Romee Leuchter moved through the session with the easy confidence of a striker who knows her cues: check away, spin into space, arrive early at the near post. On 24 February 2026, with a World Cup qualifier against Poland approaching, every repetition carried purpose—and Leuchter treated each one like it might be the decisive moment.
The tempo felt intentional from the opening warm-up, the kind where passes snap and the chatter stays constant. Leuchter’s voice rose often, not as noise but as direction—small reminders to keep the ball moving and the lines tight, the details that make training resemble match night.
When the work shifted into combination play, her strengths showed in miniature. A quick set, a curved run, a half-yard of separation—then the finish, clean and uncomplicated. Even in practice, her movement suggested a player who’d rather arrive first than fight late.
There was an edge to the drills that hinted at what Poland demands: discipline without the ball, bravery in duels, and patience when the opening doesn’t appear immediately. Leuchter leaned into the physical moments, absorbing contact, resetting, and going again—striker’s resilience in its simplest form.
In tighter spaces, she played with a mix of economy and intent. One touch to settle, one to release—then she’d slip into a pocket to offer a return option. It’s the less glamorous side of the role, but it keeps the attack stitched together when defenses try to tug it apart.
The finishing sequences were where she looked most at home, timing her runs off the final pass and striking through the ball with minimal backlift. Some shots were placed, others driven, but the common thread was decisiveness—no hesitation, no second-guessing, just commitment to the action.
Between sets, Leuchter’s focus stayed forward. A short exchange with staff, a nod, a reset at the top of the line. Strikers live in a constant loop of outcome and adjustment, and she carried that rhythm naturally: miss, learn, repeat; score, refine, repeat.
What stood out most was how her intensity seemed to lift the group. A strong finish sparked a grin from a teammate; a sharp press triggered a quicker restart. In camps like these, leadership often looks like tone-setting, and Leuchter set the tone with her work.
If the qualifier against Poland turns into a game of small margins—and qualifiers often do—the Netherlands will need players who can stay calm inside the chaos. On this day, Leuchter looked ready for that job: alert, assertive, and tuned to the kind of moments that decide matches.
