Merel van Dongen

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Merel van Dongen

| image = Merel van Dongen on November 6, 2018 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Van Dongen training with Netherlands in 2018

| fullname = Merel Didi van Dongen

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1993|2|11}}

| birth_place = Amsterdam, Netherlands

| height = 1.72 m

| currentclub = Monterrey

| clubnumber = 5

| position = Defender, fullback

| youthyears1 = 2012–2014

| youthclubs1 = Alabama Crimson Tide

| years1 = 2010–2011

| clubs1 = Ter Leede

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2011–2012

| clubs2 = ADO

| caps2 = 10

| goals2 = 2

| years3 = 2015–2018

| clubs3 = Ajax

| caps3 = 71

| goals3 = 9

| years4 = 2018–2020

| clubs4 = Real Betis

| caps4 = 46

| goals4 = 5

| years5 = 2020–2023

| clubs5 = Atlético Madrid

| caps5 = 71

| goals5 = 6

| years6 = 2024–

| clubs6 = Monterrey

| caps6 = 25

| goals6 = 6

| nationalyears1 = 2010–2012

| nationalteam1 = Netherlands U19

| nationalcaps1 = 15

| nationalgoals1 = 4

| nationalyears2 = 2015–

| nationalteam2 = Netherlands

| nationalcaps2 = 63

| nationalgoals2 = 2

| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Women's football}}

{{Medal|Country|the {{NED}}}}

| pcupdate = 13 October 2021

| ntupdate = 1 December 2023

}}

Merel Didi van Dongen ({{IPA|nl|ˈmeːrəl ˈdidi vɑn ˈdɔŋə(n)}}; born 11 February 1993) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a defender for Liga MX Femenil side Monterrey and the Netherlands national team.{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/players/player=386917/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150612101843/http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/players/player=386917/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 June 2015 |title= Profile |publisher= FIFA.com |accessdate=24 June 2015}}

Club career

She played for Ter Leede and ADO Den Haag before going to the United States where she played for Alabama Crimson Tide. She returned to the Netherlands in 2015 and signed with AFC Ajax.

College career

In Van Dongen's two years at Alabama she managed to become the Tide's single season assists leader registering 10 in 2014. She is No. 1 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 last season with the Crimson Tide, she was selected to the CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-American team and All-District 4 First Team and named a member of the All-SEC Second Team.{{cite web |url=https://rolltide.com/news/2019/5/22/two-former-alabama-soccer-standouts-named-to-world-cup-roster.aspx?path=wsoc |title= Two Former Alabama Soccer Standouts Named to 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Roster |date= 22 May 2019 |publisher= rolltide.com |accessdate=11 June 2019}}

International career

File:Merel van Dongen in November, 2018.jpg on 6 November 2018]]

As a junior international she played the 2010 and 2011 U-19 European Championships.[https://www.uefa.com/womensunder19/match/2008020--netherlands-vs-germany/ Last-gasp Rudelic grabs victory for Germany]. UEFA

Van Dongen made her senior Netherlands women's national football team debut in a 7–0 friendly win over Thailand on 7 February 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.vrouwenvoetbalnederland.nl/vvned/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9178:merel-van-dongen&catid=167:internationals&Itemid=446|title=Merel van Dongen|accessdate=23 July 2013|date=17 July 2013|publisher=VrouwenvoetbalNederland.NL}} She was one of the last three players to be cut from national team coach Roger Reijners' final squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2013 in Sweden.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/020a-0e141a15fbbb-55b8e880af32-1000--trio-miss-cut-in-netherlands-squad/|title=Trio miss cut in Netherlands squad|date=30 June 2013|access-date=23 July 2013|work=UEFA}} When Mandy van den Berg subsequently suffered knee ligament damage, Van Dongen was called up as a late replacement.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/020b-0e141b4283b0-b005232703b8-1000--van-dongen-replaces-van-den-berg-for-oranje/|title=Van Dongen replaces Van den Berg for Oranje|date=1 July 2013|access-date=23 July 2013|work=UEFA|first=Berend|last=Scholten}} She was also part of the Dutch squad at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.{{cite web|title=List of Players - Netherlands|url=http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWWC/2015/pdf/FWWC_2015_SquadLists.pdf|publisher=FIFA|accessdate=31 May 2015|page=16|date=30 May 2015|archive-date=10 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410062327/http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWWC/2015/pdf/FWWC_2015_SquadLists.pdf|url-status=dead}}

On 31 May 2023, she was named as part of the Netherlands provisional squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.{{Cite web |author1=Mark White |date=2023-06-05 |title=Netherlands Women's World Cup 2023 squad: 30-player preliminary team named |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/netherlands-women-world-cup-2023-squad-team-roster-players-holland |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=fourfourtwo.com |language=en}}

=International goals=

:Scores and results list the Netherlands goal tally first.{{cite web |title=Profile |url=https://www.onsoranje.nl/teams/207834/speler/606 |language=Dutch |work=onsoranje.nl |accessdate=16 December 2017}}

class="wikitable"

! {{abbr|G|Goal}} !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition

20 May 2015

Sparta Stadion, Rotterdam, Netherlands

align=center| 3–0

align=center| 7–0

Friendly

22 October 2021

AEK Arena, Larnaca, Cyprus

{{Flagicon|Cyprus}} Cyprus

align=center| 8–0

2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifier

Personal life

She is in a relationship with Ana Romero.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2019/01/11/graag-was-ik-als-eerste-man-uit-de-kast-gekomen-a3470876|title=Merel van Dongen: graag was ik als eerste man uit de kast gekomen|website=NRC|date=11 January 2019 |last1=Greven |first1=Koen }} They are engaged since December 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuPY_zZUQX8|title=SHE SAID YES! Ajax will forever be part of their love story|website=YouTube|date=29 December 2021 }}

Van Dongen and Romero welcomed their first child together named Ibbie Van Dongen Romero on 28 August 2024. {{Cite news|url=https://abcnoticias.mx/deportes/2024/8/29/merel-van-dongen-anuncia-el-nacimiento-de-su-bebe-224791.html|title=Merel van Dongen anuncia el nacimiento de su bebé|website=ABC Noticias|date=29 August 2024 |accessdate=30 August 2024}}

Honours

ADO Den Haag

Eredivisie: 2011–12
KNVB Women's Cup: 2011–12

Ajax

Eredivisie: 2016–17, 2017–18
KNVB Women's Cup: 2016–17, 2017–18

Atlético Madrid

Copa de la Reina: 2022–23

Monterrey

Liga MX Femenil: Clausura 2024

Netherlands

Algarve Cup: 2018{{cite web|url=https://www.nu.nl/voetbal/5166413/finale-algarve-cup-tussen-oranjevrouwen-en-zweden-afgelast.html|title=Finale Algarve Cup tussen Oranjevrouwen en Zweden afgelast|date=7 March 2018 |publisher=nu.nl|language=Dutch|accessdate=7 March 2018}}
FIFA Women's World Cup runners-up: 2019

References

External links

{{sports links|properties=-P6198}}
{{Liga MX Femenil player}}
[https://www.onsoranje.nl/teams/207834/speler/606 Profile] at Onsoranje.nl {{in lang|nl}}
[http://www.vrouwenvoetbalnederland.nl/vvned/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9178:merel-van-dongen&catid=167:internationals&Itemid=446 Profile] at vrouwenvoetbalnederland.nl {{in lang|nl}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20100529224425/http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/players/player=1909218/profile/index.html Profile] at uefa.com
[http://www.rolltide.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/merel_van_dongen_799547.html Profile] at University of Alabama
{{TeamNL profile|merel-van-dongen|old_id=5664-merel-van-dongen}}

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Category:1993 births

Category:Living people

Category:Dutch women's footballers

Category:Expatriate women's footballers in Spain

Category:Expatriate women's footballers in Mexico