Arsenal forward Vivianne Miedema netted an 82nd-minute equaliser as The Netherlands rescued a point against the Czech Republic in Groningen last night.
Mark Parsons’ side looked set to fall to a surprise home defeat in their opening qualifying match for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia New Zealand 2023 but Miedema came to the rescue late on as the match ended 1-1.
The Netherlands dominated the opening 45 minutes but they failed to take the chances which came their way. Shanice van de Sanden tested visiting keeper Barbora Votíková early on while Stefanie van der Gragt was a regular threat from set pieces.
The Czech Republic took a shock lead early in the second half when Tereza Krejčiříková played in Andrea Stašková to open the scoring.
The Netherlands continued to push hard to get on the scoresheet themselves with Lieke Martens hitting the woodwork and Czech goalkeeper Votíková being forced into a series of saves. Parsons’ side did finally make the breakthrough seven minutes from time when Chelsea’s Aniek Nouwen’s high press saw her win back possession before threading in Miedema to score.
Victoria Pevlova hit the woodwork late on as the Dutch searched for a winning goal but in the end, they had to settle for the draw in their opening FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia New Zealand 2023 qualifier.
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