The Netherlands will wonder what went wrong after the United States Women’s National Team rallied for a 2-1 win on Tuesday.
Scorers: Buurman 15′ Buurman 44′ (OG), Williams 71′
This budding rivalry delivered again as two powerhouses went head-to-head in a tense match in The Hague.
It was all the Dutch during the first 45 minutes, as the host registered 14 shots to one for the USA. That stunningly matched the record for the most shots the Americans have faced during any first half over the last decade.
Surprisingly, a little luck was needed to break the deadlock. Defender Veerle Buurman headed home beyond Alyssa Naeher ruining a clean sheet for the retiring goalkeeper.
However, the Dutch then experienced some bad luck. Buurman headed home backward while stumbling, and the ball rolled into the net for an own goal, and the USA were elated.
Manager Emma Hayes must have had a scathing talk at half-time as the visitors managed to rework their game plan and silenced the once deafening Dutch attack throughout the second half.
Then, against the run of play, the Olympic gold medallists struck.
Yazmeen Ryan made a surging run down the right wing and found Lynn Williams in the box. The substitute now has 10 goals to her name off the bench for the USA.
The result will leave the Dutch with plenty of questions moving forward. They finished the match with 23 shots to five and 57% possession of the ball but failed to make it count.
📸 Pau Barrena – 2024 Getty Images