The home crowd roars with elation. Sarina Wiegman runs onto the pitch to celebrate with players and staff. After years of a waiting, a first ever European Championship for the Lionesses has been won and won on home soil. Heroes had been forged, memories had been. A shining new era of Women’s Football dawned for the nation. We all know the story. We can all picture the scenes.
But squint harder, and you’ll notice that those Lionesses dancing with the trophy are dressed in orange, not white. The opposition is Denmark, not Germany. And it isn’t Chloe Kelly scoring in extra time to clinch a 2-1 win, but rather Vivianne Miedema rounding off a late counterattack to put the seal on a thrilling 4-2 triumph. The year is 2017, not 2022, and it is the Netherlands, not England who have just been crowned champions of Europe.
When England take on the Netherlands at the Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich on the 9th July, it will be the first time the two sides have met at a major tournament since Wiegman departed her home nation to take up the challenge of managing a different breed of Lionesses at a major tournament. Two nations who have defined her ascension to one of the managerial greats on the international stage. In a bizarre twist of fate, it was also England who forced the Netherlands to appoint Wiegman as their manager in the first place.
December 2016, and the Dutch National Team are in crisis. Arjan van der Laan had already suffered three defeats in his last four friendlies as Netherlands manager, coming into their final game of the year against England, and his fortunes showed no signs of reversing. After just 9 minutes, midfielder Renée Slegers limped off the pitch. She would never play football again. It got worse, as with just 15 minutes remaining, Jodie Taylor raced onto a Jordan Nobbs long pass and lobbed the ball over the stranded Loes Geurts to score the only goal of the game in Tilburg. It was the final straw.
Just seven months before their home tournament at Euro 2017, the Dutch FA made a bold decision – citing ‘insufficient confidence’ in the current setup, they parted ways with Arjan van der Laan and appointed his assistant, Sarina Wiegman, as head coach.
Flashforward to July 2017, and both the Netherlands and England are having stellar tournaments. Jodie Taylor has become a goalscoring revelation for England, scoring a hat-trick in a 6-0 mauling of local rivals Scotland. Wins over Spain and Portugal completed a perfect group stage performance. Perfection was also the tone set by the tournament hosts. Three wins out of three, including against Euro 2013 finalists Norway, had not only secured a passage to the knockout rounds; it had also captured the imagination of the nation.
As the Netherlands progressed beyond the group stage, confidence in the team soared. Stadiums were sold out, and over two million viewers tuned in on television – a remarkable figure for the Dutch women’s team at the time. The nation was starting to believe.
Leontine Doorn was one of the many fans who had become drawn to the evolution of the Oranjeleeuwinnen. As the team progressed deeper into the tournament and the interest of the nation blossomed, their confidence grew and their football began to flow. Lieke Martens and Vivianne Miedema were becoming the orange stars of the show, and both were on the scoresheet when they knocked out Euro 2001 runners up Sweden in the quarter finals.
England’s tournament was going to plan also. France, for so long England’s immovable object at major tournaments, had humiliated the Lionesses at Euro 2013 to such an extent that long-standing manager Hope Powell had been forced to depart. But in Deventer, England at last laid that ghost to rest, Jodie Taylor once again their saviour. And with Germany suffering a shock defeat to Denmark, the prospect of a first major trophy loomed large for both prides of Lionesses.
“There was confidence in the Oranjeleeuwinnen. Within the team and also with the fans but the Lionesses were the favourites to win the Euros. Especially after Germany lost to Denmark. And the English were happy to carry the role of being favourites. We were warned for Jodie Taylor who scored very easily. I remember feeling nervous but at the same time thought we made it this far and are growing in the tournament, why not take it all the way?“
This would be England’s second semi-fnal in a row at a major tournament, sustaining the progress made at the 2015 World Cup. Under Mark Sampson, England had become resolute in defence and efficient in their attack. Jodie Taylor was firmly in the running for the golden boot. And in the Netherlands, they had an opponent they knew they could beat.
But this Dutch side was a different beast to the one they had faced seven months ago, and England had a weak spot in the heart of their midfield. Defensive enforcer Jill Scott’s booking against France had caused her to be suspended for the semi-final clash. Sampson called upon veteran midfielder Fara Williams to fill the void. England had also lost first choice goalkeeper Karen Bardsley to injury, so it was up to Siobhan Chamberlain to put on the gloves in her place.
The English press may have been rolling out the red carpet for an England win, but the Dutch were having none of it. Their team’s journey had inspired the nation, they were besotted with them. Men’s players, like Robin van Persie and Rafael van der Vaart, were offering their women counterparts their support ahead of the biggest game in their history. Fan walks had begun before every game, with fans dancing to Snollebollekes’ ‘Links Rechts’, a tradition that has continued to this day for both men’s and women’s tournaments. Over 27,000 supporters had crammed into the De Grolsch Veste’s 30,000 capacity stadium for the showpiece event.
Women’s Football had never been this popular in the Netherlands before. Not even their semi-final run at Euro 2009, when England knocked them out thanks to Jill Scott’s extra time header, had made this level of impact on the public consciousness. Like England, the Netherlands were a footballing nation long starved of success on the international stage, but in just six months, Sarina Wiegman had built a team that had them believing they could finally end that trophy drought. Both sides knew this was their moment. Denmark may have awaited the victor, but this felt like the true Euro 2017 Final.
England had been in control for most of their games at Euro 2017. Against technically superior sides like Spain and France, who dominated possession, England’s disciplined defensive shape had managed to keep them at arm’s length, waiting patiently for opportunities to strike. But this time, it was different. That same composure and control deserted them.
It was like that red carpet had been yanked out from underneath their feet. The Dutch roared at them with a wave of intensity unlike anything England had encountered so far at the tournament. And whilst they were off-balance, the Netherlands pounced. Martens’ switch of play found Jackie Groenen in acres of space in England’s right channel. Her pinpoint delivery was met by Miedema at the back post, who guided it with ease beyond the rooted Chamberlain to give the Oranjeleeuwinnen a deserved lead.
England were rocked; it was only the second goal they had conceded all tournament. They did their best to get themselves back into the contest, but the closest they came was when Jade Moore’s header was deflected onto the post by Sherdia Spitse and away to safety.
“The second half the game went up and down a bit when it comes to chances that were created. I remember that I couldn’t believe what happened beforeVvan de Donk scored the 2-0. It was one of the best assists Fara Williams ever gave…“
The loss of Jill Scott in the midfield was keenly felt by England, but it was her replacement, Fara Williams, who ended the contest with a glaring error. Williams had enjoyed a strong 2015 World Cup, scoring the winner from the penalty spot against Germany to clinch Bronze for England, and remains unquestionably one of the finest midfielders to ever put on an England shirt. But two years on, it was clear that she was sadly no longer at the level required. Just 15 minutes into the second half, Williams attempted to head a loose ball back to Chamberlain. Instead, she provided the perfect assist for her Arsenal teammate, Daniëlle van de Donk, to race onto and flick the ball over Chamberlain for 2-0. Shortly afterwards, Sampson brought Toni Duggan on for Williams, but the damage had already been done.
“I also remember that the game didn’t feel comfortable for me watching the Dutch being sloppy in defence at times. Especially after van de Gragt needed to be subbed off. She went off with a knee injury at half time during the Sweden game and couldn’t play the full game. I was very nervous watching the final 30 minutes as you can imagine.“
England pushed in desperation for anything to turn the tide, but there was no joy to be had. Taylor, who had been quiet all match, had a brief opening with 10 minutes left to play, but could only shoot straight at Sari van Veenendaal. Duggan had a volley hooked off the line with just minutes left. But it would be the Netherlands who delivered the coup de grace. Beyond the two added minutes, they launched one final counter attack, and the unfortunate Millie Bright unwittingly deflected Martens’ cross into her own net.
“After the final whistle went I almost started dancing. The confidence in the Oranjeleeuwinnen winning the Euros was definitely there. After all we had won every game in the group stages including Denmark. Our attacking players were flying and our defence led by van Veenendaal was very decent. I tried to get a ticket for the final but that was impossible. The game could easily be sold out twice and well the rest is history.“
3-0. Netherland triumphant. England disconsolate. It was the Netherlands’ finest performance in the tournament so far, and now they had a final with Denmark to look forward to. And despite Nadia Nadim’s penalty giving Denmark a six-minute lead, it was never in doubt who would be lifting the trophy at full time. Martens, Spitse, and a brace from Miedema saw the Dutch romp home 4-2 winners. The likes of Van de Donk, Miedema and Martens became household names, and Sarina Wiegman was now one of the hottest managerial prospects in the women’s game. It therefore came as no surprise that, following the failures of Mark Sampson and Phil Neville, the English FA decided to bring Wiegman over to England four years later, hoping she would do for their team at their home tournament what she did with the Netherlands in 2017.
Now these two nations will meet once again in Zurich, having tread similar paths since their last tournament encounter. Both have become European Champions. Both have been World Cup Finalists. Both are products of Sarina Wiegman’s golden touch. The narratives of England, Netherlands and Sarina Wiegman have become intertwined across the last 9 years, and if history has taught us one thing, it’s that this latest chapter promises to be something spectacular.
