Former Alabama Soccer Star Merel van Dongen Grateful to Continue Professional Career
12/3/2020 1:35:00 PM | Soccer
The Dutch defender plays for Spanish Primera División club Atlético Madrid and the Netherlands women's national team
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – As the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus has forced the cancellation of numerous tournaments and curtailed international travel, former Alabama soccer standout Merel van Dongen is staying active playing professionally for Spanish Primera División club Atlético Madrid and the Netherlands women's national football team.
“We are finally able to play again, but it hasn’t been the same since,” van Dogen said. “We don’t have fans in the stadium, and family and friends aren’t able to come see us play. However, it is amazing to be on the pitch every day and do what we love to do. I have the freedom and time again to develop my game and to compete on the highest level with Atletico Madrid and the national team. We have the Olympics coming up this summer, the EURO’s in 2022 and another World Cup in 2023, so there is a lot to play for.”
Just this pas week, van Dongen laced up her cleats for the Netherlands women's national team with a friendly match against the United States. The Dutch defender played the entire 90 minutes at left back as USWNT won 2-0.
Van Dongen made her senior Netherlands women's national football team debut in a 7–0 friendly win over Thailand on February 7, 2015. She was also part of the Dutch squad at two FIFA Women's World Cups and won a silver medal in 2019. The defender is also currently playing for Atletico Madrid in Madrid, Spain.
?? Onze opstelling! ??
— OranjeLeeuwinnen (@oranjevrouwen) November 27, 2020
18.35 uur ?? Veronica. #NEDUSA #AllesvoorOranje pic.twitter.com/K4oV6oiNiu
Playing in the UEFA Champions League is probably one of the biggest goals as a player. You compete against the best athletes in the world.Merel van Dongen
“At Alabama I grew as a player and as a person,” van Dogen said. “I became a lot fitter, stronger and I trained a lot harder at Alabama than I was used to in the Netherlands, I grew as a player. What I also really liked about Alabama, was that we also got the opportunity to grow as a leader. I was a young girl coming from Amsterdam to a smaller city like Tuscaloosa, with different norms and values as what I was used to. It was quite the culture shock and learning to find a way in a new environment really makes you grow as a person. I was an emotional player that hated losing, but I grew as a leader being able to enjoy the game more and being more balanced. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the University of Alabama.”
In Van Dongen's two-year stint at Alabama she managed to become the Tide's single season assists leader registering 10 in 2014. She still holds down the No. 1 spot on Alabama's career assists per game list with 0.30 through 44 games, and her 10 assists in 2014 allowed her to take the No. 1 spot on the single season assists per game list with 0.53 through 19 games. Van Dongen converted four penalty kicks during her career with Alabama, which ranks fourth on the career penalty kicks made list.
In her final season with the Crimson Tide, she earned All-SEC Second Team honors, while in the classroom she produced Academic All-America and All-District 4 First Team accolades.
“My favorite experience is basically the season from August till November,” van Dogen said. “The traveling, the games, the intense time you spend with your teammates; it is so much soccer in such a short time that it’s like a rollercoaster of battling for wins. No time to think, just eat, train/play, recover, sleep and do it all over again.”
Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaSoccer on Twitter and Facebook and AlabamaSoccer on Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
