DUNEDIN, New Zealand (Reuters) – Netherlands coach Andries Jonker was delighted to see his team overcome their scoring woes after they claimed the coveted top spot in Group E and powered into the Women’s World Cup last 16 with a 7-0 hammering of Vietnam on Tuesday.
Jonker had said before the game that he wanted the team to finish top of the group to stay clear of red-hot Sweden in the next round, and the 2019 runners-up duly delivered, hitting four gaols in the first 25 minutes to set up an emphatic win.
“In the end, it turned out the way we wanted it to,” Jonker told NOS. “This is what you’re hoping for – one opportunity after another. They were fantastic goals and not lucky goals. A dream scenario came true.”
Before Tuesday’s match, Netherlands had scored only two goals in two games in a 1-0 win over Portugal and a 1-1 draw with the U.S. to sit second in Group E on goal difference.
Their goalscoring blitz in Dunedin will give them immense confidence heading into the knockout stages. The team will travel to Sydney for their last 16 tie on Sunday and are likely to face Italy, who sit second behind Sweden in Group G.
Jonker, who took over after the Netherlands’ disappointing quarter-final exit at last year’s Euros, said that finishing above the U.S., who drew 0-0 with Portugal, reaffirmed his pre-tournament assessment of the team.
“From the very beginning of our preparations, we were quite confident that we can beat every opponent in this tournament,” he told a news conference. “Our strategy won’t change… The baseline is that we can beat Italy or South Africa or anyone.
“Of course it helps when you qualify first in your group, when the United States is also in your group, and of course it helps when you win 7-0 and score wonderful goals… This team is capable of many things.
“A year ago we saw a lot of teams in Europe who were better than us, but we’ve managed to close the gap. Of course, we have to make it happen and win against these major countries, but it’s clear that we’re a lot closer to victory than a year ago.”
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
