Aruba victorious in their first match for “W Qualification” and World Cup Brazil 2027, defeats Saint Kitts and Nevis 2-1

A very good start of a new era for the women’s national team, a tense and close match until the last whistle. It is Aruba’s first win ever against Saint Kitts and Nevis, a rival team that used to “have our number”, but now another wind is blowing.

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This match was not easy at all, but no match going forward will be easy for Aruba in this process to qualify for the World Cup. All the teams in this Group E are ranked higher than Aruba, Saint Kitts and Nevis is ranked about 50 places higher than us (137 vs 186 of Aruba), but I would bin all this ranking business now, because we that have seen this Aruban team play in the last two years, know that a ranking number 186 doesn’t make all sense, but, it could be used for motivation, to demonstrate that we can compete and win, why not? In the last two years we managed to win against Trinidad and Tobago (ranked 75), Suriname (ranked 135), and Curacao (Ranked 179), all ranked higher than Aruba. Aruba’s role is going to be that of a “dragonslayer”, that’s one way to put all this in context

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In the first thirty minutes of this match, Saint Kitts and Nevis were much more physical and dominant, winning most balls, attacking and threatening all along. Aruba started somewhat timid, nervous maybe? to top things up, Saint Kitts even managed to score a goal, making things even worse for the local team. Phoenetia Browne, who plays professionally with RCD Español in ‘La liga F’, in Spain (one of the top two female leagues in the world, together with the English Women’s Premier League), one of the best players in the Caribbean, scores at minute 36 to put the “Sugar Girls” ahead, an assist by Cloey Uddenberg, also one of the best players on the pitch in this match tonight. Aruba 0-1 Saint Kitts and Nevis

Not long after that, Saint Kitts and Nevis almost scored again if not for a crucial last second save from goalie Hadassah Kock. Any other team would have buckled under so much pressure and allow more goals, to their detriment, that’s how critical things looked at that point for Aruba, but, as we have been observing, this is another Aruban team than in the past, now with mentality and “garra” (to borrow this much used word in Argentina but mostly in Uruguay), “Garra Charua”, which means “fighting spirit”.

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Aruba managed to control the fire and little by little started to get into the game, this was a match of mind, patience and physical conditioning. We said previously that Saint Kitts and Nevis was dominating Aruba with their physical strength, running faster and jumping higher, and at some point, were even looking bigger and stronger, at least, that was the impression! But Aruba invested in “physical conditioning”, they are for the marathon run, besides mentality and “garra”, those proved to be the key in this game.

The storm passed through, good work by the Aruba eleven, but more so Soraya Verhoeve, who brought calm to the team, she started to win balls, and ‘the battle in mid-field’, she also assisted on the two Aruba goals, demonstrated what a number 6 can do when things get tough. The game stabilized for Aruba in and around the 40th minute of play, the equalizer came at minute 43 through Tarianna Doornkamp, a perfect pass by Verhoeve, a clinical goal by Doornkamp, a timely goal right before halftime. Aruba 1 – 1 Saint Kitts and Nevis, that’s how the half ended, tied game.

Aruba started with much more energy and decisiveness in the second half, as if they went into a high gear, implementing a ferocious “pressing”, to best way to describe it. Saint Kitts and Nevis didn’t have an answer for that, they didn’t know what hit them really, the “Briyante Girls” started to play brilliantly, after they suffered much in the first half, now, they are imposing the rhythm of the game.

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The final blow came, justified for Aruba’s efforts in the second half one would say, at minute 62. A freekick on the far-right side on the sideline, about 35 meters away from the goal, Verhoeve managed to put the ball in the penalty area, where Genesis Hazel headed in perfectly to beat Kyra Dickinson, the Saint Kitts and Nevis goalkeeper to the ball, for the 2-1. Even when Aruba didn’t get the insurance goal in the end, they still maintained possession of the ball to kill time until the final whistle, despite a few more dangerous approaches of the Sugar Girls, testimony to the great preparation in their physical conditioning, good lungs! At the end it was Aruba the “last woman standing”.

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A win and three points for the “Briyante Girls”, a very good start in this group with many “Goliaths”, Aruba seems more like a “David” going against all of them, without fear, earning respect and winning matches.

The team played like “one team”, there are just too many players to mention in this massive effort, but special mention goes to Genesis Hazel and Tarianna Doornkamp for their remarkable crucial goals. Michaella Neto who was solid in the central defense, besides preventing more damage by the dangerous Phoenetia Browne after her first goal of the match. The “player of the match” is Soraya Verhoeve, the captain of the Aruba national squad. Congrats also to the supporting staff, head-coach Van der Laan, assistant coaches Lake and Sambo, all other technical staff, a winning team working hard in support for the players.

Aruba now has a bye and will not play their next qualifying match for Group E until March 7 of 2026 against Cuba here in Aruba, let’s hope they can fill the stadium much more than tonight to see the “Briyante Girls play exciting football.

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⚽’36 Phoenetia Browne SKN (Assist: Cloey Uddenberg) ⚽’43 Tarianna Doornkamp ARU (Assist: Soraya Verhoeve) ⚽’62 Genesis Hazel ARU (Assist: Soraya Verhoeve)

🟨’ 92 Netto ARU 🟨’96 Browne SKN