Scotland Women need to improve for second part of Dutch double-header – Lisa Evans

Pedro Martinez Losa's side were beaten 4-0 in Nijmegen by the Netherlands on Friday night

By Jamie Durent

October 29 2023, 7:30 pm

Scotland international midfielder Lisa Evans. (Image: SNS.)

Scotland Women midfielder Lisa Evans knows the national side must deliver a much-improved performance against Netherlands on Tuesday night.

Pedro Martinez Losa’s side meet the Dutch in the second game of their Uefa Nations League double-header, on the back of a chastening 4-0 defeat against the same opposition in Nijmegen on Friday.

Although the Scots were deprived of key midfielders Caroline Weir and Erin Cuthbert through injury, as well as Rangers’ Sam Kerr and Manchester United’s Emma Watson, the visitors were given a “footballing lesson” by the World Cup quarter-finalists.

Scotland have a challenging group but acquitted themselves well in the first camp, drawing with Belgium and suffering a narrow defeat against reigning European champions England.

Experienced campaigner Evans knows Scotland are capable of better and performance levels must be upped for Tuesday’s showdown in Glasgow.

“All in all we’ll be disappointed with the performance,” she said. “At the end of the day we’ve got another performance on Tuesday and we need to make it better.

“We know ourselves we can do better than we showed and we need to put it right.

“Holland are a top side – they’ve not been in finals for no reason. To be honest, they gave us a footballing lesson.

“We need to review the game and do the basics better. We need to be way more aggressive than what we showed and we’ve got the opportunity to put it right.”

Danielle van de Donk gets to the ball first to put Netherlands in front against Scotland Women. Image: Hollandse Hoogte/Shutterstock (14170186f) — Danielle van de Donk gets to the ball first to put Netherlands in front against Scotland. (Image: Hollandse Hoogte/Shutterstock (14170186f))

Evans came on as a second-half substitute for Scotland and could take some small comfort in receiving her landmark 100th cap.

The 31-year-old West Ham midfielder, who hails from Perth, made her national team debut in 2011 and was part of the squads which reached Euro 2017 and the World Cup in France two years later.

“I love being part of this group – it’s such a special group,” added Evans. “I feel like we’re all in it together.

“It’s been amazing to be part of all the generations that have come through. Now I’m one of the older ones trying to pass on what I know to the younger ones.

“I was disappointed with the result but happy and proud to have made 100 appearances for Scotland, no doubt about that.”