Half-Groningen Damaris Egurrola keeps Dutch football women in the race for an Olympic ticket

The Olympic flame has flared fiercely in the hearts of the Orange Lionesses. Andries Jonker’s girls met the most important condition in the sold-out King Willem II Stadium on a nail-biting evening, winning against Belgium (4-0), while England fell one goal short against Scotland (0-6) in Glasgow. Damaris Egurrola became the heroine of the evening.

This makes the victory in Group 1 of the Nations League a fact and the Dutch national team can prepare for the Final Four , which is scheduled for February (23-28). The only two European Olympic tickets can be distributed in this. Spain, Germany and France, automatically placed for ‘Paris’, are the opponents. The winners of both semi-finals qualify for the Games. If France reaches the semi-finals, a ticket will also be reserved for the team that finishes third in the Nations League.

Jackie Groenen is sitting in the stands, agonizing

Jackie Groenen, the driving force behind the midfield and who was injured against England at Wembley, was sorely missed in the match Red Flames , in the very stadium where her grandfather once caused a stir for Willem II. Ex-top judoka Groenen, who has a black belt, must have been sitting in the stands out of sheer helplessness. How she would have liked to participate.

The mood in the stands went in all directions. It was quiet in Tilburg when the English took the lead in Glasgow, the more than 14,000 fans cheered when Lineth Beerensteyn gave the Dutch team the lead after half an hour, but quickly sat down again when Lauren James scored twice in one minute. The English were on target at Hampden Park: Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema’s girlfriend, also made it 0-4 just before half time. Oh dear.

The Jonker girls were virtually eliminated at that moment, but of course they still had a half to score goals, a lot of goals. England scored first (0-5), Beerensteyn doubled the Dutch lead (2-0) and Jonker brought in Vivianne Miedema from Hoogeveen. The Derby of the Low Countries resulted in an all-or-nothing duel for the home country and it became everything.

Vivianne Miedema brings hope back to the Netherlands

Miedema brought hope with a few dazzling actions remontada back. It was clear that no help could be expected from the Scots from Glasgow. The Dutch had to do it themselves and did it. And redemption came from a Basque midfielder with Groningen blood. And what a drama: after Damaris Egurrola seemed to have already taken the spoils (3-0), England struggled one more time in Scotland (0-6). But once again Egurrola, player of the great Olympique Lyon, made the net bulge for the fourth time in a frenzied King Willem II Stadium. What a great story.