Oranje Leeuwinnen pick up a comfortable 3-0 win against Wales at European Championships
The Oranje Leeuwinnen made a successful start to the European Championships on Saturday with a 3-0 victory against Wales. Vivianne Miedema, Victoria Pelova, and Esmee Brugts scored the goals at the Swisspoarena in Lucern, Switzerland.
The goals were scored in a 15-minute spell before and after half-time. The Oranje Leeuwinnen will play against England on Wednesday in the second game in Group D. England faces France in the other match in the group at 9 p.m.
Lineth Beerensteyn was not fit enough to start; therefore, the forward line for Andries Jonker’s side was Victoria Pelova, Jill Rood, and Vivianne Miedema, who was just about fit enough to start.
Roord was the source for the first chance of the game. The winger cut inside to her right foot before unleashing a shot which was saved by Wales keeper Olivia Clark, who was then fouled during the rebound.
The 28-year-old came even closer to breaking the deadlock in the 35th minute. The ball bounced far outside the area before she smashed a shot which cannoned off the post back into play.
Oranje looked like they were struggling with a lack of ideas to break the resolute Wales defence down, until Miedema showed her quality right before halftime. Oranje Leeuwinnen’s all-time top scorer had been clumsy in the first half, but she got her 100th goal for the national side in injury time when she spun just outside the box before curling the ball high into the far corner to make it 1-0.
The start of the second half proved to be the deciding factor for Koster’s side. They made it 2-0 in the 48th minute. A long ball from Veerle Buurman found Danielle van de Donk, who had timed her run well, and she then picked out Victoria Pelova, who was left completely unmarked by the Welsh defence. Pelova calmly slotted the ball into the far corner to score her first goal for the national side in two years after suffering from an ACL injury.
The ball just would not go in for Roord on the day. Her third attempt, which was created by Miedema after a superb bit of play, hit the crossbar. Although this was soon forgotten as Oranje scored with the next possession. Pelova had received the ball on the wing and crossed it to the far post, where Esmee Brugts was waiting to knock it home.
It was all too easy for Oranje in the second half. Substitute Chastity Grant came close to scoring the fourth goal of the game, but Wales' full-back Lily Susan Woodham blocked the ball from going in.
