The Dutch football women are not going to the Olympic Games in Paris. Germany was too strong 2-0 in the decider in Heerenveen on Wednesday evening.
National coach Andries Jonker had predicted an intensive match between the Netherlands and Germany in Heerenveen. And it certainly was, because the stakes were high. The winner of the Nations League meeting received a ticket for the Olympic Games in Paris and nothing at all for the loser. Both teams tried to attack as much as possible from the start, with the biggest chance after 25 minutes going to the women of German coach Horst ‘das Ungeheuer’ Hrubesch.
Sjoeke Nüsken took a hard shot from the edge of the penalty area and the Dutch goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar stood there and watched. Fortunately for her and the entire Dutch team, she ‘only’ hit the post hard. The game continued to go back and forth in the nervous match, with both the Netherlands and Germany unable to dictate the game.
Germany’s goal is disallowed
The Orange Lionesses started to bite back more. A long pass to striker Lineth Beerensteyn then created danger for the German goal. The fast Dutch center forward cleverly put it back to the oncoming Daniëlle van de Donk, who shot hard but aimed just a little too high. National coach Jonker decided just before the start of the important match to start Van de Donk in the starting line-up.
After all, the Brabant player had been ill and had not been able to train. In that respect, things were not going well for the Netherlands, because Jonker could not call on Vivianne Miedema and Victoria Pelova from Hoogeveen, both of whom are not fit and left the team this week. In addition, Jill Roord has been out of action for a long time due to a torn cruciate ligament.
Van Domselaar intervenes decisively
The Netherlands played with the only seventeen-year-old Wieke Kaptein as an attacking midfield player. Jonker therefore left the Spanish Groningen Damaris Egurrola out of the starting lineup, because he already had a more defensive player in midfield in Jackie Groenen.
Apart from a weak header from the physically strong German striker Alexandra Popp, which goalkeeper Van Domselaar simply plucked out of the air, not much else happened in the first half. That changed in the second half, when Lea Schüller, who was introduced from Germany, immediately became dangerous. She quieted the stadium by shooting the ball into the Dutch goal after just three minutes. But she was offside.
The substitute remained dangerous, because not much later she could only be prevented from making the 1-0 for Germany by decisive intervention by Van Domselaar, who heroically threw himself at her feet. That lead came after more than 60 minutes, when Klara Bühl was able to shoot in a free-standing shot into the penalty area.
The duel turns in German favor
The match began to tilt more and more in German favor. The Netherlands, with Egurrola now invaded, worked hard, but were pushed back far. German pressure led in the 78 ste minute after a corner to a headed goal by Schüller. The Orange’s Olympic dream was gone.
Netherlands-Germany 2-0
Score progression: 48. Schüller 78. Bühl.
Yellow card: Van de Donk (Netherlands) and Hendrich (Germany).
Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Spectators: 25,000.
The Netherlands: Van Domselaar; Casparij, Dijkstra (53. Wilms), Spitse (67. Egurrola), 76. Brugts; Kaptein, Van de Donk (53. Snoeijs), Groenen, Janssen; Martens (82.Van de Sanden) and Beerensteyn.