China v. Holland

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China v. Holland

Late Winner Earns Deserved Chinese Victory

by Jeremy Ruane

China scored a richly deserved 1-0 win over Holland at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium on June 11, finally getting the winning goal in injury time after dominating the Dutch in a gripping encounter.

The Dutch were first to threaten, Manon Melis exploding past Liu Shanshan and Li Dongna on receipt of Mandy Van Den Berg's diagonal ball from half-way. The speedster stormed into the penalty area, where Wang Fei dashed out to save at her feet.

China responded via a twenty-yarder from Tang Jiali two minutes later, before a clever free-kick routine nearly paid dividends for the "Steel Roses". Li and Han Peng appeared to argue with each other after both approaching the set-piece simultaneously, each pushing the other in the chest in doing so. This paved the way for Wang Shanshan to let fly, her twenty-five yarder sizzling over the bar.

Back came Holland, a Van den Berg corner being punched out by Wang Fei to the edge of the penalty area. One of her team-mates sliced her attempt to clear the ball back towards goal, the sphere dropping perfectly for Tessel Middag to unleash a tremendous hip-turn volley which flashed narrowly past the far post in the eleventh minute.

Cue a raft of Chinese opportunities over the course of the next ten minutes, Desiree Van Lunteren blocking Ren Guixin's shot after Wang Lisi had intercepted a pass on half-way and stormed downfield in the fourteenth minute.

Sixty seconds later, Wang Shanshan was denied a goal by the offside flag, while further efforts from Tang and Li in the next five minutes threatened the target, the former's attempt being blocked to safety by the lunging boot of Sherida Spitse.

A by now rare Dutch raid materialised in the 24th minute. Melis picked out Vivianne Miedema with a cross which allowed the striker to evade a challenge in the heart of the Chinese penalty area. Just as she shaped to open the scoring, Wu Haiyan stepped in to deny her in the act of shooting - a timely intervention by the Chinese skipper.

China stormed back onto the attack, Han turning Van Lunteren this way, that way and ultimately into the middle of next week to create ample space from which she unleashed a ferocious fifteen yarder which Sari Van Veenendaal tipped over the crossbar.

On the half-hour, Wang Shanshan surged forward before bringing Wang Lisi into play. Her cross was punched out by Van Veenendaal to Han, who curled the ball onto the head of Ren. But for a superb save by Holland's second-string 'keeper in the shadows of the crossbar, the midfielder would surely have opened the scoring.

China had very strong penalty claims turned down by referee Yeimy Martinez two minutes later, Wang Lisi going down under a challenge from behind by Petra Hogewoning. Unperturbed, the "Steel Roses" kept on coming, Tang working a one-two with Wang Lisi, then with Wang Shanshan, before letting fly from twenty yards.

Sadly for Tang, she directed her shot straight at Van Veenendaal, and promptly stamped the ground in frustration, yet another chance having gone begging for a Chinese team which, just like the Football Ferns in the second half of their clash with Holland five days ago, were dominant in every aspect but the scoreboard.

Six minutes before half-time, Han led Van Lunteren a merry dance once more - the fullback will have nightmares about this individual battle, make no mistake. Her last memory will likely be of being

nutmegged by Han, who duly set up Ren for a shot which sliced wide of the mark.

China were less dominant in the second spell, but still the better side by some distance. Ren and Wang Shanshan worked a one-two in the centre circle before Ren sent Tang racing through the inside left channel in the 53rd minute. She evaded a challenge before letting fly, only for Van Veenendaal to batter the ball away to safety.

The Dutch mustered a rare raid on the hour, with Danielle Van de Donk releasing Melis down the right at pace. She scooted deep into the penalty area before unleashing a powerful acute-angled drive which Wang Fei smothered well.

After Van Veenendaal had dealt with another effort from Tang, the 'keeper tipped a twenty yard piledriver over the bar from the frustrated midfielder, who must by now - the 67th minute - have been wondering what China had to do to score.

Tang went close again soon after, combining with Liu and substitute Wang Shuang to send another twenty yarder flashing a yard past the far post, an effort which appeared to prompt a loss of heart in China's challenge.

Holland swiftly picked up the cudgels, and sought to pinch a goal they barely deserved. Sixteen minutes from time, Lieke Martens deftly beat two opponents on the left before feeding Miedema. She got to the byline before firing a low cross into the danger zone.

Van de Donk slid in to meet it, but instead connected with Wang Fei's shoulder, the 'keeper having dived on the ball. After treatment, she played on with the injury, but was clearly in some discomfort.

She didn't let it affect her duties, however. Eleven minutes from time, Van de Donk and Miedema combined to play in Martens, who did the fullback a treat before looking on in despair as Wang Fei parried her acute-angled effort.

Seconds later, Miedema fired a shot straight at Wang Fei, whose continuing denials gave renewed hope to her team-mates, hope which was ultimately rewarded as the match entered stoppage time.

Before they broke the deadlock, however, China engineered another trio of opportunities from which they should have scored at least once. A wonderful move four minutes from time was sparked by Tan Ruyin, who combined with substitute Lou Jiahui before playing a one-two with another substitute, Ma Jun, who fired over from eight yards.

Seconds later, Ma headed a cross from Lou straight at Van Veenendaal, who saw her defenders foil China's next raid, Wang Lisi jinking through three challenges before presenting Wang Shuang with a shooting chance which was blocked.

Into stoppage time we went, and finally the breakthrough came. Li hoisted the ball forward, more in hope than anything else, but as Holland's defenders relaxed, Wang Lisi ghosted in behind them and gleefully poked the ball past the wrong-footed figure of Van Veenendaal to clinch a richly deserved 1-0 victory for the "Steel Roses" a win which keeps their hopes of progress alive.

China: F. Wang; Wu, Zhao, Li, Liu; Tan, Tang (Lou, 87), Ren (Ma, 71); L. Wang, Shanshan Wang (Shuang Wang, 56), Han

Holland: Van Veenendaal; Van Lunteren, Van der Gragt, Van den Berg, Hogewoning (Van Dongen, 58); Middag (Dekker, 70), Van de Donk, Spitse; Melis, Miedema, Martens

Referee: Yeimy Martinez (Columbia)

2015 Draw