Netherlands beats South Africa 2-0 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup.

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Netherlands secured their place in the Women’s World Cup quarterfinals with a victory of 2-0 against South Africa on Sunday.

Goals by Jill Roord and Lineth Beerensteyn, one in each half at Sydney Football Stadium, ensured that the Dutch, who finished as runners-up in the 2019 tournament, continued their journey to the last eight.

Despite being one of the unexpected strong performers in the competition, South Africa gave Netherlands a run for their money, with goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar having to make several saves to deny Thembi Kgatlana.

The Netherlands’ strong performance comes four years after their loss to the U.S. in the World Cup final, and they have emerged as contenders once more, having finished ahead of the Americans in Group E.

South Africa, on the other hand, had already surprised many by advancing to the knockout phase for the first time, thanks to their thrilling 3-2 victory over Italy in the final group match.

However, Roord’s goal in the ninth minute and Beerensteyn’s strike in the 68th, following a mistake by goalkeeper Kaylin Swart, concluded their unexpected run.

The Dutch nearly took the lead before Roord’s goal, but Esmee Brugts’ curling shot was deflected over the bar by Swart. Roord managed to score her fourth goal of the tournament from the subsequent corner.

Sherida Spitse’s cross, which was directed towards goal by Lieke Martens, forced another save by Swart. But Roord managed to head the ball over the line following the save.

Danielle van de Donk almost extended the lead, but Swart’s feet denied her, and South Africa continued to demonstrate its counter-attacking prowess.

Kgatlana had another close opportunity just before halftime but was foiled by Van Domselaar.

South Africa ended the first half on a strong note, with Kgatlana consistently outpacing the Netherlands’ defense. Their reaction to falling behind was remarkable, especially as they had to deal with injuries to key players Jermaine Seoposenwe and Bambanani Mbane.

Netherlands regained their footing after halftime, and they believed they had doubled their lead when Martens scored in the 54th minute. However, the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.

South Africa struggled to maintain possession, and the Netherlands extended their lead after Swart’s error allowed Beerensteyn’s soft shot to cross the line.

The South African team reacted strongly to the goal, but Linda Motlhalo was denied by Van Domselaar.

The only setback for the Netherlands was a yellow card for Van de Donk, meaning she will be absent for the quarterfinal match against Spain.

James Robson is providing updates at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

For more detailed coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, visit https://bigbignews.net/fifa-womens-world-cup.

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