Alabama’s Van Dongen Gets The Call

How do you put a cap on an outstanding year of collegiate soccer at the University of Alabama.

Merel Van Dongen hopes that cap will come with an appearance with her country’s full national team.

In early June, she was selected one of 31 players invited to a training camp before the Netherlands National Women’s Team picks a squad for the 2013 European Championships, July 10-28 in Sweden.

[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’] “Everyone in our program is happy for Merel as we all know how hard she has been working for this opportunity,” Crimson Tide soccer head coach Todd Bramble said.

“It’s a pleasant surprise that she was called in for this event. She is a young player who is in the midst of her development. That just speaks to the potential she has and the bright future that is ahead.

“I am proud Alabama Soccer has played a role in helping her get to this point of her career,” Bramble said.

“This has been something I have always worked toward,” Van Dongen said. “It’s a dream of mine to play for my country. It is a huge step in my career and I am thankful for this opportunity.”

Van Dongen said that her time at Alabama has helped her reach her goal of competing internationally.

“Alabama is everything I wanted in terms of overall university life and especially the soccer team,” Van Dongen said prior to her departure from Tuscaloosa. “It is very competitive and I have learned so much during my time here. I am happy to see the hard work is paying off.”

Van Dongen was named SEC Freshman of the Year after starting all 19 games in her first season with the Crimson Tide. She finished with nine points on three goals and three assists from her midfield position.

Playing for Holland is not a new experience for her. She made the Under-15 national team as a 14-year-old, and has played 53 games for her country.

She helped lead the U19 Dutch team to a semifinal appearance at the 2010 European Championships in Macedonia and a top eight finish in Italy (2011).

The Amsterdam native plays for the same club team (ADPO Den Haag) with current Alabama junior Pia Rijsdijk, also a U19 national player.

The Netherlands will be in Group B at the three-week long European Women’s Soccer Championship and will be paired with Germany (July 11), Norway (July 14) and Iceland (July 17).

Van Dongen and the Dutch will play friendlies on its home soil against Australia (June 29) and Northern Ireland (July 3) before making the trek to Sweden.