Dutch women’s coach Max Caldas has finalised his squad for the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014. Three of the 21-strong group who have been in training over the past few weeks - Merel de Blaey, Kitty van Male and Charlotte Vega - have been dropped from the final line-up. Youngest players in the team are Xan de Waard, who is just 18, and 21-year-old Marloes Keetels, both of whom were capped for the Dutch youth team last year. Team stalwart Naomi van As is sufficiently recovered from injury and will make the World Cup.

Best mixture

‘I’m very pleased to have finalised the team but of course I feel for the girls who have been dropped,’ Caldas said. ‘It was a difficult decision and I am still torn about it. But this squad offers the best mixture of skills to play the best hockey. The girls are in good shape and are the top players in the Netherlands at the moment. I have not looked at age because I don’t think it is important. But this squad will allow us to put plan B and plan C into action if plan A does not work.’

The team
Naomi van As   
Willemijn Bos   
Frederique Derkx   
Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel   
Roos Drost   
Margot van Geffen   
Eva de Goede   
Ellen Hoog   
Kelly Jonker   
Marloes Keetels   
Kim Lammers   
Caia van Maasakker   
Larissa Meijer   
Maartje Paumen   
Jacky Schoenaker   
Joyce Sombroek   
Xan de Waard   
Lidewij Welten