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In contrast to last Friday’s game with Cypus, the Orange squad started with Lynn Wilms and Kayleigh van Dooren instead of Caitlin Dijkstra and Jill Roord. Wilms (21) left a good impression during the Tokyo Olympics, but was then out of the running at her club VfL Wolfsburg for a while. Dijkstra (23) is a midfielder of FC Twente, leader in the Women’s Eredivisie.
The game against the Africans was broken open by Jackie Groenen. The playmaker of Manchester United and Orange does not often score, but when she does, the balls fly in nicely. Like in the twelfth minute in The Hague. Fortunately, she came into possession of the ball, but hit hard from 22 meters and hit the bottom of the bar: 1-0. There is nothing wrong with the kicking technique of Groenen, who practiced endlessly with her father and sister Merel in the backyard of the parental home.
Missing link
After 25 minutes, the guests tied the score and it was no surprise that Thembi Kgatlana had scored the goal. The captain of the Banyana Banyana had already shown her heels to the not very fast Orange defenders for the fourth time earlier in the game, after which she beat Sari van Veenendaal in the long corner: 1-1.
Before the break, Orange put things in order. After half an hour, Lineth Beerensteyn completed a fine pass from Marisa Olislagers against the ropes with a lot of feeling, in the stadium where she made her professional debut. Olislagers (21), player of FC Twente, can carefully de missing link are mentioned in the left back position, not the strongest occupied place of the Lionesses in recent years. Vivianne Miedema’s 3-1, her 92nd for people and homeland, was also allowed to be there.
Marisa Olislagers.
ANP/HH
Goals Egurolla
In the second half, Spanish referee Martinez Madrona thought he would help the South Africans with a laughable penalty, but the knock that was shot in too soft was an easy prey for Van Veenendaal.
The action of the match was Esmee Brugts, who came in for Beerensteyn. The PSV player handed out a delicious panna, entered the combination with Victoria Pelova and spooned the ball on the head of Damaris Egurrola, the much-discussed player who, after her eventful debut in Groningen, has now also made her first international goal: 4-1. Just before time, the daughter of a Spanish father and Dutch mother, born in America, also scored her second goal: 5-1. What a story.
Boycott
Parsons was happy that the KNVB had managed to secure South Africa at the eleventh hour, after the union announced a boycott against Belarus because of the war in Ukraine, which should have been on the field in The Hague on Tuesday evening.
After Friday’s negligence against Cyprus (12-0) in Groningen, the Lionesses received more resistance from South Africa, the number 57 in the FIFA world ranking. The team of Desiree Ellis, the coach who succeeded Vera Pauw in 2016, tried to make it a real competition, but nothing more.
Marisa Olislagers.
ANP/HH
Sweden
Orange coach Parsons is urgently in need of real opposition, especially now that the contours of his team are gradually starting to become visible. Only the veterans Lieke Martens (FC Barcelona) and Daniëlle van de Donk (Olympique Lyon) were missing from the Car Jeans Stadium.
Parsons: „I want to play against two top countries before we go to the European Championship. It wouldn’t be good if we only encountered real opposition during the European Championship for the first time since February,” said the 35-year-old Briton, referring to the opening game with Sweden, the number two in the FIFA ranking.
‘Juicy’ matches
During the Tournoi de France, the Dutch national team battled Brazil (1-1) and France (3-1 defeat). “We have already arranged the first match with a practice match in and against England (24 June, ed.)”, says Parsons. “I can’t say anything meaningful about the second opponent yet, but it has to be a team that also goes to the European Championship. Two juicy matches against two good opponents: we need that.”
The Lionesses will not reunite until June, in a practice period that lasts three and a half weeks. The Orange squad starts the European Championship on July 9 in Sheffield. The long and bumpy road to the European Championship was littered with bumps and pitfalls for Parsons, given the wave of injuries and corona cases that plagued his squad.
Own timeline
About this: “In your head you have a perfect plan how you want to work towards the European Championship,” says Parsons. “But in practice things are different. I had hoped that I would have all the players at my disposal in October, November and February, but that turned out not to be the reality. Annoying? It’s no different, I can’t control that. We are where we are, on our own timeline.”
As for the timeline, on the way to the European Championship where the Lionesses want to defend their European title: “We are on track to become a better team, we have grown together in France and last week and have taken important steps. I can check that. We are ready for our European Championship preparation in June.”