Summerville Shines as Right‑Winger, Malen Misses in Algeria Loss

Crysencio Summerville made his debut on the right wing for the Netherlands national team in a friendly at De Kuip. The Netherlands were beaten 0‑1 by Algeria after conceding in the second half. Striker Donyell Malen failed to find the net. The right‑wing position has been a long‑standing issue for the Dutch side. Louis van Gaal said five years ago he would "search the whole world for a right winger". Since then Xavi Simons, Jeremie Frimpong and Donyell Malen have each filled the role with mixed results, while left‑footed Teun Koopmeiners played on the right against Norway in March. Coach Koeman selected Summerville, normally a left winger at West Ham United, as a right winger for the match. Koeman explained that Summerville can "show he is very good there" and expected him to bring threat on both inside and outside, plus speed, work rate and ball retention.

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In the first half Summerville received a tight pass from Jan Paul van Hecke, turned it to Tijjani Reijnders, and then supplied Reijnders for a goal. He later delivered a pass to Reijnders again and created a larger chance for Malen, who missed the opportunity. Mats Wieffer covered the right‑back position after Denzel Dumfries’s suspension, allowing Summerville to operate as if a regular right‑back were behind him. Koeman described Summerville’s debut as "good" and said he had proven why he was selected. He noted that Malen needed to score, recalling that Malen is the primary striker for AS Roma. Koeman added that Malen’s fitness would be assessed in the ten‑ or eleven‑day window before the World Cup opener.

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The Netherlands flew from Schiphol to New York on the same day, arriving at 18:25 local time. A final friendly against Uzbekistan is scheduled for 8 June in New York, followed by the World Cup group match against Japan in Dallas on 14 June. Koeman indicated that Memphis Depay’s fitness remains a factor for the opening game.