On Tuesday-evening, the Juniors have secured their participation in next year’s European Championship with a big win over Young Cyprus. The Dutch talents were no less than 0-7 too strong for the home team in Larnaca and Kaj Sierhuis accounted for the lion’s share of the goals with a hat trick. The best goal, however, came in the name of Ryan Gravenberch, who fired in the 0-1 from a considerable distance. Due to this monstrous victory, the Juniors remain clear in Group 7 of the European Championship qualification and can no longer be caught up by number two Young Portugal.

Myron Boadu was missing from the starting eleven due to disciplinary reasons, while Dani de Wit was absent due to a suspension. The attack of the Dutch Juniors was therefore formed by base debutant Joshua Zirkzee and Sierhuis. The latter was close to the opening goal after more than ten minutes of play, but both Sierhuis and Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, ​​who also started in the base for the first time, failed to pass goalkeeper Andreas Paraskevas.

Ten minutes later it was still hit when Gravenberch decided to lash out from a good twenty meters and saw his line flying in the top right corner. A shot into the side netting by Ekkelenkamp and a header from Sierhuis further endangered the Juniors in the remainder of the first half, without moving the scoreboard. After the break, the team of interim national coach Marcel Groninger, who replaced Erwin van de Looi, who had tested positive for corona, soon took further distance.

Via Ekkelenkamp, ​​who made it 0-2 from the rebound, and Sierhuis it was already 0-3 six minutes after the start of the second half and the Dutch Juniors ran even further ahead in the remainder of the game. A nice attack over a large number of discs resulted in Ekkelenkamp’s 0-4 25 minutes before time and eight minutes later Sierhuis also made his second of the evening. On a pass from Mitchel Bakker, substitute Boadu seemed to take care of the final chord eight minutes before time, but in the last minute a penalty kick followed after a foul on Sheral Floranus. Sierhuis put himself behind this penalty and completed his hat-trick in a controlled manner.