like a first day at school in which you don’t know anyone, but it was easy and pleasant for me.’
During a current sports channel ESPN wants to know whether she already speaks Dutch words. So little. She is learning the language. The NOS asks if she wants herself in the camera. †Hi, I’m Damaris Egurrola. I play for Lyon, and now for the Dutch national team† The Telegraph is curious if she has heard of the stroopwafel. She smiles. Yes, she knows the ‘croquette sandwich’. de Volkskrant asks her about the Afsluitdijk. No, never heard of it. ‘I know many words and the culture. I am now learning Dutch and French at the same time, which is even difficult.’ In the future she will speak Dutch. She understands everything, especially football terms.
Spanish youth teams
She feels more European than American. In Spain she already played for national youth teams and in a friendly match of the national team, but at a certain point they were no longer in the selection and could still change. She was in the Netherlands at the 2017 European Championship and attended every match. ‘I was impressed. The team played really good football and the atmosphere with the crowd was special. They won the tournament in a beautiful way.’
She also saw the Orange lose, the men then, in 2010, during the final of the World Cup in South Africa. ‘I don’t know yet that I was a supporter of the Netherlands. When Iniesta scored, I ran to bedroom crying. My father’s family wanted Spain to win, but we won a party for the Netherlands. I was a fan of the Dutch players at that time, and when the Netherlands played football, we were dressed in orange. And my nieces and nephews taught me how to play football better.’
Her father is also proud now, although he is Spaniard then. He knew I needed tournaments with a national team, to become a bigger player. He helped me, including with all the paperwork for FIFA. It is important that a team really wants you. I didn’t have a chance in Spain for three years. Here I spoke with Mark Parsons and Danielle, and they all wanted me to join the team.’ Now that debut.