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A late goal from Vivianne Miedema ensures that Oranje qualifies for the Euros
The Netherlands women's team has qualified for the European Championships next summer in Switzerland. Andries Jonker's side got the point they needed after a draw away to Norway: 1-1. The recently fit again Vivianne Miedema scored the crucial equalizer in the game's closing stages.
The Oranje Leeuwinnen failed to confirm their qualification spot on Friday against Italy (0-0), meaning that the team needed at least a draw in Bergen. After an hour, a goal from Norwegian captain Caroline Graham Hansen seemed like it was going to send the Netherlands to the playoffs, but Miedema saved them with a header ten minutes before the end of the match.
Although Oranje had said before the match that they were not going to aim for a draw and were going to go on the offensive, it was the Norwegians who attacked in the opening phase of the match. Dutch goalkeeper Lize Kop had to save several attempts due to some poor play from the nervous-looking Netherlands side.
A bad pass from Dominique Janssen led to Kop saving Karina Saevik's effort. The goalkeeper then prevented a goal from Graham Hansen after Sherida Spitse had lost the ball. A goal from Frida Maanum was disallowed for offside.
Oranje came into the match more after half an hour, with Miedema and Lineth Beerensteyn threatening the goal on a few occasions. Danielle van de Donk and Jackie Groenen then saw their shots go wide of the goal. This meant that the Netherlands did not register a shot on target in the first half, the same as in the match against Italy.
Norway retook the initiative in the second half as Kop had to stop Graham Hansen again two minutes into the half. The goalkeeper was powerless to stop Hansen's next attempt after an hour played after a poorly defended corner had fallen at her feet: 1-0.
Jonker's side continued to create very little after the goal until Miedema headed a cross home from Chastity Grant, 1-1. The striker, who has been plagued by injuries for a long time, played her first full match against Italy for the national side in two years.
Reporting by ANP