Two injury time goals keep Dutch women’s Olympic dream alive with Nations League win

The Dutch women’s national football team still has a shot at participating in the Olympic Games thanks to two late goals in their home game against Belgium (4-0). England was set to win the group, but thanks to two goals from Damaris Egurrola, the Dutch team led with a greater goal differential. This means the Dutch Leeuwinnen qualified for the Nations League Finals, where two tickets to the Olympics are up for grabs.

England won their match against Scotland by a score of 6-0, and therefore finished on 12 points, just like the Dutch team. But the Dutch team’s goal differential was +8, compared to England’s +7. The Dutch team and England both started their last group match with 9 points, but England still had to make up for a worse goal difference (+4 to +1). With 8 points, Belgium also had a chance to become the group winner.

Lineth Beerensteyn scored the first two goals for the Dutch team in her hundredth international match. But it was an insane final few minutes in which the Dutch football players secured the crucial group win in the Nations League.

The Dutch team had to complete the task without 108-time international player Jackie Groenen, who had not yet recovered from the injury she sustained on Friday at Wembley (3-2 defeat). Her replacement, Egurrola, was the basis of the first dangerous moment for the Dutch team with a long shot.

Meanwhile, England took an early lead in their match, which increased the pressure for a goal from the Dutch team. That came in the 34th minute via Lineth Beerensteyn, who also scored twice against England last Friday. After poor defending from Belgium, the 100-time international finished calmly on a play from Victoria Pelova.

The Dutch team looked likely to be group winners again, but that changed before half time when England mounted a 4-0 lead in their match. As a result, the audience in Tilburg did not applaud at halftime, with an apparent doomsday scenario unfolding.

Beerensteyn made it 2-0 from the rebound of a shot by Esmee Brugts 10 minutes after half-time. However, since England also scored again, an extra goal was still needed. Jonker brought in several attackers, including all-time top scorer Vivianne Miedema.

Despite several chances, the Dutch team seemed unable to succeed, until Egurrola's striking header in the 1st minute of injury time. But then another goal from England (0-6) left the Dutch team needing yet another goal.

That happened in the final seconds, again thanks to Lyon midfielder Egurrola.

Dutch striker Lineth Beerensteyn could not choose her favorite moment between her two goals on Friday at Wembley against England or her two goals on Tuesday evening in Tilburg. "They were all just as important. I think this whole period will stay with me for a while," the 100-time international responded after the 4-0 win over Belgium.

With twelve goals, Beerensteyn is the top scorer for the Dutch team in the era under manager Andries Jonker, which has now lasted more than a year. The 27-year-old Juventus player said she benefits from the 5-3-2 system that Jonker uses. "That gives me more space. I can go deeper and swerve to the side. I like that."

The Dutch will compete with Germany and Spain in February for two Olympic placements in the final four of the Nations League. France is also participating, but that team has already qualified for the Games as host country.

Jonker said there is also an unusual situation during the all-decisive Nations League final round in February, since France already qualified m. He would prefer to play the French team in the next round, if possible, thinking France may be less motivated during the final round of the Nations League.

"We have arranged everything well and drawing France seems to be the favorable option," Jonker said about the draw set for December 11.

The national coach was previously critical of the fact that the Dutch had to compete against England and Scotland in the group stage, since they will form a joint Olympic team and could therefore have coordinated their outcomes. However, Jonker himself has no solution for either situation. "But it would be good for the sport if this didn't happen again."

The 61-year-old Amsterdammer reiterated his concerns about the busy playing schedule of the Dutch football players, but emphasized once again that his team would very much like to participate in the "sporting highlight" that is the Paris 2024 Olympics football tournament. The Leeuwinnen would then participate in a major final tournament for the third year in a row, after last year's European Championship and the recent World Cup. Jonker said, "Why do we think that a woman can do that and a man cannot? I don't understand that."

England national coach Sarina Wiegman was visibly upset after her team’s elimination. "I really thought we had made it," she said after her team's big win. "But in the end it turned out that the Netherlands had still scored. That is a part of sport, but it does hurt. I think it is great that my team won 6-0. But of course we want to participate in major tournaments. That is not the case now."

The Dutch woman previously coached her home country’s team, and wished them good luck. Three years ago, her Dutch squad was knocked out in the quarterfinals of the Olympics in Tokyo after losing to the United States.