Netherlands jump for joy as Stefanie van der Gragt finishes off Italy

The 2019 Women’s World Cup is only the Netherlands’ second appearance at Fifa’s showcase tournament but they displayed no inexperience as the European champions saw off a spirited Italy in Valenciennes. Second-half headers from Vivianne Miedema and Stefanie van der Gragt – the first goals conceded by the Italians from open play in France – secured the Dutch a history-making trip to the World Cup semi-finals.

The all-European quarter-final encounter began in sweltering mid-afternoon conditions, as the heatwave gripping northern France refused to abate. Every other match this round had been scheduled as an evening fixture but the Italians and the Dutch drew the short straw. The Royal Dutch Football Association even wrote to Fifa asking if the match could be pushed back, to no avail. “We will feel the heat,” joked Italy’s manager, Milena Bertolini, on Friday.

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from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jun/29/italy-netherlands-womens-world-cup-match-report

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