Dutch keep their cool to win thrilling Euro final
Holland coach Sarina Wiegman admitted she was in a state of disbelief as the Dutch became women’s European champions for the first time.
Vivianne Miedema (twice), Lieke Martens and Sherida Spitse were on target in the victory over Denmark in front of a sold-out 30,000 crowd in Enschede.
“A lot went through my mind just before the end,” Wiegman said. “We’re going to win this! How? We tried to take the pressure off throughout, saying that we’re just going to do our best, to show ourselves in the best light.
“And that’s brought us all the way – I could scarcely believe it was going to happen.”
The Danes had gone ahead after six minutes when Pernille Harder cut down the left and Kika van Es brought down Sanne Troelsgaard Nielsen in the box. Nadia Nadim converted from the spot but Holland were level within four minutes as Shanice van de Sanden surged past Cecilie Sandvej on the right and squared. Miedema’s side-footed effort did the rest.
Barcelona forward Martens then put Holland ahead after 28 minutes when she controlled Desiree van Lunteren’s pass on the edge of the box, spun her marker and found the bottom corner of the net.
Denmark were level within five minutes as Harder beat the offside trap to fire past a poorly positioned Anouk Dekker in the Dutch goal.
The game was evenly poised at half-time but Holland, who defeated England in the semi-final, took control after Spitse’s 51st-minute free-kick.
Petersen appeared to be confused by Danielle van de Donk’s dummy run as Spitse rolled her shot low into the corner. Miedema then got the party started a minute from time when she pounced on Spitse’s ball over the top to finish.