… but we have heard from Suzanne Wrack! Her verdict from Utrecht is in, and here it is. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night.
Here’s Peter Oh with what he terms, and I’m not 100 percent sure I should either allow or encourage this, some “badge bantz”, but here we go. “So just the one Dutch lioness overcomes the three English ones. What happened to strength in numbers?” No word from Sarina Wiegman, so that’ll have to do.
Millie Bright speaks thoughtfully to ITV. “It’s hard because I think there were parts of the game we really dominated … they were ruthless when they had their opportunities … we gifted them two goals, which is really disappointing … when you concede in that manner, that’s the most disappointing thing … it’s still all to play for … the games are getting harder and harder, opponents are getting better and better, and we’ve got to reflect, evolve, get better as a team and develop … periods of the game were really good … the second half we came out a different team … when you gift two goals it makes it very hard … they were really clinical but we were not ruthless enough in that area.”
The Dutch were the better side in the first half; England improved immensely in the second. The match could easily have gone either way, but Renate Jansen’s 90th-minute screamer settled it. England will be kicking themselves, because both of the goals they conceded were the result of sloppy errors: Georgia Stanway allowed herself to be charged down close to her own box for the opener, while Alex Greenwood gifted Lieke Martens possession to set up the Dutch winner. On the other hand, Mertens and Jansen still had to finish both chances expertly, and there was a touch of offside about the first, while England created several fine opportunities themselves once they woke from their early slumber. Oh, and Alessia Russo’s goal was a typically magnificent piece of skill and improvisation. So on balance, nobody should be kicking themselves too much … though after three fine goals, and one highly entertaining match, the Dutch leapfrog England in the Group A1 table.
FULL TIME: Netherlands 2-1 England
The hosts clear the speculative long ball, and the whistle goes! There’s to be no dream return home for Sarina Wiegman, and the Dutch are right back in this Nations League group now.
90 min +6: Roord is booked for clumsily skittling Zelem in the midfield. One last chance for Earps to launch a Hail Mary pass.
90 min +5: England can’t apply any pressure at all. The clock ticks on as a bitty exchange plays out in the middle of the park.
90 min +4: Kelly crosses from the right but only whips into the side netting.
90 min +3: There should be more than five added minutes, as well, because Wilms goes down in the classic clock-management style, and require some treatment. She’s good to get up and go again soon enough.
90 min +1: There will be five added minutes. Can England, who have been the architects of their own downfall, save themselves?
GOAL! Netherlands 2-1 England (Jansen 90)
Greenwood carelessly passes straight to Martens near the centre circle. Martens feeds the sub Jensen down the inside-right channel. Jensen holds off Greenwood, steps into the box, and sends a screamer into the top-right corner. What a finish that was! The stadium descends into bedlam!
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89 min: Kelly crosses. Spitse heads clear. James brings the ball down before crashing a shot well over the bar.
87 min: All the subs have drawn the sting from this game. Would both teams take the draw now? Perhaps. England more so, maybe, given their advantage in the group.
85 min: Stanway slides in on Kaptein from behind and is slightly fortunate not to go into the book.
84 min: Another double Dutch change as Beerensteyn and Groenen make way for Jansen and Egurrola. That’s them dancing.
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82 min: The goalscorer Russo makes way for James.
81 min: Dijkstra slips Kaptein into the England box down the right. Kaptein cuts back dangerously … but nobody in oranje has gambled on a run. England clear their lines.
79 min: A bit of space for Stanway, the best part of 30 yards out. A highly ambitious and ultimately tame shot sails well wide left of goal.
77 min: A double change for the Netherlands, as Brugts and Pelova are replaced by Wilms and Kaptein.
76 min: Toone attempts to release Hemp down the inside-left channel, but her floated pass is intercepted well by Dijkstra.
74 min: Dijkstra makes good down the right and cuts back for Martens, who shapes like Zidane in the 2002 Champions League final but lashes her first-time strike straight at Earps. Either side of the keeper, and what a goal that would have been.
72 min: Beerensteyn barges Bright off the ball in unceremonious fashion. She tears goalwards and with only one defender in her way, should tee up Pelova in the middle. But she opts to shoot herself and it’s blocked by Greenwood. Pelova is fuming. Some questionable final-third decisions being made by both teams here.
71 min: Groenen drops deep before quarterbacking a pass down the middle. Beerensteyn tears clear only for the flag to go up. It appeared a no-brainer, but replays suggest it was tighter than it initially looked. The lack of VAR certainly benefited the Dutch for their goal, but it might have done a number on them there.
69 min: England snaffle possession in the midfield and pour forward. Hemp should release Toone down the middle but hesitates and the chance to set her team-mate clear is gone. Zelem keeps the attack going by pinging the ball wide right to Stanway, who creams a shot from 25 yards straight at Van Domselaar. Toone will be well within her rights to ask Hemp a wee question there.
67 min: England very much deserved their equaliser. They’d been second best up until the point at which they went behind, and since then have caused the Netherlands all manner of problems. Without Van Domselaar, the hosts would be in all sorts of bother. The momentum is very much with the Lionesses now.
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65 min: Pelova dances in from the right and gets past Carter with ease. She whistles a low shot towards the bottom right. Earps saves on the line. What a response that would have been!
GOAL! Netherlands 1-1 England (Russo 64)
This one had been coming too. Kelly powers down the right and slides Stanway into the box. Stanway crosses low. The ball takes a little deflection off Janssen en route to Russo on the penalty spot. Russo adapts wonderfully and, falling backwards, whips a rising cross into the top right! What a finish!
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63 min: Holland (yes sir) clear the corner but Russo comes at them again. Her low shot is turned around the post by Van Domselaar. The second corner is cleared, but something’s brewing, and …
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61 min: Hemp charges down the right this time and crosses towards Russo. The ball breaks to Kelly, who can’t convert at the far post. Janssen tries to clear, only to smack the ball into Russo, the ball squeaking inches wide of the right-hand post. Had that been on target, Van Domselaar wasn’t getting to it.
59 min: Hemp is fine to continue. “In my experience with many Dutch friends over many international tournaments, the fans don’t seem to be too particular,” writes Julian Menz. “Yes, Holland is just one region of the Netherlands, but even the ‘the’ there can be disputed (see Ukraine, Lebanon, Gambia etc). Dutch (from the country’s previous linguistic and historical ties with ‘Deutsch’) fans have no problem with chanting ‘HUP HOLLAND!’ Hipsters, get over it.”
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58 min: Hemp hurt herself while bombing in bravely there. She clattered into the post and requires a bit of treatment.
57 min: Kelly romps down the right and curls a low cross through the six-yard box. Hemp steams in and again attempts to bundle home … only for Van Domselaar to make a stunning point-blank save. Groenen is on hand to lash clear.
56 min: On balance, it’s been a little bit better from England since the restart and the home fans have fallen a little quiet as a result. A bit more for them to worry about. Hemp in particular has moved up through the gears.
54 min: Russo cuts in from the left and slides wide right to Bronze, whose looped cross is met by Hemp at the far stick. Hemp bundles it past Van Domselaar with her chest but Spitse clears off the line. The Netherlands break up the other end through Martens, who slips Beerensteyn into the box down the left. Beerensteyn crashes a shot off the base of the left-hand post, but the flag goes up immediately – and correctly – for offside.
52 min: A bit of space and time for Hemp down the left, but there’s nobody for her to cross to. Dijkstra heads away calmly.
50 min: The Dutch are comfortably in control right now. England pressing hard but not achieving much with it.
48 min: Earps passes out from the back and puts Carter in a spot of bother. Carter eventually manages to control and clear, but England continue to cause themselves unnecessary stress with their careless play out from deep.
47 min: No changes for the Dutch meanwhile.
The hosts get the ball rolling for the second half. England have made a change, Kelly coming on for Daly, who had struggled against Pelova and was on a yellow. Within 13 seconds of the restart, Earps shanks a clearance out for a corner. Bright heads the set piece clear. Not exactly an immediate statement of intent.
Half-time entertainment.
GEORGE: What is Holland?
JERRY: What do you mean, ‘what is it?’ It’s a country right next to Belgium.
GEORGE: No, that’s the Netherlands.
JERRY: Holland is the Netherlands.
GEORGE: Then who are the Dutch?
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HALF TIME: Netherlands 1-0 England
The Netherlands have been the better side, and deservedly lead through Lieke Martens’ goal. Yet England have hit the post and forced Daphne Van Domselaar into a top-drawer double-save. So make of that what you will. Voetbal, hè? Verdomde hel!
45 min: There will be one added minute.
44 min: The woodwork having been rattled down one end, Beerensteyn cuts in from the left and curls towards the top right. Earps is beaten all ends up, but the ball crashes off the bar and away! This match has exploded into life.
43 min: … and now Van Domselaar is forced to make a world-class double save! Stanway rolls a pass down the inside-left channel to release Hemp, whose low drive towards the bottom left is parried. The loose ball pings back to Bronze, who curls powerfully towards the bottom left. Van Domselaar turns the shot around the post for a corner, from which nothing comes. Wow.
41 min: … so having said that, England immediately come close to equalising. A cross looped into the box from the right. Spitse doesn’t deal with it very well, allowing Russo to head on to Daly, who whips a first-time shot towards the top left. The ball caroms off the outside of the post and away!
40 min: Zelem is the latest England player to snooze on the ball and allow herself to be closed down. Sarina Wiegman could do with getting her team in for half-time, and giving them the what-for.
39 min: Van de Donk is shoved to the ground from behind by Bronze. Just a talking-to from the referee, but England are beginning to betray some irritability. They’ve been very much second best so far.
37 min: Daly is booked for cynically bringing the irrepressible Pelova down, Pelova having once again sent her off to the coffee shop.
36 min: Was Van de Donk offside when the ball came through to her off Groenen? Maybe. Maybe not. But there’s no VAR, so.
GOAL! Netherlands 1-0 England (Martens 34)
Yet another English mistake, and they’re not getting away with this one. Stanway is closed down by Groenen, 25 yards out. The ball breaks to Van de Donk, on the edge of the six-yard box. Her back’s to goal and she can’t spin and shoot. Instead she lays off to Martens. Have the Netherlands taken too long? Nope! Martens opens her body and curls a delightful shot across Earps and into the top right. A farce, a fine finish, and it had been coming.
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33 min: Bright gives up possession to Roord, 30 yards from her own goal. Roord slips Martens into the box down the left. Martens delivers neither cross nor shot and the visitors get away with another mistake.
31 min: The ever-dependable Earps claims the corner. A much-needed release of pressure.
30 min: Greenwood’s attempted clearance is closed down by Martens. From the resulting throw from the right, Dijkstra dribbles with determination into the English box, reaches the corner of the six-yard area, and goes for the top right. Earps parries brilliantly out for a corner.
28 min: With England struggling to get out of their final third, Greenwood entreats her team-mates to push up a bit. A look of mild concern on her face.
27 min: A couple of balls are sent into the English box. Bright and Greenwood hold firm and head clear. The Dutch are beginning to dominate again.
25 min: Pelova spins Daly with Cruyffian ease out on the right touchline. Daly breathes a sigh of relief as nothing comes of the attack.
24 min: Daly crosses into the mixer from a deep position on the left. Russo can’t meet it and the ball flies out for a goal kick. Russo has struggled to get into the match so far.
23 min: Pelova teases her way down the right and looks for Beerensteyn with a diagonal cross. Greenwood considers attempting to head out for a corner but pulls her head away at the last second, which is probably for the best as any touch may well have flashed the ball into her own net. The ball is left to its own devices, sailing into the hands of Earps.
21 min: Janssen nearly finds Van de Donk down the left with a raking pass. Stanway telescopes a leg to intercept and clear in elegant fashion. But the Dutch come again, Roord steaming down the right channel and launching the evening’s first shot in anger. Earps is behind the low bobbler all the way with safe hands.
20 min: The hosts continue to stroke it around, now in the Sterile fashion.
18 min: Janssen barges down the inside-left channel but can’t find the pass that would release Van de Donk into the box. The Netherlands keep hold of the ball, though, and continue to pass it around, all their players shifting hither and yon in the Total style.
16 min: Daly and Groenen scrap for the ball out on the English left. Daly manages to control, spin and hook the ball to a team-mate while prone on the ground, an entertaining trick, albeit one that leads to nought. Meanwhile Groenen thinks she’s been fouled and informs the referee accordingly, the official telling her to pipe down. Otherwise, nothing particularly constructive to report.
14 min: The Dutch are still enjoying the majority of the possession, but England are edging their way into the game now, and moving the action closer to the centre of the pitch, as opposed to their final third. Baby steps in these early stages.
12 min: Dijstra launches long down the inside-right channel. Beerensteyn strains to get on the end of the pass, but there’s a bit too much on it and Earps comes to the edge of her box to claim.
10 min: Bronze crosses deep from the right. Van Domselaar plucks a dangerous-looking ball out of the sky at the far post, and the crowd respond with a hearty roar of approval. Given what happened under aerial attack during injury time in Belgium, it’s understandable that everyone’s happy to see their number-one keeper back on point. Poor Jacintha Weimar.
9 min: A simple long rake down the middle nearly carves the Netherlands open in one fell swoop. Russo can’t quite get the ball under control on the edge of the Dutch box and she’s swarmed and picked off.
7 min: England have hardly had a touch. When they do get hold of the ball, two-pass moves are at a premium. But then a loose pass from Beerensteyn allows Hemp to take a run down the right. She nearly wins a corner off Brugts … but not quite, the ball stubbornly refusing to roll out of play, and the move fizzles out. The Dutch take over again.
5 min: Pelova zips into space down the right, chasing Dijkstra’s precision slide down the channel, but can’t find anyone with her cross. She comes again but can’t get past Greenwood, and turns tail. This is a really impressive start by the Dutch, and England can’t get out.
3 min: Brugts probes down the left and cuts into the box. She drops a shoulder and takes a whack, but her effort is blocked and cleared. There was palpable excitement as she took up possession. Scoring twice at the World Cup tends to generate emotion like that.
2 min: Carter goes down, having taken a whack in the face during an aerial challenge. She’s up again quickly enough, accusing Martens of sharp practice. The referee tells her to get on with it.
Smiles all round as the little car trundles on to deliver the match ball … then a knee of inclusion and love … and then England get that ball rolling. The reigning European champions take on the team they deposed! Love that little car.
The teams are out! A cappella blasts of God Save the King and Wilhelmus. A warm reception for Serina Weigman, who has led both countries to a European title followed by a World Cup final. Then a huge cheer of anticipation as the teams peel off to take up their positions for kick-off. The Oranje are in … I’ll not insult your intelligence … while England sport second-choice blue. Off in a second or two!
England have a fine record against the Dutch. The countries have met on 14 previous occasions, and the Lionesses have won nine and drawn three of them. Their only losses came in a 2007 friendly and, more crucially, the semi-finals of Euro 2017 when Serina Weigman was in charge of her compatriots. Chances are you might not want to relive that one, blow for blow, but we’ll give you the option anyway.
Dutch manager Andries Jonker speaks to ITV. “It is very unusual [to be facing Serina Wiegman] … we know each other for about 30 years … we have gone through many things together … she has become an absolute top coach and now we play against each other … so it’s quite special for the both of us … [Serina Wiegman] was my captain in the national team and educated very well … a good player … she knew what was going on … and so you recognised potentially that this might be a really good coach! … our goalkeeper [Jacintha Weimar] did a very good job [against Belgium] and in the very last minute made a mistake, and I’m really sorry for her because she’s a good goalkeeper … it’s happy for the team to have Van Domselaar back because she is our number one.”
England boss Sarina Wiegman talks to ITV. “It is very nice to be back … it is very special being here with England … also in this stadium I played with the Netherlands while I was here … so yes, I know everyone! … of course lots of players used to play together too … it’s nice but when the game starts, it’s really on … before the game it feels a little bit strange … but we have the line-up now so we are ready to get started … Alessia Russo is fresh now and ready to play … from what we expect of the Netherlands and what we tactically want to bring, this is the best line-up.”
England make two changes to the starting XI after the slightly flattering 2-1 victory over Scotland. Alessia Russo, who had been rested for the Scots test, replaces Chloe Kelly up front, while Ella Toone replaces Lauren James in the middle of the park. Kelly and James both drop to the bench.
The Dutch make one change to their starting XI following the 2-1 defeat in Belgium. Aston Villa goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar replaces Feyenoord’s Jacintha Weimar, whose late error in Leuven last weekend cost the Oranje so dearly.
The teams
Netherlands: Van Domselaar, Pelova, Dijkstra, Janssen, Brugts, Groenen, Spitse, Van de Donk, Beerensteyn, Roord, Martens.
Subs: Lorsheyd, De Jong, Wilms, Auee, Olislagers, Baijings, Jansen, Kalma, Kaptein, Egurrola.
England: Earps, Bronze, Carter, Bright, Greenwood, Daly, Stanway, Zelem, Toone, Russo, Hemp.
Subs: Hampson, Roebuck, Kelly, James, Morgan, Charles, Coombs, Parker, Park, Le Tissier, Robinson, Staniforth.
Referee: Ivana Martinčić (Croatia).
Preamble
If you must suffer the indignity of a slightly dodgy patch of form, let it be like this: an underwhelming performance in a World Cup final, followed by a laboured win over the old enemy. And so the Lionesses have a World Cup silver medal to go alongside their Euro 2022 triumph, while they sit joint top of Group A in the Nations League after taking all three points from Scotland. We should all endure such sticky spells.
Last Friday’s win has put the Lionesses in a fine frame of mind ahead of tonight’s Sarina Wiegman Klassiek in Utrecht. The England manager is back on her home soil, where she’s still revered for taking the Leeuwinnen to the Euro 2017 title, and says she expects the feeling of leading out her adopted country against her old pals to be “special and strange”.
It’ll be special all right. The hosts were shocked 2-1 in Belgium on the opening night, and will be looking to bounce back with a vengeance this evening. England, who welcome back the rested Alessia Russo, will also hope to raise their level back to something more recognisable. With both teams fancying their chances of winning the group, this is sure to be a showdown and a half. Kick off at the Stadion Galgenwaard is at 7pm BST. It’s on!
