SHEFFIELD, England (AP) — Defending champion the Netherlands needed a late surge to beat Switzerland 4-1 and guarantee a place in the European Championship quarterfinals on Sunday.
Still missing star forward Vivianne Miedema, who tested positive for the coronavirus, the Dutch team was held at 1-1 until the 84th minute when Romée Leuchter sent a looping header high over onrushing goalkeeper Gaëlle Thalman, who had made a string of impressive saves up to that point.
Victoria Pelova made it 3-1 in the 89th minute — but only after a long VAR check for offside — and Leuchter got her second and the team’s fourth in added time.
Needing a draw to qualify, the Dutch performance was less convincing than the eventual three-goal margin suggested. It wasn’t enough to secure first place in Group C — which went to Sweden — so the Netherlands must next face France in the quarterfinals.
For most of the game it resembled a repeat of the tight 3-2 win over Portugal on Wednesday, when the Dutch struggled to keep control of a game they were clear favorites to win.
After a goalless first half notable mostly for video review overturning a penalty for the Netherlands, the Dutch team took the lead in the 49th minute when Swiss midfielder Ana-Maria Crnogorčević tried to head the ball off the line but instead deflected it into her own net. The Swiss response was almost immediate, Géraldine Reuteler scoring off a pass from Ramona Bachmann.
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