Oranje won the opening match at the European Championship in Switzerland on Saturday evening. After turbulent days, coach Andries Jonker’s team was too strong for Wales in Lucerne: 3-0. Vivianne Miedema scored her hundredth international goal.
Miedema curled the ball into the far corner in the Swissporarena just before half-time in a wonderful way. The all-time top scorer of Oranje thus reached a special milestone. She only needed 126 matches for the anniversary.
Miedema’s goal was a liberation for Oranje. Jonker’s team struggled with stubborn Wales before half-time. After the break, the Dutch national team still ran away from the European Championship debutant through goals from Victoria Pelova and Esmee Brugts.
Losing points in a group with top countries England and France could possibly have been directly disastrous. Now Oranje can sit back and watch how the two competitors will get rid of each other on Saturday evening (kick-off at 9 p.m.).
This means that the turbulent run-up to the European Championship start has had no influence on Oranje. Jonker, who has to leave as national coach after the European Championship, dropped a bombshell on Thursday by telling the NOS football podcast that he had considered stopping just before the European Championship.
Oranje plays sticky before half-time
As unpredictable as Jonker came out in the media, he was just as predictable with his line-up. He chose the same eleven as in the farewell match against Finland, also because attacker Lineth Beerensteyn was not yet fit enough to start.
With Queen Máxima, her daughter Ariane and another 3,000 Dutch fans in the stands, Oranje played at too slow a pace before half-time. Wales dropped in, lurked on the counter and stretched time on the assembly line. In the 25th minute, the Welsh left back already received a yellow card for time-wasting.
Chances were scarce for Oranje. Only Jill Roord was really threatening. She had the first chance after four minutes and was close to a goal after 35 minutes. But her rock-hard volley from about 18 meters shattered on the post.
Miedema broke the spell just before half-time. She was massively embraced by her teammates after her goal. After the goal she made a gesture of ‘100’.
Liberated Oranje makes two more
The tension was off at Oranje, who had little to fear from Wales after the break. Also because it was already 2-0 within two minutes after the break. Daniëlle van de Donk gave a handy ball to Pelova, who accepted and shot in with her right.
After that, Oranje got one chance after another. Roord and Jackie Groenen both hit the crossbar before Brugts was able to tap in the 3-0 from a high cross at the second post.
The large margin offered Jonker the opportunity to let Beerensteyn make her first minutes since the end of April. The striker scored a wonderful goal that was disallowed for offside. She seems fit in time to play an important (more) role against England on Wednesday.
The Netherlands will work towards that duel with a good feeling. The unrest of the last few days has been pushed into the background for the time being. Although the players seem to have paid little attention to it anyway.