The World Cup has been marred with controversy after an incriminating second in the course of the Netherlands-Portugal conflict that has despatched followers wild.
With a break in play within the seventieth minute with midfielder Danielle Van de Donk down, Dutch coach Andries Jonker appeared to insist that she stay down to be able to give directions to her teammates.
Vision reveals Jonker showing to inform Van de Donk to “sit down”, having simply returned to her ft.
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After a brief protest by which Van de Donk seems to say that “Daphne could do it”, ostensibly referring to goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, Van de Donk takes her place on the Dunedin turf and waits for the referee to come back over.
In the following break in play, Jonker is seen instructing his gamers in a huddle earlier than the sport resumed.
While the act isn’t uncommon in skilled soccer, the brazen nature and the very fact it was caught straight on imaginative and prescient and audio is especially distinctive.
Defender Stefanie van der Gragt would find yourself scoring the one objective because the Dutch started their marketing campaign with victory below a closed roof in Dunedin in opposition to the World Cup debutants.
It was not a completely convincing efficiency nevertheless it units the Netherlands up for a mouth-watering Group E showdown on Thursday with the USA, who started their bid for a 3rd straight title with a 3-0 win over Vietnam.
If beating Portugal means the Oranje Lionesses are already on track to qualify for the final 16, the conflict with the United States may now decide who tops the group.
“Winning this game was the most important thing by far,” stated Jonker.
“We don’t underestimate Vietnam. We respect them. We are not afraid of the USA, but this was the most important game and Portugal proved they were a difficult opponent.”
The Dutch are not the drive they have been 4 years in the past, once they reached the ultimate in France earlier than happening 2-0 to the Americans.
Influential coach Sarina Wiegman has since departed to take the England job and prolific striker Vivianne Miedema is lacking the World Cup as she recovers from a knee harm.
However, Jonker named a line-up that featured seven gamers who began the 2019 ultimate, plus new Manchester City recruit Jill Roord, who got here off the bench in that match.
And it was certainly one of their most skilled gamers who obtained the one objective within the thirteenth minute in entrance of a crowd of practically 12,000.
Centre-back Van der Gragt, who has over 100 caps, obtained as much as powerfully head a Sherida Spitse nook past Portugal goalkeeper Ines Pereira.
The assistant referee’s flag got here up for an off-side in opposition to Roord, who was standing simply in entrance of the road, however a evaluate confirmed that she was not obstructing Pereira and the objective was given.
“It is always difficult to celebrate a goal the second time but it was good. I am really happy that we won,” stated Van der Gragt.
Portugal got here by way of the play-offs to qualify for his or her first World Cup and the emotion of their first ever match on the event was such that a few of their gamers have been in tears in the course of the nationwide anthem.
However, they struggled to create possibilities with substitute Telma Encarnacao producing their first shot heading in the right direction within the 82nd minute.
For Netherlands, Danielle van de Donk come shut early within the second half and so they have been all the time in management, albeit with out ever actually glowing.
They suffered a blow as ahead Lineth Beerensteyn got here off with a knock late on.
They will hope she recovers in time to face the USA, whereas Portugal will hope to get their first World Cup victory once they play Vietnam subsequent.
Originally printed as Women’s World Cup cheat storm erupts throughout tense conflict
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
