Another set of the FIFA round of 16 games were played yesterday.
The Netherlands played South Africa.
The US played Sweden.
Fortunately, this time around, Gunners Victoria Pelova, Amanda Ilestedt, Stina Blackstenius, and Lina Hurtig made it to the quarterfinals.
The Netherlands had the tough task of containing CAF Women’s African Champion South Africa, and fortunately, they did just that. Ex-Gunner Jill Roord (now a Man City player) only needed 9 minutes to give the Oranje the lead and crown herself as the Netherlands’ all-time goalscorer in the World Cup, a record Vivienne Miedema had with 3 goals in the competition.
The Banyana Banyana tried to stage a comeback while trying to be defensively compact, but that got them nowhere. The Dutch held on to their lead, only to double it in the 68th minute through Juventus’ Lineth Beerensteyn. The Oranje were aggressive enough to contain the Banyana Banyana; the game ended 2-0; it would have ended 3-0, but Lieke Mertens goal in the 58th minute was ruled out for offside. Victoria Pelova and her Dutch teammates now have a date with Spain in the quarterfinals on the 11th of August.
As Pelova sealed a spot in the quarterfinals, Ilestedt, Stina Blackstenius, and Lina Hurtig were hoping to be the other Gunners to make it to the quarterfinals, helping their Swedish teammates pull off a headline win over World Cup favourites the US. Impressively that’s just what they did. The Swedes withstood everything the defending champions threw at them.
Nothing separated them after 90 minutes, taking the game to extra time, which still ended without any team finding the back of the net. The game had to be settled on penalties, with Lina Hurtig scoring the winning penalty after O’Hara Kelly missed the USA’s seventh penalty. Sweden now has a date with Japan in the quarters on August 11.
Pelova, Ilestedt, Hurtig, and Blackstenius Gooners are behind you; make us proud.
Come on you Gooner Women!
Michelle Maxwell
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