Seventh heaven for the Netherlands as Vietnam thrashing sees them top Group E
Having picked up four points from their opening two matches in Group E, the Netherlands knew a draw against already-eliminated Vietnam would be enough to see them qualify.
The odds were stacked firmly in the Oranje’s favour given the Diamond Girls came into the contest on the back of six consecutive defeats, and it was the Netherlands who came firing out the blocks with two goals inside the opening 15 minutes.
First, Lieke Martens latched onto a long ball from Dominique Janssen before lifting a clever finish over keeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh, and then just three minutes later, Katja Snoeijs doubled the Netherlands’ lead, firing a crisp effort into the bottom corner.
Armed with all the early momentum, Jonker’s side continued to cut through the Vietnam defence with ease, adding a third through Esmee Brugts, who curled a sumptuous finish into the top corner from 25 yards out.
Intent on racking up the score to snatch top spot from USA in Group E, the Netherlands showed no signs of letting up, netting twice more before the interval, with Jill Roord and Danielle van de Donk getting their names on the scoresheet in a dominant first-half display from the 2019 runners-up.
Faced with a daunting deficit, Vietnam emerged after the break desperate to stem the tide, but it didn’t take long for the Netherlands to find their sixth of the evening, as Brugts curled home another sublime effort from range.
With time ticking into the final half-hour, the Oranje understandably took their foot off the gas. However, they still remained a threat as Roord fired against the bar and Martens saw a well-taken strike disallowed for a marginal offside.
Nevertheless, Jonker’s side added further gloss to the scoreline with Roord converting her second of the evening late on, as the Netherlands secured their biggest-ever WWC victory.
The record-breaking triumph means the Oranje top their group ahead of USA and avoid a tricky clash with Sweden in the next round, instead facing either Italy or South Africa in the last-16.
Flashscore Player of the Match: Esmee Brugts (Netherlands)
