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Match report: Italy 0-2 Netherlands
Kieran Pender was in Valenciennes to watch the Dutch earn a quarter-final place courtesy of two headed second-half goals. Here’s how he saw the match unfold ...
The Dutch advance: Following a fairly evenly matched first half in which Italy squandered several good chances, the Netherlands completely outclassed their opponents in a second half in which Italy grew increasingly frustrated and gave away one free-kick after another.
It was from two of these set-pieces that the winning goals came from, with Vivianne Miedema and Stefanie van der Gragt getting on the end of Sherida Spitse crosses to nod their country through to the last four.
Full-time: Italy 0-2 Netherlands
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeep! It’s all over and the Netherlands have qualified for a semi-final in Lyon, where they will play either Germany or Sweden.
90+5 min: Italy goalkeeper Giuliani finally gets an opportunity to launch the ball up the pitch, but despite the best attempts of Italy’s outfield players, they can’t make anything happen.
90+4 min: The Netherlands win a free-kick deep in Italy territory, down near the flag. To nobody’s great surprise, they choose not to send in a cross, preferring to roll the ball even nearer the corner flag and try to keep it there.
90+2 min: Italy win a throw-in deep inside their own half, an area of the field in which their opponents are quite happy to keep them as the clock ticks down.
90 min: We’ll have five additional minutes for Italy to try to save themselves. It’s a tall order for a side who simply haven’t been able to cope with the conspicuously increased tempo of their opponents since half-time.
87 min: Double-Dutch substitution: both goalscorers come off - Vivianne Miedema and Stefanie van der Gragt make way for Anouk Dekker and Jill Roord.
86 min: The TV camera cuts to the Italy bench, where one of the substitutes is sobbing uncontrollably.
84 min: Nothing comes from the Italy corner, lthough Van Veenendaal was less than convincing as the ball came her way after her defenders had cleared the initial danger. Moments later at the far end of the pitch, Netherlands striker Lieke Martens shoots over from a good position.
83 min: Italy corner after a decent save from the Dutch skipper, Van Veenendaal, who got down well to save at the feet of Giacinti.
82 min: Miedema blasts high over the bar after being put through and handed an opportunity to hammer another nail into Italy’s World Cup coffin.
GOAL! Italy 0-2 Netherlands (Van der Gragt 80)
The Netherlands double their lead. Another free-kick in a dangerous area, another goal for the Dutch. Spitse was the provider drom the right wing and Stefanie van der Gragt rose highest to send an unstoppable bullet header past Giuliani.
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78 min: Play resumes with a Dutch corner. Spitse sends the ball into the mixer, but Italy half-clear. A throw-in for the Netherlands, deep in Italy territory.
75 min: Italy substitution: Annamari Serturini replaces Valentina Bergamaschi. It’s time for another drinks break and in the case of the Italians – a much needed pep talk from their coach.
74 min: Valentina Cornoia becomes the third Italian to be booked as she fouls Beerensteyn to concede a free-kick in a dangerous position on the inside right channel. Sherida Spitse is unable to make it two assists in quick succession and overcooks her delivery on this occasion.
72 min: It had been coming for a while and seemed increasingly likely as an Italy team that is beginning to look very disjointed kept conceding free-kicks in dangerous areas. On that occasion, Spitse curled the ball across through the corridor of uncertainty and Miedema leapt highest to score with a very deft glancing header.
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GOAL! Italy 0-1 Netherlands (Miedema 70)
Well colour me psychic, the Netherlands have the lead! From the free-kick, taken by, Sherida Spitse, Vivianne Miedema steers a lovely glancing header inside the far post to score her 61st goal for her country.
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68 min: With just over 20 minutes of normal time remaining, it seems like only a matter of time before the Dutch score. They’ve completely outplayed their Italian opponents since the start of the second half and now have a free-kick wide on the left.
65 min: Free-kick for the Netherlands on the right, between the edge of the Italy penalty area for a Guagni foul on Beerensteyn. The Italian full-back is booked, possibly for dissent. From a good position, Merel van Dongen curls the ball wide of the far post.
62 min: Manuela Giugliano gets a ticking-off for dissent after conceding a free-kick about 35 metres from her own goal. Sherida Spitse tries to have go and leathers the ball goalwards. It swerves wide of the left upright through a thicket of legs.
61 min: Beerensteyn, the substitute, shoots high over the bar as the ball bounces kindly for her on the right-hand side of the Italy penalty area.
60 min: Desiree van Luneteren wins a free-kick for the Dutch after being tripped by Valentina Bergamashi on the touchline, just by the halfway line.
58 min: From a corner, the Dutch go close again. A corner is only half-cleared, but drops kindly for Danielle van de Donk on the edge of the Italy penalty area. She tees the ball up for a shot, then attempts to curl a shot into the top right-hand corner. With the Italian goalkeeper beaten, the ball rattles the cross-bar. The Netherlands are bossing this game completely at this stage.
55 min: Lieke Martens dribbles at the Italian defence and unleashes a shot, bringing a smart save out of Laura Giulani. Italy substitution: Daniella Sabatino on for Barbara Bonansea. Netherlands substitution: Lineth Beerensteyn on for Shanice van de Sanden.
52 min: The Dutch are completely dominating this second half and miss another two good chances in quick succession. Jackie Groenen has a shot from inside the penalty area blocked by Gama, when she should have passed to the unmarked Miedema. Moments later, with the goal gaping, Miedema stretches but fails to get on the end of a low ball from Van Lunteren played square across the edge of the six-yard box.
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51 min: Lieke Martins chests down a cross from the right and volleys the ball towards the bottom left-hand corner. She doesn’t get quite enough welly on the ball and Laura Giulani gets down to make the save.
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49 min: Unmarked in the Italy penalty area, Vivianne Miedema leaps to try to convert a Van de Sanden cross from the right. The ball’s a little too high and she can’t keep her header down.
49 min: Sherida Spitse tries a shot from distance and it’s a decent effort. Linari blocks with her head.
47 min: Shanice van de Sanden squares the ball from the right flank, but Sara Gama is on hand to intercept and clear for Italy. She and Elena Linari have not put a foot wrong in the heart of the Italy defence so far in this match.
46 min: Giacinti attempts to geta cross into the Netherlands penalty area from the inside right channel, but her delivery is blocked by Bloodworth.
Second half: Italy 0-0 Netherlands
46 min: Italy get the ball rolling for the second half, with no changes in personnel on either side.
Kieran Pender is in Valenciennes for the Guardian: “The Italians, as they have in every World Cup match so far, are playing patiently and exhibiting impressive defensive solidity,” he says, donning his big hat o’punditry. “Italy has conceded just twice in France, both from the penalty spot, and this defence is posing a real test for the Netherlands’ start-studded attack. It is really really hot in Valenciennes, and the decisive question may well be whether Italy’s back-line can withstand the heat-induced fatigue later in the match.”
Half-time: Italy 0-0 Netherlands
The deadlock remains unbroken as the players head in for their half-time refreshments. Perhaps understandably, because of the heat in Valenciennes, the game hasn’t been much of a spectacle, but it’s Italy who have had the three best scoring opportunities, with Valentina Bergamaschi missing the pick of them.
45+4 min: Galli tries to play Giacinti into the Dutch penalty area with a cleverly weighted pass, but the dtriker is not quick enough to get to it before Netherlands goalkeeper Van Veenendaal.
45+2 min: Good defending from Italy, who keep their shape well to prevent Barbara Bonansea getting on to a neat penalty area dink from Vivianne Miedema and slipping the ball past Laura Giulani from a few yards out.
45 min: We’ll have five minutes of added time to make up for the drinks break. The Netherlands attack down the right flank, but their efforts are in vain as Shanice van de Sanden over-cooks yet another cross. Her end product today has been very poor.
44 min: There’s a break in play as Danielle van de Donk gets treatment for some injury or other. She’s passed fit to continue and the game follows suit.
42 min: With the free-kick, Sherida Spitse shoots low and hard, aiming for the bottom right-hand corner. Her effort is decidedly lacking in anything resembling venom and Laura Giulani saves comfortably.
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40 min: Free-kick for the Netherlands on the edge of the Italy penalty area as Miedema ships a push in the back from Elena Linari as she tries to latch on to a long ball from deep. The blonde Italian gets a yellow card for her troubles.
Possession stats: Italy 39%-61% Netherlands. The Netherlands may be dominating in that department, but it’s Italy who have had three excellent scoring chances.
37 min: Another chance goes a begging for Italy, as Valentina Giacinti gets in behind the Dutch defence to pick up a pass from Bergamaschi and send a low diagonal shot across the face of goal but a couple of feet wide of the far upright. She’d wrong-footed the goalkeeper and would definitely have scored if her effort had been on target.
34 min: Vivianne Miedema chases a looping pass up the centre, but Alia Guagni is on hand to prevent the Dutch forward getting to it.
34 min: Play resumes, with the players and match officials all sufficiently rehydrated.
30 min: Trebles all round! In sweltering conditions, the players of both teams adjourn to the touchline for their official Fifa-sanctioned drinks break.
29 min: For the Netherlands, Vivianne Miedema beats Sara Gama with a soft-shoe shuffle on the edge of the penalty area and attempts to chip the ball over Laura Giulani. Her attempt at a finish is poor and the goalkeeper saves easily.
27 min: Italy central defender Elena Linari is on hand to clear up for her side after a menacing Dutch attack prompted by good play down the right touchline from Shanice van de Sanden. Italy get forward on the counter, but Sari van Veenendaal is quick off her line to avert the danger with Valentina Giacinti threatening to latch on to a long ball.
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25 min: Another attack from Italy ends with Aurora Gali trying her luck with a long range that sails hideously high and wide.
24 min: Just over a quarter of the game gone and after dominating the early stages, the Netherlands can consider themselves lucky to be on level terms. Italy have had two decent chances, but both fell to Bergamaschi, who appears to have put her boots on the wrong feet.
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22 min: Italy win a corner after a free-kick driven into the penalty area from out wide is blocked by a Dutch defender and goes out of play. Nothing comes of it.
20 min: Another poor - nay, absolutely awful – finish from Bergamasci who completely scuffs a shot straight in front of goal from seven yards out after drifting in from the right with the ball at her feet. She had the goal at her mercy there, but her shot only travelled a foot or two.
18 min: Close from Italy, who perhaps should have scored. Stealing into a good position in the Netherlands penalty area, Valentina Bergamasci is on hand to chest down the ball as it arcs into the penalty from the left and is helped on its way by a Valentina Giacinit header. Bergascami’s close control is not quite up to scratch and she has to stretch to try to flick the ball past Sari van Veenendaal from about nine yards out. The goalkeeper gathers comfortably.
15 min: Valentina Cernoia wins a free-kick for Italy halfway inside her own half. Gama plays it short to Elena Linari, who lumps it towards the Dutch right-back position. Desiree van Lunteren is on hand to clear.
13 min: Almost 15 minutes gone and no chances of note from either side so far. The Netherlands are dominating, but Italy seem content to let them ping crosses into their penalty area, confident in their own ability to deal with an aerial threat.
10 min: Desiree van Lunteren curls a cross from the right flank into the the Italy penalty area, but there’s nobody on hand in an orange shirt to convert.
9 min: Italy skipper Sara Gama plays the ball long from halfway inside her own half and it’s cleared for a throw-in by the Dutch.
7 min: The Netherlands attack through the centre with Sherida Spitse on the ball. She tries to do too much on her own and is dispossessed by Manuela Giugliano.
6 min: Desiree van Lunteren stretches to keep the ball from going out for an Italy goal-kick as she chases a through-ball up the inside right channel. She does well to keep it in play, but can only hook it along the byline into the arms of Italy goalkeeper Laura Giuliani.
4 min: For the Netherlands, Dominique Bloodworth plays the ball up the left touchline to Lieke Martins, who controls it beautifully on her chest in a tight space. The ball goes out for a throw-in off an Italian boot.
3 min: The Netherlands are dominating these very early stages as the teams size each other up. Shanice van de Sanden pulls a ball into the penalty area from the byline, but Elisa Bartoli is on hand to clear for Italy.
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2 min: On the left of the Dutcvh front three, Lieke Martens jinks her way inside from the touchline but overhits her cross towards the far post.
1 min: Italy win an early throw-in, which is hurled down the pitch from inside her own half by right-back Alia Guagni.
Italy v Netherlands is go ...
1 min: The Netherlands kick off in front of a crowd of approximately 20,000 people, their players kitted out in orange shirts, shorts and socks. Italy’s representatives wear blue shirts, shorts and socks. Game on!
Not long now: The teams march out into the furnace led by referee Claudia Umpierrez and skippers Sara Gama and Sari van Veenendaal. We’re just a couple of national anthems, several handshakes and a coin-toss from kick-off.
Kieran Pender is at this match for the Guardian: “For all intents and purposes, Valenciennes has temporarily become a Dutch exclave,” he says. “The orange-clad fans are here in force. It took me half an hour to walk the usual 15 minutes to the Stade du Hainaut - the roads are absolutely jammed with travelling support for the Netherlands. It should make for a special atmosphere, although the Italians might regret that they aren’t playing this match further south, where it mightn’t feel quite so much like a Dutch home game.”
Italy v Netherlands line-ups
Italy: Giuliani, Guagni, Gama, Linari, Bartoli, Bergamaschi, Galli, Giugliano, Cernoia, Giacinti, Bonansea.
Subs: Marchitelli, Rosucci, Parisi, Sabatino, Girelli, Tarenzi, Serturini, Fusetti, Boattin, Mauro, Tucceri, Pipitone.
Netherlands: Van Veenendaal, Van Lunteren, van der Gragt, Bloodworth, van Dongen, Groenen, van de Donk, Spitse, van de Sanden, Miedema, Martens.
Subs: Kop, Van Es, Dekker, Pelova, Renate Jansen, Kaagman, Ellen Jansen, Kerkdijk, Roord, Beerensteyn, van der Most, Geurts.
Today’s match officials
Referee: Claudia Umpierrez (Uruguay)
Assistant Referee 1: Luciana Mascarana (Uruguay)
Assistant Referee 2: Monica Amboya (Ecuador)
Fourth Official: Qin Liang (China)
A 36-year-old from Uruguay, Claudia Umpierrez is clearly a real stickler for rules and regulations as she divides her professional life between refereeing and working as a lawyer. She has been on the Fifa list since 2010 and has been a first category ref in Uruguay since 2016, the same year she became the first woman in Uruguayan football history to referee a top flight men’s match.
Milena Bertolini speaks ...
Italy’s manager stressed the importance of keeping possession when she fronted up before the press yesterday. “If we both have good possession of the ball, we’re going to have a great game out there,” she said. “Of course the Dutch play a characteristic style that reflects their footballing history. We’re also working along those lines: good ball possession, the importance of dribbling – that’s what the game is all about. Of course that all depends on the opponent, and how well we can deploy our flexibility.”
Sarina Wiegman speaks ...
Attending to her pre-match press duties yesterday, the Netherlands gaffer was full of praise for her team’s Italian opponents. “I’m surprised with how good the Italian team has been playing, both in qualification and during this World Cup,” she said. “They have great players who like to play forward, and want to give that deciding pass. We’ve been very impressed by them, but we also know what consequences their playing style has and where spaces open up on the pitch.”
Form guide
Coming into this game on the back of seven straight wins, Italy are the favourites to prevail against an Italian side who have equalled their best ever record at a Women’s World Cup with a place in the quarter-finals. The Italians enjoyed a seven-match winning streak of their own in the build-up to this tournament and won two of their three group games against Australia and Jamaica, before losing to Brazil.
In Bertolini, they have a shrewd tactician as a manager and her astute mid-game switches against Australia and China have been praised for helping her team to victories that weren’t entirely expected.
Weather report
With Europe engulfed in a heatwave it’s going to be a hot one in Valenciennes this afternoon and according to the forecast players will be forced to endure temperatures of between 31 and 34 degrees celsius. The hot temperatures mean Fifa can allow drinks breaks for players, with three-minute pauses for water at the 30- and 75-minute marks, if temperatures reach 32C inside the stadium.
The Netherlands did, in fact, ask if today’s kick-off time could be changed to later in the day, after the Germany v Sweden quarter-final, which kicks off at 5.30pm (BST), but Fifa ignored their request.
“We did ask the question, but it was impossible,” said their coach Sarina Wiegman yesterday. “So there you are. But okay, I don’t know why it is impossible [to move the kickoff time]. But I think it is remarkable and we’ll just play football at 3 pm tomorrow. “We will make sure [the players] drink enough, they bring cool drinks and we have prepared for this.”
The Italian coach Milena Bertolini was also expressed her disappointment at the scheduling for today’s game. “I don’t know how it will be tomorrow, but [we could have] a different intensity, a different rhythm, a better regularity in the rhythm of play,” she said. “That’s what is most disappointing, because so far all the games from the round of 16 on have been really fantastic and of high quality.”
Women's World Cup quarter-final: Italy v Netherlands
The Stade du Hainaut in Valenciennes, northern France is the venue for the third of the four quarter-finals in this summer’s Women’s World Cup. Neither Italy nor the Netherlands have made it to the last four before, but one of the two nations will qualify for a semi-final against Germany or Sweden, who play later today. Kick-off is at 2pm (BST), but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
