Referee Yoshimi Yamashita points a yellow card to Netherlands’ Danielle Van de Donk for a foul on South Africa’s Karabo Dhlamini in the course of the Ladies’s World Cup Group spherical of 16 soccer match between Netherlands and South Africa on the Sydney Soccer Stadium in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023. (AP Picture/Sophie Ralph)
SYDNEY— Netherlands had simply superior to the quarterfinals of the Ladies’s World Cup, but star midfielder Danielle van de Donk appeared inconsolable.
Her yellow card within the second half of the 2-0 win over South Africa on Sunday means she is going to serve a one-match suspension. Her tears had been probably in realization that she might have performed her remaining match of the match if the Dutch lose to Spain within the quarterfinals.
However Netherlands coach Andries Jonker had no time for any negativity.
“We’ve include the conviction that we will beat everyone. And if you happen to say we will beat everyone, it contains all groups, South Africa, but in addition Spain,” he stated. “So it means it’s not the final recreation for Danielle. We need to beat Spain, then she will come again into the match.”
The Dutch definitely look like contenders once more after dropping to the US within the World Cup remaining 4 years in the past.
After ending above the People in Group E this time, they overcame South Africa at Sydney Soccer Stadium by means of targets from Jill Roord within the first half and Lineth Beerensteyn within the second.
Spain is among the many title favorites, and backed up its billing with a 5-1 win over Switzerland within the spherical of 16.
Netherlands needed to work more durable for its place within the final eight, with goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar producing a player-of-the-match efficiency with a string of saves to maintain South Africa at bay.
Her teammates had been fast to acknowledge her game-saving efforts, speeding to embrace her after the ultimate whistle.
“We felt we might have received this recreation and if I look again, we should always have with the alternatives that we had, however we didn’t take them,” South Africa coach Desiree Ellis stated. “If you happen to have a look at their goalkeeper getting the participant of the match, it tells you ways properly we performed.”
Netherlands’ Jill Roord, proper celebrates with teammates after scoring her aspect’s first aim in the course of the Ladies’s World Cup spherical of 16 soccer match between the Netherlands and South Africa on the Sydney Soccer Stadium in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023. (AP Picture/Mark Baker)
Netherlands was additionally aided by an error from South Africa keeper Kaylin Swart, who let Beerensteyn’s weak effort squirm out of her grasp and over the road.
Similar to van de Donk, Swart appeared devastated after the ultimate whistle as teammates and workers consoled her.
“No person on the earth has an ideal recreation,” Ellis stated. “You’ll make a mistake and sadly that occurred, however she saved us within the recreation as properly.”
South Africa had already exceeded expectations by advancing to the knockout stage for the primary time after its dramatic 3-2 win over Italy in its remaining group recreation.
However the targets from Roord within the ninth minute and Beerensteyn within the 68th ended its unlikely run.
Netherlands went shut instantly earlier than Roord’s aim when Esmee Brugts swung in a curling shot that Swart needed to push over the bar.
Roord struck from the ensuing nook.
Sherida Spitse’s cross was headed towards aim by Lieke Martens, which pressured Swart into motion once more. However from her save, the ball looped within the air and Roord headed over the road from shut vary for her fourth aim of the match.
Van de Donk was near extending the lead however was denied by the toes of Swart from contained in the field, and Kgatlana examined Van Domselaar as South Africa confirmed its risk on the break.
Kgatlana went nearer nonetheless when by means of on aim simply earlier than the halftime, however couldn’t discover a well past Van Domselaar. The South Africans ended the half the stronger as Kgatlana repeatedly burst past the protection.
Its response to going behind was much more spectacular, contemplating it needed to deal with accidents to Jermaine Seoposenwe and Bambanani Mbane within the first half.
The Netherlands lineup regained management after the restart and thought they’d doubled their lead when Martens turned and transformed within the 54th. However their celebrations had been minimize brief when it was dominated out on VAR overview for offside.
South Africa supplied much less risk because it struggled to get possession and Netherlands scored its second after Swart’s error.
Subsequent up for Netherlands is Friday’s extremely anticipated match towards Spain in Wellington, New Zealand.
“It’s a large recreation and I’m actually enthusiastic about it as a result of Spain, it’s a very sturdy group,” Beerensteyn stated. “However I additionally know that we’re a powerful group, so will probably be like an actual remaining really.”
South Africa, in the meantime, exits after making an enormous impression on a match the place a number of the conventional favorites like Olympic champion Canada, Germany and Brazil had been eradicated within the group stage.
“Very proud,” Ellis stated. “I believe as a group we have to maintain our heads very excessive.”
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