Vivianne Miedema puffs out a sigh. The Netherlands are trailing in their first group game as major tournament holders; nobody wants doubts at this stage. She puffs out her cheeks. “Fine, I’ll do it myself.” Ten seconds later, the Dutch are level.
Miedema doesn’t score the goal – that honour goes to her former Arsenal teammate Jill Roord, with a smart finish from just inside the penalty area.
But her fingerprints cover it, like a post-ice cream child on a glass door. She embarrassed a defender on the wing, beating her by simply swivelling and ignoring the ball, running off the pitch and back on like that famous Gareth Bale Copa del Rey goal. She drove infield, panicking centre-backs. She picked up the loose possession after an initial through ball. She played the pass.
A petition to make every group game Netherlands vs Sweden, if you please. Of course it would begin to grate at some point, but by then we would be sated. Sheffield welcomed an explosion of colour, the bright yellow and neon orange turning Bramall Lane into a giant ice lolly; it was the right weather for it. The afternoon was a Dutch takeover, locals enthused by the flags and song and smiles. By kick-off, Sweden had almost as many.
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What makes these tournament matches the most special is when the crowd contains a high proportion of travelling supporters. The Swedes bounced and sang after their first-half goals; the Dutch chanting was sound-tracked by their band. It turns out brass instruments at international football matches can be aurally pleasing when they aren’t playing The Great Escape every five minutes.
Sweden have been touted as favourites by the sensible and savvy – this reporter went for the Netherlands, naturally. They looked an astonishingly complete and coherent team without the ball (a pain in the arse, to cut through the euphemism) in the first half.
Thermodynamic laws may suggest that energy cannot be destroyed; they haven’t accounted for the navy blue surge around a player in orange.
Mark Parsons’ team looked spooked before the break. Even without Arsenal forward Stina Blackstenius, fit enough only for a place on the bench, their front three dovetailed brilliantly. Lina Hurtig, the central striker, held the ball up excellently. To her right, Kosovare Asllani ducked and dived past defenders and assisted Jonna Andersson’s opening goal.
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Norway showed they have the tools to trouble England by swatting aside Northern Ireland07 July, 2022But if Parsons was perplexed, he solved the issue at half-time. Miedema was clearly instructed to drift out to the left, with the intention of either dragging a Sweden centre-back with her or exposing the space in behind Sweden’s right-wing-back. It worked beautifully. It saved the Netherlands’ opening night.
The last 10 minutes were frantic and raucous, fatigue stretching the game and both goalkeepers involved more than their managers would like. But it is fitting that the most anticipated game of this group stage should finish without a victor. Those in yellow laid down a gauntlet; those in orange picked it up from the floor and held it high. In the stands, supporters mixed together and shared kind words at full-time.
Germany, Norway and Spain have all started Euro 2022 with a flourish and with handsome wins. Do not discount seeing these two teams again at Wembley. They are both gloriously bright: chromatically, aesthetically and strategically.
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