Netherlands Clinches Women’s Euro Championship 2017

Netherlands defeated Denmark 4-2 to win their first Women’s Euro Championship. The neck-to-neck game had long ball by midfielder Jackie Groenen launched right-winger Shanice van de Sanden and her low cross was met by Miedema for her third goal. However, it took Denmark only 5 minutes to equalize the game at 2-2. Captain Pernille Harder beat the Netherlands’ offside trap and then overcame Sari van Veenendaal at her near post with a well-placed shot.

The final match took place in the FC Twente’s stadium in the eastern city of Enschede on Sunday. The stadium was a sell-out crowd of over 28,000 fans.

Netherlands became the fourth nation to win Women’s Euro Championship since its inception in 1984.

Major credit goes to Striker Vivianne Miedema who scored twice the number as on Sunday. The game started off on a balanced note as Danish striker Nadia Nadim overturned a sixth-minute penalty. Dutch Kika van overthrew Danish Sanne Troelsgaard prior to Nadim. But Netherlands levelled up quickly right after, reported Indian Express.

Player of the tournament, Left winger Lieke Martens sped up the Dutch team in the 28^th. She reached the centre and turned into a defender as she kicked a low shot past goalkeeper Stina Lykke Petersen.

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The match had Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik watching the tournament. Apart from him, Marco van Basten, the star of the Dutch men’s team also came to watch the match.

The victory of the women’s team is seen in contrast to the men’s team who lost the qualifiers of last year’s European Championship in France. Now it is preparing for next year’s World Cup in Russia.

Even Denmark faced a major blow losing the finals as it beats six-time defending champion Germany in the quarterfinals. It is the first time the Danish team was reaching the finals after losing the semifinals five times in the past.

Picture credit- Reuters