Teun Koopmeiners: Captain of the “cheeseheads”
Player analysis-Teun Koopmeiners
AZ Alkmaar under Arne Slot grabbed the attention of Europe last season after finishing second in the Eredivisie table. Their impressive run was propelled by an expansive style of football which boasted a plethora of attacking talent. AZ Alkmaar comes from a town best known for cheese in the Netherlands and hence nicknamed as the “cheeseheads”. AZ possess a cluster of young talent including the likes of Calvin Stengs, Myron Boadu and Owen Wjindal who have enthralled the big clubs of Europe. However, in this article, I would like to shed light on arguably their most important player: Teun Koopmeiners.
Koopmeiners was born in Castricrum, Netherlands, on the 28th of February 1998. He joined his local side, Vitesse at a very young age. In 2009 at the age of 11, he joined AZ Alkmaar’s youth setup. He was handed his professional debut for AZ in the 2017/18 season in an away match against Almere City. The 22-year-old, now the leader of the AZ midfield and the heart of AZ’s build-up play, is primarily deployed as the left-sided central midfielder in Slot’s 4–2–3–1, albeit he’s been seldom used to fill in at centre-back. Arne Slot prefers a 4–2–3–1 shape as the base of his team, with the team defending in a 4–4–2 out of possession.
What makes Koopmeiners unique?
Koopmeiners is an essential cog in how Slot wants to build play from the back. He’s currently completing 7.1 long balls per 90, with a 55% long ball accuracy according to WhoScored.com which is quite impressive. The first thing you notice is his sublime ability on the ball and this sets him apart from other midfielders in the league. Koopmeiners is naturally fearless with his distribution which allows AZ to get out of tense situations against excellent counter-pressing sides who try to stifle their build-up
He slots in between the centre-backs or in front of the defensive pairing during the build-up phase, which aids AZ to progress play further up the pitch. The AZ captain is proficient at playing defence-splitting passes and possesses an array of passes in his locker. His poise on the ball is reflected in his ability to dribble out of tight situations. He is very calm and composed when pressured as he often picks the right situations to dribble.
From the above data, there are three main notable metrics which attract attention; ball recoveries, turnovers provoked and NSxG(Non-shot Expected Goals (NSxG) uses xG values for actions which are not shots or goals based on the spot they occur on the pitch and the xG value a shot would receive from the same spot). Koopmeiners acts as a screener who shields the defence and is the linkage between the attack and the back-line. He averages 10.7 ball recoveries per 30, 1.9 turnovers provoked and has an NSxG of 0.26 which is very decent. This confirms his dexterity in both defensive and offensive phases of play.
Using data provided by Statsbomb, we can observe that the Dutchman is adept defensively and averages 3.36 PAadj tackles and interceptions per 90, which is solid for a 22-year-old defensive midfielder. His xGBuildup is at 0.73 which demonstrates how vital he’s to AZ’s build-up play. The young AZ prodigy completed 8.06 deep progressions in comparison to Toni Kroos’ 6.27 deep progressions(2019–20). Yes, it is common knowledge that the Eredivisie doesn’t possess the quality of La Liga, but this is further proof that Koopmeiners is certainly up there with the elite ball progressing midfielders across Europe’s top 5 leagues.
Set-Piece specialist
Koopmeiners bears the responsibility of spot-kicks and has scored 11 goals in Eredivisie(2019–20), of which none have come from open play. He’s tremendous from dead-ball situations and quite efficient too. The young AZ captain is extremely clinical from the spot and boasts a staggering conversion rate of 95%.
Athleticism
Koopmeiners, adept at winning duels and tackles, mesmerizes viewers with his ability on the ball. But there is a big question mark on his mobility off the ball, which could be hindering him in the future. He doesn’t have elite top-end speed off the ball, which puts him in awkward situations when battling against pacy forwards. However, he is certainly mobile enough to shuttle across the pitch and that should be able to translate in a tougher league given his impressive reading ability of the game. Regardless, I’d still lean towards the section of people who consider his lack of “elite” level acceleration alarming.
Marjin Beuker, AZ Alkmaar’s Head of Performance, explains the club’s philosophy-” Our football philosophy exists out of dominant dynamic play, with lots of variation, so that we determine what happens next and the opponent doesn’t know our next move. We want possession of the ball, hence we play with aggressive pressing with a well-organised team. We want all of our actions to be delivered with the highest intensity”. Well, the statement is true, as AZ scout players that fit their philosophy and mould them into great footballing minds. Teun Koopmeiners embodies what AZ strives for and undoubtedly shows exceptional maturity for a 22-year-old.
Is Koopmeiners the next success story from the Eredivisie? Can he follow the paths of players like Christian Eriksen and Georginio Wijnaldum? Has he outgrown AZ and Arne Slot’s team? If so, where should he go? Well, there are multiple opinions about his future club. But if I had to pick one club where he would seamlessly fit, it would certainly be Manchester United. Koopmeiners can slot right into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s 4–2–3–1 and be eased in as United’s Matic replacement. The stars are certainly aligned for Koopmeiners, and with the right club and coaching, he could truly become a special player in the future.
