And here’s Maryam Naz’s report of an increasingly wild match.
It really feels like this is a moment for Netherlands: does Mark Parsons stick with old trusted, or does he gamble on the less tried players who got him out of trouble today? I just can’t see how the same doing what they’ve been doing and just hoping for a better performance beats France, but it’s easy to say when it whatever goes wrong won’t be your fault.
I’m certain that the Netherlands players will be thanking Van Domselaar for getting them out of trouble today. She did everything asked of her and plenty that others might not’ve done.
Spare a thought for Gaëlle Thalmann, who played really well today, and yet made one huge error that ultimately cost her team the match. At 36, she’ll do well to come again, so charging out for a cross she was nowhere near will live with her for a long time. Godspeed, old mate.
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Here’s what happened at Leigh, where Switzerland beat Portugal 5-0. They meet Italy, Belgium or Iceland next; they’d’ve took it.
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Tell you what, Mark Parsons has some serious thinking to do before that match. Leuchter, Brugts and Pelova were excellent, and though the girls they replaced will argue that they’d tired out the Swiss defence for them, Netherlands looked a lot more threatening and energetic with the younger players on the park. Mertens, in particular, will be worried.
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FULL-TIME: Switzerland 1-4 Netherlands
Phew! Switzerland gave that everything, but the changes sealed it for Netherlands. The holders finish second in the group and will meet France in the last eight.
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90+8 min Switzerland have gone to pieces here, this score does not reflect the match at all. And here come Netherlands again, a single pass sticking in Leuchter, who’s on a hat-trick. She passes for the far corner, Thalmann does well to tip onto the post, and though Pelova touches home, the flag goes up.
90+7 min Netherlands need two more...
GOAL! Switzerland 1-4 Netherlands (Leuchter 90+5)
Brugts swipes a ball over the top and Pelova is in again! But she totally botches her shot, slipping and, in the process, teeing up Leuchter, who sweeps home and is on a hat-trick! Menatime, on the touchline, Parsons waves his team back seeking to score more and avoid France in the quarters; Sweden have beaten Portugal 5-0.
GOAL! Switzerland 1-3 Netherlands (Pelova 90+4)
Ws the goal scored now or then? No matter: Mauron headed onto Crnogorcevic, Pelova is onside, and that’s a goal!
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90+3 min The ref now goes to the screen.
90+3 min And still we wait. I’d put a time-limit on these – if it takes more than a minute, go with the on-field call, or give a goal.
90+1 min Three players went up for the ball, Mauron, Van der Gragt and Crnogorvcevic. It’s possible they all got touches, but isn’t Pelova offside once the second one - from her mate – took place?
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90 min There’ll be five added minutes.
90 min It’s pretty hard to see what happened there.
89 min Pelova thinks she’s scored, flicking in a flick-on following a free-kick, but she was several hectares offside ... provided that flick-on came from an attacker...
88 min Switzerland have had a good go at this, but the draw with Portugal really cost them.
86 min There’s Pelova again, sliding a clever pass into the box for Brugts, who takes it nicely, a touch into space allowing her to swivel into a shot headed for the far corner ... but Thalmann does really well to tickle it onto the post and out.
GOAL! Switzerland 1-2 Netherlands (Leuchter 84)
Netherlands’ subs have made a difference, Pelova’s presence on the right stretching play horizontally as tiredness and desperation do likewise vertically. She finds Wilms, who slings over a cross, and this time Thalmann judges poorly, flying out and getting nowhere near, so all Leuchter has to do is make contact, her header looping into the unguarded net. Netherlands are headed for the last eight!
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84 min Eeesh, Walti is injured and Mauron replaces her.
82 min But here come Netherlands again, Van de Donk ffeding Pelova, but again, Thalmann saves because the shot is too close to her.
81 min Netherlands look as likely to score on the counter as Switzerland do with a set-piece or shot from distance, which is to say this is totally up in the air.
80 min Xhemaili darts across the face of the box from left to right, lets go a rasper, and Van Domselaar turns it over the bar! She is quietly saving her side here!
78 min Switzerland dwell on the ball in centrefield, but we’re on the wide and I can’t see who it is. Anyhow, a straight ball through the middle and Leucher is in to win it! But with time to contemplate the magnitude of the situation, her finish is a nervous one and Thalmann saves well with a foot, then does likewise to repel Van de Donk’s follow-up! The flag then goes up, but Thalmann wasn’t to know!
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78 min Elsewhere, Cam Smith has won the Open, edging Rory McIlroy.
77 min Aaarrrggghhh! I didn’t see who was on it, but she slipped and handed possession straight to Netherlands.
77 min Switzerland win another corner, down the right...
75 min The attendance is announced and it’s 22,596. That is very decent indeed.
74 min Now a pair of momentum-sapping changes from Netherlands, Brugts and Leuchter replacing Beerensteyn and the disappointing Martens.
73 min Switzerland are in the ascendancy here. Van Domselaar is doing pretty well when the ball’s in the box, but Netherlands’ defence as a whole isn’t at all comfortable with that.
72 min Change for Switzerland, Xhemaili replacing Sow. Just a couple of days ago, we saw Iceland’s Vilhjamlsmdottir almost in tears when she was subbed after missing a big chance. I fear for Sow now.
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70 min Van Domselaar is down with knack of some sort, so we take a cooling break.
69 min The second corner comes to nowt, and it’s worth noting that Van Domselaar looks a serious keeper, and at 22 has lots of time to improve.
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68 min Switzerland win a corner down the right which bounces in front of the lethal Crnogorcevic. She does well to hook it over her shoulder towards goal, forcing Van Domselaar to palm behind.
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67 min Ah, Sweden’s fifth goal was chalked off, so Netherlands only need another four to top the group.
65 min Excellent start from Pelova, a lovely touch out on the right, deep inside her own half, allowing a one-two that means she can measure a terrific channel ball down the line for Van de Donk ... whose square pass is straight to a defender.
64 min Netherlands are holding what they have: Roord and Nouwen go off, with Casparaij and Pelova coming on. I think Netherlands will move to a back five.
63 min Spitse collects a dreadful loose pass from Kiwic and, spotting Thalmann off her line, tries a lob from halfway ... that drifts wide.
62 min On which point, I must’ve misinterpreted Robyn Cowan earlier: she says Miedema might make the quarter, which is great news for all bar France (and assuming Switzerland don’t nick a winner).
61 min Sweden have just scored a fifth; they’ll take top spot in Group C.
61 min We’ve barely seen Beerensteyn since half-time. Switzerland are doing a much better job of denying her space in behind.
59 min “Need to pass a law,” says Zach Neeley, “that for an own goal that brutal you only get to do one close up of the devastated player.”
I feel you, but on the other hand, this is football. Devastation is what we do.
57 min Double change for Switzerland, Kiwic replacing Buhler, a straight swap, Folmli on for Maendly, and Stierli for Algbogun.
55 min Sweden now lead Portugal 4-0, and they are going to win the group but excuse while I interrupt myself! Reutler lifts a ball over the top for Bachmann, nashing inside fro the left, a clever touch has the Dutch defence thinking she’s going to shoot ... but instead she squares for Sow, AND THIS IS THE CHANCE! But Van Domselaar makes herself big, blocks the shot, then when Bachmann feeds it square for a second go, she deflects Sow’s effort onto the post! That is brilliant keeping, but if Switzerland can’t redeem the situation, Sow will remember those misses for as long as she lives!
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GOAL! Switzerland 1-1 Netherlands (Reutler 53)
Well! Algbogun drives down the left on the counter, shaping to play infield then moving down the line. A well-timed pass into Reutler, whose touch moves her away from the lumbering Van der Gragt, and suddenly Switzerland are in behind! She finds Bachmann down the left of the box, whose first touch is superb, allowing her to square, and with Spitse’s tackle too weak to stop her, Reutler arrives and slides home a calm finish. Game on!
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51 min I can’t stress enough what a heel to the solar plexus that goal is for Switzerland. Netherlands will now pass them to exhaustion.
GOAL! Switzerland 0-1 Netherlands (Crnogorcevic og 49)
Oh mate. Ohhhhh maaaaate! The corner picks out Van der Gracht, who heads the ball abck from when it came. It’s not going in because Crnogorcevic is there ... except she powers a diving effort into the opposite side-netting! That is going to sting in the morning, and for many many more mornings to come. Switzerland have to do something, and fast.
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49 min Netherlands win a corner down the left...
48 min Netherlands knick it about, which makes perfect sense. It’s brutally hot in Sheffield, not lines anyone ever supposed to type, and it’ll be hard for Switzerland to force the pace if they’ve already had it passed out of them.
46 min Van der Gragt hits a decent switch out to the left, but Switzerland close well and force Netherlands backwards.
46 min We go again. Can Switzerland find something?
Photograph: Andrew Yates/EPA
Oh, Sweden have scored in the seventh minute of added time through Ilestedt. They lead Portugal 3-0, and if that stays the case, Netherlands need to win by two to eject them from top spot in the group.
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With Sweden in charge against Portugal, both sides will be ganting on a win here. The second half should be decent, so do stick with us.
Half-time: Switzerland 0-0 Netherlands
Switzerland started pretty well, but Netherlands’ class took over, with Beerensteyn looking likely to score at some point.
40+3 min Switzerland win a free-kick down the right and Bachmann slings towards Sow at the back post, but there are two defenders up with her and Netherlands scramble away, eventually.
45 min There’ll be three added minutes.
45 min It looks all over at Leigh, where Angeldal has just clipped in a terrific finish from a free-kick, cut back to her from close to the touchline. that’s two two her, two to Sweden, and they now top Group C. Netherlands will almost definitely need a win to oust them from it.
43 min Beerensteyn is such a beautiful move, again pulling left, and again her first touch gets ball out of feet so quickly – she’s got a way of rolling studs over it so that it’s close to her body and defenders can’t predict where she’s going. On this occasion, it’s nowhere, but even so, she looks a proper mare to mark.
42 min On which point, the draw looks very nice for the hosts, who’re in the top half, with France and Germany in the bottom. They’d’ve took that.
40 min This is a really enjoyable game now. Switzerland need a win, but with Sweden in front so do Netherlands, who want want to take on France without Miedema.If they can get the runners-up in Group D, they’d back themselves to win that giving their star a bit of extra time to get healthy for a semi against England or Spain.
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38 min Janssen into Spitse – that’s a lovely, clever low pass with Switzerland set for an aerial cross. Spitse’s touch is too good for Buhler, who’s really struggling, but a late tackle goes unpunished.
37 min Beerensteyn has the legs on this Swiss defence and she pulls to the left touchline, easing onto the gas to glide away from Buhler as she cuts inside, but Calligaris does relaly well to come across and block her off.
36 min Bachmann, who’s been quiet, drifts right and laces in a decent cross towards the near post, where Reutler is ahead of the dozing Nouwen ... but she doesn’t quite get the power to glance wide of Van Domselaar, who scrambles but saves easily enough.
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34 min Though Bachmann is there are a draft excluder, Spitse goes low. But when the ball’s cleared, Spitse retrieves and her garryowen over the top gives Martens a chance at a header ... and she nods goalwards, forcing Thalmann to tip over. The resultant corner comes to nowt.
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33 min Nice from Spitse, allowing the ball across her body and feinting the touch, tempting Walti to challenge as the moves it away. She goes over the proffered thigh, and that’s a free-kick to Netherlands, 25 yards out and right of centre...
32 min Switzerland need to change things, I think – though perhaps not yet. They would, I imagine, take 0-0 with 20 to go, but if they keep playing as they are that seems unlikely. Perhaps their time is the 10 minutes either side of the hour.
30 min Nice from Crnogorevich, moving a clever, disguised pass square for Bachmann. But when she goes one more, Reutler isn’t quite there for her, and Van de Donk hurls herself into a challenge to clear.
28 min Time for a cooling break.
27 min Netherlands win a free-kick on the right, a cross drilled low for Groenen, pulling away from the spot. She makes decent contact too, but her firm sidefooter flies too close to Thalmann, who plucks out of the air easily enough.
25 min Netherlands are bossing this now, making the ball do the work in this messy heat.
24 min There’s been a development at Leigh! And it’s good news for Switzerland! Sweden lead Portugal 1-0, meaning Switzerland qualify with a win!
22 min PENALTY OVERTURNED!
Thalmann buys Beerensteyn’s dummy - she shapes to shoot right then nips left – but does really well to adjust, sticking hand on ball. That stopped Beerensteyn finishing, and after consulting with the screen, the ref overrules herself.
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20 min PENALTY TO NETHERLANDS!
Beerensteyn bursts away from Buhler, who can’t get close to her, a heavy touch draws Thalmann out, Beerensteyn should dink but tries to go around, goes down, and the ref points to the spot. But I don’t think the keeper got the player, so let’s see...
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19 min Superb from Beerensteyn, spinning Calligaris as she controls a throw, back to goal, then swaying away from Sow, but as Buhler comes across, she drags her shot. Still, Netherlands are now the better side.
17 min Yup, Netherlands have settled. Janssen isolates Buhler out wide, slows her down then chucks in a stepover, drills over a decent low cross ... but it’s only the diminutive Van de Donk in the middle, who can’t get on the end of it.
16 min Van de Donk rushes towards Thalmann, forcing a hurried clearance, and that’s great news for Netherlands because it tells us they’re getting closer to their normal game.
15 min Sweden v Portugal is still 0-0, but every time I look, Portugal seem to be getting in among it with the physical tackles. It’s ticking.
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13 min Nice from Switzerland, Calligaris playing into midfield seeking Maendly, who instead runs off Bachmann, coillects her adroit flick in behind, cuts inside onto her left foot ... and unfurls a terrific curler that Van Domselaar tips over the top. Great behaviour all round, the eventuating corner coming to nowt.
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12 min Roord is the only Dutch player properly at it and she latches onto a loose ball outside the Switzerland box, leatherting a shot directly into Buhler’s phizog. Ouch.
10 min In commentary, Robyn Cowan tells us that Miedema still has Covid symptoms. That is not good news, and does, I’d guess mean she’s struggling for any quarter. It affects everyone differently, but I could hardly move the first time I exercised after having it; for finely-tuned athletes like us, it can be a real problem.
10 min Maendly goes low, Bachmann can’t quite control so it goes back to Maendly, and her second cross finds no one. But Netherlands haven’t got going yet; can Switzerland take advantage?
9 min Maritz goes down the right and crosses, Groenen blocking behind. Corner Switzerland...
8 min Nice sway in midfield from Van de Donk, she plays early into Beerensteyn ... but Calligaris is in sharply.
6 min Sorry!
6 min A roulette from Roord in centrefield, of which nothing comes - but let’s be real, pulling that off in the middle of a crucial game is its own reroord.
5 min Reutler carries and plays off Bachmann, but Netherlands are marked up so force play backwards.
4 min It’s Switzerland pushing the early pace, which makes sense – they need to win, while Netherlands need to avoid defeat. I’m not sure it’ll continue like that because the latter are set up to attack, but for now, they’re largely sitting off.
2 min A long ball over the top from Maritz seeks Crnogorcevic, but Van der Gracht is across to clean up.
1 min For those watching in black and white, Switzerland are in red, Netherlands in white with blue shorts.
1 min And away we go, before the countdown is ready ... so we go again.
The players taken the knee.
I also enjoyed this from Anouk Hoogendijk, also on the gantry: “I’m not convinced about the game – we haven’t shown yet how good we are. We are still not ready yet, the players don’t look happy, the players are not all in their best form yet. Hopefully tonight we will be happy but they didn’t sort it out yet.”
In the crowd, there’s a band playing along with Netherlands’.
Anthem time...
The teams are tunnelled, and here they come!
The great Kelly Smith is on the gantry, talking about how much she enjoyed playing with Van de Donk, and Fara Williams concurs, noting how tough she is. This game is going to be a belter.
Have spoken to several players who say they see Miedema as a future coach. https://t.co/89QZLZDg9y
— Tim Stillman (@Stillberto) July 12, 2022
Mark Parsons says it’s “very important” to have Nouwen and Groenen back. He’s got great depth so has to make lots of choices, but these two have played lots of big games for their clubs. On Miedema, he laments her absence, noting that she’s “born to be on the pitch”, so they’re trying to support her just as she’s supporting them, involved in the squad, and she’s improving. I didn’t get the sense that she’ll be ready for the quarters, should Netherlands qualify, but let’s hope I’m wrong.
Nils Nielsen, the Switzerland manager, assures us that Bachmann is fine – she went off in the Sweden game, but it was just a cramp.
Nice to see BBC using Marc Anthony’s Vivir Mi Vida in their Spain package.
However, let’s not forget the absolute banger from which its sample originates:
On which point, I’m really looking forward to seeing how Lia Wälti gets to grips with them. That battle might decide the game.
That said, the returning Nouwen and Groenen will make a massive difference. Groenen, in particular, will provide ballast that allows the in-form Roord to get forward in support of Van de Donk, Beerensteyn and Martens.
I wonder if we’ve seen the best if this Netherlands side. They’ve still got plenty of quality, of course, but for them to win this they’ll need Martens to find her best form and Miedema to return like she’s never been away. Neither are a massive reach, but you can’t help but think the defending champions have been overtaken by England, Germany, France and Spain.
Nowt to do with our match, but nice nevertheless.
This is cool.
— Tom Carnduff (@TomC_22) July 17, 2022
FC Köln put a bodycam on a couple of players for their pre-season game against AC Milan.
This is a view of a goal from Tim Lemperle’s angle.
pic.twitter.com/rqanNVAVmN
Public service announcement: did you see how the Italy team attacked their national anthem on Thursday afternoon? Either way, treat yourself and go to 10m 50s of this.
Switzerland, meanwhile, are unchanged.
Netherlands male two changes from the side that beat Portugal, eventually – one at the back, where Janseen moves to left-back, allowing Nouwen back in, and one in midfield, where Groenine replaces Egurrole. “We have a lot of midfield options, Mark Parsons told Uefa. “Jackie [Groenen] has her attacking qualities, especially in transitions, and she has an engine that won’t stop. If her and Aniek [Nouwen] are healthy, they need to be on the pitch.”
You’ll notice Netherlands are a player down. Let’s hope the incredible Viv Miedema is back and healthy, soon.
Wish I could of celebrated it in a different way, but thank you all for the birthday wishes 🥳♥️
— Vivianne Miedema (@VivianneMiedema) July 15, 2022
Really appreciate and needed all the love today.
I hope I feel better soon and I can’t wait to be back with the team again 🧡🦁 pic.twitter.com/j9OJ35P64u
Teams!
Switzerland (4-2-3-1): Thalmann; Maritz, Calligaris, Bühler, Aigbogun; Wälti, Maendly; Crnogorčević, Sow, Reuteler; Bachmann. Subs: Peng, Friedli, Stierli, Marti, Rinast, Xhemali, Kiwic, Mauron, Fölmli, Humm, Riesen, Terchoun.
Netherlands (4-3-3): Van Dornselaar; Wilms, Van der Gragt, Nouwen, Janssen; Groenen, Roord, Spitse; Van de Donk, Beerensteyn, Martens. Subs: Weimar, Lorsheyd, Van Dongen, Pelova, Jansen, Dijkstra, Leuchter, Casparij, Olislagers, Egurrola, Brugts.
Referee: Iuliana Demetrescu (Romania)
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Preamble
If, before Group C got going, you’d been told that before their final game, Switzerland would have the fear, you’d probably have assumed that they were contemplating what a rampant Netherlands might do to them. But as Lock Stock’s Soap advised us – using, I’m afraid, naughty language – making assumptions is a fool’s errand, and he was’t even talking about football.
In their first game against Portugal, La Nati were two-up inside five minutes, only to concede two in seven minutes either side of the hour; then in their second against Sweden, they equalised two minutes after going behind only to allow a late winner 11 minutes from time; so instead, they’re contemplating an early trip home that they needn’t have made, needing a win here to even have a chance to reaching the quarter-finals.
Netherlands, meanwhile, might have expected to be through already, but they are not. A point will be enough, but they’ll want to win the group to set up a last-eight meeting with Iceland, Belgium or Italy, rather than France.
We’ll talk about the specifics of the match-up in due course, but to being with, here is our housekeeping:
- If Switzerland win here, they go through if Sweden avoid defeat against Portugal, finishing above the Netherlands on head-to-head. If both Switzerland and Portugal win, all four teams will have four points so the group will be decided on goal difference, then goals scored, then disciplinary rankings, then Uefa’s association coefficient; the order is Sweden, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland.
- Netherlands are through if they avoid defeat. If they and Sweden both win or draw, which of them top the group will be decided on goal difference, then goals scored, then disciplinary rankings, then coefficient.
- Sweden are through if they avoid defeat against Portugal. If they are level with Netherlands, which of them top the group will be decided on goal difference, then goals scored, then disciplinary rankings, then coefficient.
- Portugal must beat Sweden and hope Netherland avoid defeat against Switzerland; they would then finish above Sweden on head-to-head. If Portugal and Switzerland win, all four teams will have four points so the group will be decided on goal difference, then goals scored, then disciplinary rankings, then coefficient.
Kick-off: 5pm BST
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