Kenneth Perez saw the ‘future Oranje striker’ score against PSV: ‘Exceptional’
1 min readPSV lost in painful fashion at home last Sunday the battle for the Johan Cruyff Shield of the cup winners against AZ. The Alkmaar side, aided in part by an early red card for Joey Veerman, eventually won 0-4 and traveled back to Alkmaar with the Johan Cruyff Shield in hand.
Named Alkmaar Zaanstreek, Mexx Meerdink was responsible for the 0-1. Meerdink was earlier in the match still the victim of the foul, which is why Veerman ultimately had to go to the sidelines with a red card.
ESPN analyst Kenneth Perez was very complimentary about Meerdink ahead of the match. Perez even sees, in AZ striker, the future striker of the Netherlands national team.
''He looks fit. He has such specific, special qualities as a striker that you don’t often see in other players. I even think that during the period of his long and tough groin injury he became a better footballer. As crazy as that sounds. He still looks more physical,'' said the Danish analyst ahead of PSV - AZ on ESPN.
The former footballer, from among others AZ, Ajax and PSV, also believes that Meerdink will play a major role this season for Leeroy Echteld’s team. Above all, the way the striker creates chances and also makes use of them can count on a lot of praise from Perez.
''He knows what he has missed. He is now the first-choice striker, certainly if Troy Parrott leaves. He is the future for the Netherlands national team. How he finishes and how he moves is exceptional. I hope that in three years I will be proved right,'' says the Dane.
Finally, the former midfielder believes that Oranje will also be freed from the penalty-shootout problem. ''Then we’re immediately rid of our penalty problem with the Netherlands team, because he can do that as one of the best in the Netherlands'', said Perez.
Comments12
I get the hype about his finishing and movement, but AZ also scored off the game plan and the early red. PSV need a striker who creates like that and presses like that, because Meerdink did both against us. Damn.
The penalty problem line is funny, but i like the logic. If Meerdink actually takes those chances and finishes calmly, yeah that Netherlands striker role could be his, no cap 👀
Perez saying Meerdink is the future Dutch striker is peak jinx stuff. Also he was "the first striker" if Parrott leaves, so we better start winning these battles on the pitch, not in pundit land 💀
Groin injury makes him "better footballer"... that quote is wild, lol. i still think PSV's defensive spacing was the real issue, not only AZ finishing 🔥
"Exceptional" is fair for Meerdink, but PSV fans can still be mad. If we had not gone a man down early, that AZ counter timing would not have looked so easy.
0-4 at home and all we get is praise for their striker... ok then. Meerdink looks sharp, but tbh our red-card chaos with Veerman killed the whole game.
"He is the future for the Netherlands national team." no cap, Meerdink has the physique for it, but Oranje already has options. If PSV want to answer this, we need our own striker to create and score without waiting for perfect refs and early events. 🤬
Perez saying he became a better footballer during a groin injury is wild, but hey, if he is fitter now, thats scary. Meerdink's movement and finishing has that calm feel, and PSV will feel it every time we get pressed high... 👀
Red card for Joey Veerman + Meerdink already looking "exceptional" is the worst combo 😅. We can debate striker quality all day, but PSV need to control transitions, otherwise any striker will look goated.
If Troy Parrott leaves, Meerdink as first striker makes sense. But i wonder if Perez is being a bit too optimistic about a penalty fix at national team level... one season at AZ doesnt automatically translate to NT nerves under pressure.
"He looks fit." ok sure, but lets not pretend PSV didnt hand AZ the perfect scenario with that early red. Meerdink creating chances is real, but our defensive shape has to do better before we start praising everything in orange.
0-4 at home was brutal, but Perez calling Mexx Meerdink a future Oranje striker just proves AZ are pointing at the next level. Still, i hate that the red for Veerman completely flipped the gameplan... once PSV were chasing, it was over.