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Hockey - 21. August 2017.

Van Geffen guides Netherlands into Euro semi-finals

Margot van Geffen’s single goal saw the Netherlands advance to the semi-finals, leaving Belgium to battle it out with Spain for second place.

Pool A: Netherlands – Belgium 1-0 (1-0)
The Netherlands got their second win of the campaign to assure they advance to the semi-finals, leaving Belgium and Spain to battle it out for the other spot. Margot van Geffen’s corner goal nine seconds before half-time did the damage in a 1-0 win.


For a huge majority of the game, it was a case of the Dutch knocking on the Belgian defence’s door but they found it incredibly hard to break through.


Player of the match Laurien Leurink admitted as much: “It was a tough match and they played very well. We need to be more efficient in the circle and continue to have the control that we had here.”

Xan de Waard and Maria Verschoor both had early shots go incomplete while Lidewij Welten and Kitty van Male had reverse-stick shots go close before the end of the first quarter.

It continued in the same vein through the second quarter with de Waard – after brilliant work from van Geffen – fired a tester at Aisling d’Hooghe which the goalkeeper saved well.

The breakthrough eventually came from a corner just nine seconds before half-time when van Geffen ran a lovely line to get in position to deflect Caia van Maasakker’s push from the top.

The pressure was incessant in the second half once again with van Male hitting the crossbar after she and Frederique Matla stole possession, setting up a great chance.

Ireen van den Assem had a corner closed out as Belgium continued to frustrate the Dutch attackers with the likes of Aline Fobe, Louise Cavenaile and Judith Vandermeiren putting in the big tackles and key clearances.


Kelly Jonker attempts a shot under pressure. (c) Frank Uijlenbroek/World Sport Pics
Van Maasakker and van Geffen were the next to have a go but d’Hooghe was equal to what they had to throw at her. Laura Nunnink flashed another big chance over the bar.

The result has the Dutch top ahead of their game against the Czech Republic while Belgium are in second, ahead of Spain on goal difference.

Netherlands – Belgium
30’ Margot van Geffen 1-0 (pc)



Umpires: S Wilson (SCO), E Shelbourn (ENG)

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