China rides on Wang’s late strike
Print Edition
WANG Lisi scored in the dying minutes to hand China its first win of the Women’s World Cup on Thursday, a 1-0 victory over Group A rival the Netherlands.
The tie in Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium looked to be heading for frustration for the dominant Chinese when Wang broke through to roll the ball past keeper Sari Van Veenendaal in the Dutch goal.
China had lost its opener against Canada 1-0 following a last-gasp penalty while the Netherlands beat New Zealand by the same scoreline.
“I think they did an excellent job today. We could have scored more and been more efficient,” said China coach Hao Wei. “What is important is that the team stuck together until the very last minute which is the most important.”
It was a deserved victory for the 1999 runner-up which dominated play but had been unable to finish off until Wang’s 91st minute goal.
“We played in a completely different manner than against New Zealand,” said Dutch coach Roger Reijners, whose young side is making its first World Cup appearance.
“Everybody is disappointed about the result, nobody is happy right now and also Vivianne (Miedema),” he added of the 18-year-old striker who had looked like scoring midway through the first half after picking up a Manon Melis pass only to hit wide.
China’s Tang Jiali then had a chance after the break but she shot straight at Van Veenendaal, who punched clear.
But Wang, 23, made no mistake as she accelerated to latch onto a long ball after outfoxing the Dutch defence to fire home for a deserved winner.
“Wang Lisi did an excellent job today, under pressure in the first half,” said Hao. “We did a lot of analysis in terms of game plan and strategy. They executed the plan and I’m very happy about that. Both teams are very young, they lack tournament experience.”
Meanwhile, hosts Canada, Germany and Norway all had to settle for draws.
In Group B, top-ranked Germany had a win snatched from its grasp after Maren Mjelde scored on a free-kick in the 61st minute to earn Norway a 1-1 draw. The result left both teams tied on four points, though Germany leads on goal difference. Germany’s Anja Mittag netted the opener in the sixth minute.
Elsewhere, Thailand earned a historic 3-2 win against Ivory Coast in a victory that saw both teams score their first ever goals of the Women’s World Cup.
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