United States held 1-1 by Dutch in FIFA Women’s World Cup thriller

WELLINGTON – A second-half purpose from co-captain Lindsey Horan allowed the United States to battle again for a 1-1 draw towards the Netherlands in an exhilarating Women’s World Cup Group E match on Thursday.

The fiercely fought re-run of the 2019 closing lived as much as its billing because the Dutch loved the ascendancy within the first half earlier than hanging on when the Americans discovered their groove within the second.

The Dutch struck first by a high quality shot from midfielder Jill Roord within the seventeenth minute and the U.S. went in at halftime trailing in a World Cup match for the primary time since 2011.

Horan answered for the four-times champions from a Rose Lavelle nook in 62nd minute, making an incredible run to the close to publish to energy an unstoppable header previous Dutch goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar.

The Americans had not drawn a World Cup match since 2015 and can rue a gradual begin to the sport in addition to an lack of ability to take their probabilities on the finish.

“Even though it didn’t finish the way we wanted (it) to finish I thought it was a good match for our team,” stated U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski.

“What you saw in the second half is what you’re going to see going forward as a baseline.”

The U.S. stay prime of Group E on purpose distinction from the Dutch heading into their closing match towards Portugal subsequent Tuesday, however the Netherlands can be assured of erasing that benefit after they tackle Vietnam on the identical time.

“These games are battles from the first second to the last … the only thing you can say is women’s football has evolved a lot,” stated Netherlands coach Andries Jonker.

“Before the match I didn’t want a draw – we wanted to win. But after the second half, that’s what we wanted because the U.S. were really strong.”

The Netherlands broke the early deadlock when Lieke Martens pierced the U.S. defence to get the Dutch into the attacking third, and Victoria Pelova minimize the ball again for Roord to drill it previous goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher from the sting of the field.

The Americans reacted instantly with makes an attempt by Trinity Rodman and Horan that Van Domselaar was in a position to save, however got one other fright within the twenty ninth minute when Dominique Janssen fired a scorching shot simply over the bar.

The U.S. group, who’re within the hunt for an unprecedented third consecutive title, got here out within the second half with renewed resolve and bought their reward when midfielder Horan equalised simply after the hour mark.

Striker Morgan thought she had put them in entrance a few minutes later when she fired the ball into the online from Rodman’s move solely to be dominated offside.

Ertz prevented catastrophe for the Americans within the eightieth minute when she bought her foot in entrance of the ball to dam ahead Esmee Brugts’s shot after a well-worked transfer by the Dutch.

As the US piled ahead in the hunt for a winner, Rodman screwed a shot huge of the far publish and Sophia Smith had an effort headed off the road by Martens, however the Dutch held agency to safe some extent.

—Reuters