As the women’s game grows and professionalism increases, so does that technical ability and pace – which we will be able to see in the Netherlands
The Women’s European Championship finals got under way on Sunday. Holland beat Norway 1-0 after a beautiful swerving cross from Barcelona’s newly signed Lieke Martens was powered in by the stooping head of Liverpool’s Shanice van de Sanden. And it always promised to be an exciting match. Norway possess some of the most exciting attacking talent in Europe, which was excellently nullified by the Dutch, while the rapid growth of women’s football in the Netherlands is showing on the pitch. The Stadion Galgenwaard in Utrecht was rocking with 21,732 fans, a record crowd for women’s football in the Netherlands, the Oranje Leeuwinnen feeling the love in their home tournament.
Yet despite this, and while there were three Arsenal players, a Liverpool goalscorer and an international captain who plays her club football with Reading on the pitch, there was little fanfare in the UK about this showpiece opener.
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