Euro 2024: Dutch fans to brighten up Berlin as Oranje face Austria in last group game

The Netherlands needs a point from its final group game Tuesday against Austria to be sure of reaching the knockout stage of the European Championship, while Austria needs a win. The Dutch team has been supported by tens of thousands of orange-clad fans in Hamburg and Leipzig for its two games so far, and now they take their bright party to Berlin, where the final will be played next month. Perhaps a rehearsal? Kickoff is at 6 p.m. local (1600 GMT). Here’s what to know about the match:

— Both the Netherlands and France have four points in Group D, one ahead of Austria, while Poland has no points and was the first team eliminated. France is playing Poland in their final group game at the same time.

— The Dutch have a good record against Austria and will hope to make it eight wins in a row including a group stage victory over Austria in the last edition of the tournament.

— The game will be played in Berlin’s Olympiastadion. It will be the Netherlands’ first game in the stadium built under the Nazis for the 1936 Olympics.

— Austria hasn’t beaten the Oranje since a 3-2 victory in a friendly in Vienna in 1990. The Dutch won both their previous competitive meetings — at the 1978 World Cup and Euro 2020.

— The Netherlands started Euro 2024 by defeating Poland 2-1 thanks to a late goal from Wout Weghorst, then held France to the first and so far only goalless draw in the tournament. France missed a host of chances to score, while Xavi Simons had a goal ruled out through VAR, much to Dutch coach Ronald Koeman’s annoyance.

— Koeman helped the Netherlands win Euro ’88 as a player when West Germany hosted the tournament. He’s now in his second stint as national team coach.

— Under German coach Ralf Rangnick, Austria lost only one of its 10 qualifying games for Euro 2024, to Belgium 3-2. It was the team’s only defeat last year.

— Austria opened Euro 2024 with a 1-0 loss to France, then defeated Poland 3-1.

— Austria defender Gernot Trauner is out. Rangnick said the 32-year-old will “probably” miss the next game, too, should Austria progress.

— Netherlands counterpart Koeman was due to give an injury update later Monday.

— The Oranje won half of the teams’ previous 20 meetings, while Austria won six and there were four draws.

— Austria had never won a match at a Euros until it won two — over North Macedonia and Ukraine — at the last edition. The win over Poland was its third tournament win.

“We’re playing against an opponent that individually is equally good as France. They don’t have quite as many top players, but still many top players. If you look at Holland, the players that haven’t played at all yet or have only played a few minutes, they’re all international top-class players and they have great individual quality and they’re always trying to find some good solutions. So, we don’t want to allow them that. And in order to have those situations ourselves where we control the game, we need to have a top performance.” — Austria coach Ralf Rangnick.

“We have a good team with many different qualities, and I think we’re hard to beat. But we have to keep showing that.” – Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo.

AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024

Netherlands' head coach Ronald Koeman stands on the side line at the beginning of a Group D match between the Netherlands and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Leipzig, Germany, Friday, June 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mathias Schrader)

A Dutch supporter spray paints his face orange as he arrives for the Group D match between the Netherlands and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Leipzig, Germany, Friday, June 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Fans of the Dutch soccer team cheer prior to a Group D match between the Netherlands and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Leipzig, Germany, Friday, June 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mathias Schrader)

Dutch supporters arrive for the Group D match between the Netherlands and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Leipzig, Germany, Friday, June 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A Dutch fan holds a smoke flare outside the stadium ahead of a Group D match between the Netherlands and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Leipzig, Germany, Friday, June 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Fans of the Dutch soccer team cheer prior to a Group D match between the Netherlands and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Leipzig, Germany, Friday, June 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mathias Schrader)

Netherlands fans gather in Leipzig, Germany, Friday June 21, 2024, ahead of the Group D match between the Netherlands and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament. (Sebastian Willnow/dpa via AP)

Dutch fans cheer for their national team ahead of a Group D match between the Netherlands and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Leipzig, Germany, Friday, June 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

A large law enforcement presence turned out in Worcester on Saturday to honor a state police recruit who died after becoming unresponsive during a training exercise.

Enrique Delgado-Garcia, 25, died at a hospital on Sept. 13 a day after becoming unresponsive during a defensive tactics exercise in a boxing ring and suffering a “medical crisis,” authorities have said. The state attorney general has since named an attorney to lead an outside investigation into the death of Delgado-Garcia, whose funeral was held Saturday.

Delgado-Garcia's mother and others have said they want answers and accountability from the investigation, and she has raised questions about whether the training exercise was unnecessarily violent.

On Saturday, police carried Delgado-Garcia's casket, which was draped in an American flag, from a funeral home as part of the service. A bagpiper played “Going Home,” and flags around the state were ordered lowered to half-staff by Gov. Maura Healey.

Delgado-Garcia's funeral happened against a backdrop of calls for accountability that have spread beyond his family. Latino Law Enforcement Group of Boston and Lawyers for Civil Rights in Boston have both issued public statements calling for transparency about the investigation into Delgado-Garcia's death.

The state must “immediately suspend anyone potentially involved and responsible for the fatal boxing match to ensure the safety and well-being of the remaining cadets in the Massachusetts State Police Academy,” in addition to making other safety and accountability improvements, Lawyers for Civil Rights said in its statement.

Massachusetts State Police and the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday.

Delgado-Garcia, of Worcester, died after the boxing ring exercise took place at the Massachusetts State Police Academy in New Braintree, a little more than 60 miles (97 kilometers) west of Boston. Massachusetts State Police has said it has suspended full-contact boxing training activities among recruits in the wake of Delgado-Garcia's death.

Delgado-Garcia was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, and moved to Worcester at a young age, according to an obituary on the website of the Mercadante Funeral Home & Chapel in Worcester. He earned an undergraduate degree from Westfield State University in Massachusetts before starting his career as a victim's advocate in the Worcester district attorney's office, the obituary said.

“Enrique was an exceptional young man who devoted himself to the service of others. He had always dreamed of becoming a State Trooper and to be someone big who made a difference in the lives of the people in his community,” the obituary said.

Massachusetts State Police Command Staff and over 180 recruits from the 90th Recruit Training Troop stand in formation outside Mercadante Funeral Home & Chapel in Worcester, Mass, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, for police recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia, who died during a boxing training exercise. (Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via AP)