Women's World Cup, Italy-Netherlands 0-2: the blue dream stops at the quarters (photo ANSA / AP Photo / Francisco Seco)
VALENCIENNES – Quarter-finals of the Women 's World Championship , Italy-Netherlands 0-2, goals: Miedema at 70 ′ and Van der Gragt at 80 '.
The blue dream stops at the quarter-finals against the European champions in charge of the Netherlands. The Italians equaled the result obtained in 1991 but failed to improve it.
Despite the elimination and the opaque performance of today, the National Women's Team comes out as the winner because it managed to make the Italians fall in love, even the most skeptical. In the course of this competition, the Italians have recorded audience records on both Rai and Sky. On state television, they have won more plays than the national men's team, which is busy qualifying for the next European Championship.
Unimaginable results until recently. These girls have really conquered everyone because they arrived among the top eight teams in the world against all odds. They won a group with two battleships like Brazil and Australia and eliminated China in the last 16 with authority.
Today it was a dirty game, very physical, conditioned by the heat and by the fact that the match was played at 3 pm, a really impractical time if we consider the very high temperatures that are falling on France (like on the rest of Italy …).
The Italians have wasted two good scoring chances in the first half, in the second half they broke out physically and suffered the greatest brilliance of their opponents even if, at the end of the day, the match was decided by two firm balls that the Dutch had the best finalized of head.
Now the Federation will have to be good at not losing all this love that has been created around the Italians. Women's football must grow and this is the right time to finally launch it among the sports that the Italians follow most.
Italy-Netherlands 0-2, the match report.
After winning the group with Brazil, Australia and Jamaica, and eliminating China from the round of 16, Italy wants to continue dreaming against the European champions in charge of the Netherlands. A place among the top 4 teams in the world is up for grabs. For Women's Italy it would be an absolute record because in its history it came only twice to the quarter-finals of a World Cup and never to the semifinals.
The first chance to score was created by the Netherlands with Martens in the first minute of the race. The Dutch player's cross from the right turned into a treacherous shot that came out of a whisker. At 3 ′, a fine initiative on the right of Van de Sanden was promptly stopped by Elena Linari.
At 6 ', Van Lunteren's cross from the right was easily blocked by the Italian goalkeeper Giuliani. At 20 ', Italy went for the first time in this race with Bergamaschi. The blue shot was slow and central and was blocked by Van Veenendaal without any problems.
At 25 ', Galli, who is a long-distance specialist in conclusions, tried to score with a great right foot from thirty meters but his shot ended in a corner. At 36 ', Giacinti freed himself from the marking of the defenders of the Netherlands and kicked safely with the left but his diagonal came out of a whisker. Great goal ball for the Italians, the first of the game.
At 42 ', the referee warned Linari and conceded a free kick to the Netherlands from the edge of the penalty area. Spitse's conclusion was slow and central, Giuliani stopped her without problems. The first half ended on the result of zero to zero , so far it has "won" the heat.
At 53 ', Martens sought the goal with a place from the edge of the penalty area but Giuliani blocked his conclusion without any problem. At 54 ', the Italian coach entered Sabatino in the field in place of an extinct Bonansea. At 58 ', the Netherlands hit the crossbar with a shot by Van de Donk. Giuliani beaten cross beaten.
The Netherlands took the lead at 70 'with Miedema at the 71st goal in the National team in just 80 appearances. The "orange" striker scored ahead of a free kick in favor of the Netherlands. His conclusion was only touched by Giuliani who failed to reject it. Italy continues to suffer goals only on firm balls.
At 80 minutes, the Dutch national team closed the match with Van der Gragt. The Dutch player scored a photocopy goal compared to the one made by the teammate ten minutes earlier. Italy is out of the World Cup with its head held high.
Italy-Holland, the choices of coaches.
ITALY (4-3-3) : Giuliani; Guagni, Gama, Linari, Bartoli; Galli, Giugliano, Cernoia; Bergamaschi, Giacinti, Bonansea. Coach: Bertolini.
HOLLAND (4-3-3) : Van Veenendaal; Van Lunteren, Van der Gragt, Bloodworth, Van Dongen; Groenen, Van de Donk, Spitse; Van de Sanden, Miedema, Martens. Coach: Wiegman.
The Italian article Female ko against Holland but her World Cup has already won it: she made a country fall in love seems to be the first on daily Blitz .
Source: Blitz Quotidiano