Agencies
VALENCIENNES/Rennes
Second-half headers from Vivianne Miedema and Stefanie van der Gragt earned the Netherlands a 2-0 win over Italy on Saturday as they reached the women’s World Cup semi-finals for the first time.
The Dutch, deserved victors in intense heat at the Stade du Hainaut, will next play Sweden.
Italy, who have never gone beyond the last eight, had the better of the chances in the first half but the European champions stepped up their game after the break and both goals came from quality set-piece deliveries from Sherida Spitse.
Defending World Cup champions the United States will face England in the opening semi-final on Tuesday in Lyon with the second semi on Wednesday.
With the venue only a two-hour drive away from the Dutch border, the 22,600 crowd was mostly bedecked in Orange in the bright sunshine.
But despite those boosts, the Dutch initially struggled to create openings against an Italian defence well marshalled by captain Sara Gama.
The Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman clearly took advantage of the break to address their problems and it was a very different approach after the interval.
The introduction of Lineth Beerensteyn for the out-of-sorts right-winger Shanice van de Sanden also helped the Dutch step up the tempo but when the breakthrough came in the 70th minute it was from a set piece.
Spitse, from wide on the left, whipped in a fine, high cross and the towering Miedema timed her run and jump perfectly, beating Laura Guiliani with a deft, glancing header.
Ten minutes later the game was put beyond the Italians when Spitse, delivered a flat cross which defender Van Der Gragt met with a firm header.
Sweden upset Germany
Goals from Sofia Jakobsson and Stina Blackstenius helped sweden came from behind to stun Germany 2-1 in the women’s World Cup quarter-finals at Roazhon Park in Rennes.
After enjoying an early spell of possession, midfielder Lina Magull put the Germans in front in the 16th minute with an acrobatic volley through the legs of Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl.
Sweden equalised six minutes later when winger Jakobsson latched onto a long ball straight down the middle from Linda Sembrant, and slotted home past goalkeeper Almuth Schult.
Schult again did well to turn away a powerful header by Fridolina Rolfo but the rebound fell kindly for striker Blackstenius, who fired home from point blank range to get her second goal in as many matches.
VALENCIENNES/Rennes
Second-half headers from Vivianne Miedema and Stefanie van der Gragt earned the Netherlands a 2-0 win over Italy on Saturday as they reached the women’s World Cup semi-finals for the first time.
The Dutch, deserved victors in intense heat at the Stade du Hainaut, will next play Sweden.
Italy, who have never gone beyond the last eight, had the better of the chances in the first half but the European champions stepped up their game after the break and both goals came from quality set-piece deliveries from Sherida Spitse.
Defending World Cup champions the United States will face England in the opening semi-final on Tuesday in Lyon with the second semi on Wednesday.
With the venue only a two-hour drive away from the Dutch border, the 22,600 crowd was mostly bedecked in Orange in the bright sunshine.
But despite those boosts, the Dutch initially struggled to create openings against an Italian defence well marshalled by captain Sara Gama.
The Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman clearly took advantage of the break to address their problems and it was a very different approach after the interval.
The introduction of Lineth Beerensteyn for the out-of-sorts right-winger Shanice van de Sanden also helped the Dutch step up the tempo but when the breakthrough came in the 70th minute it was from a set piece.
Spitse, from wide on the left, whipped in a fine, high cross and the towering Miedema timed her run and jump perfectly, beating Laura Guiliani with a deft, glancing header.
Ten minutes later the game was put beyond the Italians when Spitse, delivered a flat cross which defender Van Der Gragt met with a firm header.
Sweden upset Germany
Goals from Sofia Jakobsson and Stina Blackstenius helped sweden came from behind to stun Germany 2-1 in the women’s World Cup quarter-finals at Roazhon Park in Rennes.
After enjoying an early spell of possession, midfielder Lina Magull put the Germans in front in the 16th minute with an acrobatic volley through the legs of Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl.
Sweden equalised six minutes later when winger Jakobsson latched onto a long ball straight down the middle from Linda Sembrant, and slotted home past goalkeeper Almuth Schult.
Schult again did well to turn away a powerful header by Fridolina Rolfo but the rebound fell kindly for striker Blackstenius, who fired home from point blank range to get her second goal in as many matches.