The Netherlands ran out huge winners at house in opposition to Greece in a really mature efficiency for the hosts tonight in Rotterdam. In entrance of a supportive house crowd, Eva Doudesis secured his first win as Head Coach, as Van de Kraats secured a hat-trick with braces for Sleeking, Van der Sloot and a maiden duo of targets for Lola Moolhuijzen.
For Greece, they by no means actually clicked in assault. That they had some first rate probabilities, however have been with none actual conviction going ahead. Maria Myriokefalitaki was working exhausting at centre, and Eleftheria Plevritou had an honest recreation with three targets, however the Greeks have been properly crushed in the present day.
There was a vigorous environment in Sportbedrijf Swimming Pool in Rotterdam earlier than the beginning of the sport, and that undoubtedly spilt over into the pool not less than for the primary quarter.
The sport was stage for the primary 8 minutes, however the Dutch have been implausible going ahead within the second interval, changing key alternatives to swing the momentum of their favour.
The tempo of the sport slowed massively within the third – however that was positive for Eva Doudesis’s aspect, given their lead within the match. They defended properly when wanted in opposition to a largely sluggish and ineffective Greek offense.
The Greeks didn’t enhance within the final, and whereas the Dutch weren’t nice both within the final moments, they didn’t have to be.
The win for the Dutch was wanted. They’re now stage on factors with Hungary and Greece (3pts), with every group enjoying two video games.
Netherlands 13-7 Greece (4-2, 5-3, 1-0, 3-2)
Netherlands: L. Aarts, I. Wolves 1, B. Sleeking 2, S. Van der Sloot 2, M. Schaap 1, S. Van de Kraats 3, B. Rogge 1, V. Sevenich, M. Koopman 1, I. Koolhaas 2, L. Moolhuijzen, N. Ten Broek, B. Van der Dobbelsteen
Greece: M. Kotsioni, E. Plevritou 3, I. Chydirioti, C. Siouti, M. Plevritou, I. Karolina, E. Ninou 1, M. Patra, V. Plevritou 1, S. Kontogianni, M. Myriokefalitaki 2
Van der Sloot received the primary swim, instantly making an opportunity for the Dutch, as they fed the pit and received the penalty. Simone Van de Kraats stepped up and inevitably slotted house to provide her aspect the lead.
Instantly after, the Dutch repeated the identical transfer, feeding the robust and dominant Vivian Sevenich, who was unfortunate to not win a second penalty.
Nonetheless Greece equalised by means of Vasiliki Plevritou, who discovered house on place 4, and rifled the ball previous Laura Aarts for 1-1.
The Dutch equalised instantly although, as Brigitte Sleeking’s shot in some way squirmed previous the Greek keeper. The Netherlands then prolonged their lead by means of their skipper with 5 minutes to go, because the aspect in Orange have been affected person on the man-up, and Sabrina Van der Sloot’s cross-cage shot was ok to beat the keeper.
The Dutch had all of the momentum, and Simone Van de Kraats made it two for her tally, and 4-1 for her aspect, because the participant for Mataro had a shot on the fitting that after extra dribbled over the Greek aim line.
Nonetheless, when Nina Ten Broek was excluded, Eleftheria Plevritou was afforded an excessive amount of time on the right-hand aspect, and punished the Dutch with a pushed shot that Laura Arts might solely divert into her personal web.
Greece had an awesome likelihood with three minutes left within the quarter when Maria Myriokefalitaki pivoted on 2m, however Laura Aarts made a implausible acrobatic, close-range save to disclaim the younger Greek centre-forward. Aarts then denied one other Maria (Patras), because the Olympiacos participant picked her nook from the highest of the perimeter.
On the finish of the primary, the Dutch led by 4 targets to 2. That they had been extra medical in assault, discovering the pit with ease at instances, and gaining the extra-player conditions to attain extra steadily than the Greeks.
The second quarter was a cagier affair to start with, with missed probabilities for either side within the opening three minutes. But it surely was finally the Greeks who scored first, with Eleftheria Plevritou grabbing her second of the sport.
Nonetheless, no sooner had the Greeks pulled inside one, the Dutch restored their two aim lead. It was Bente Rogge, to rifle a ball into the underside right-hand nook of Kotsioni’s web.
However Eirini Ninou, who was drafted in final minute to interchange Tricha, discovered the again of the web with a cultured cross-cage end from the left to place Greece again inside one.
Nina Ten Broek did put the ball at the back of the web moments later, however the referee appropriately disallowed the aim, for taking pictures inside two.
Nonetheless, the Dutch have been in no temper to let Greece again into the sport. Firstly, Brigitte Sleeking have the Oranges their two aim cushion once more when she discovered herself alone on the fitting, and superbly positioned a shot into the top-left of the Greek web, earlier than Iris Wolves, who’s at the moment enjoying for Mediterrani in Spain, turned fantastically within the pit to make it 7-4.
Myriokefalitaki grabbed one again for the Blue and Whites by way of a scrappy aim that hardly crossed the road, however Simone Van de Kraats made it 8-5, punishing the Greeks on the counter with ninety seconds to go within the quarter from an awesome work on the fitting from Moolhuijzen. Lola Moolhuijzen, on her debut, then turned goal-scorer herself, with a positive end from a good angle within the left to provide the Dutch breathing-space going into the second half.
The Greeks have been struggling to feed the pit, however credit score needed to go to the fierce Dutch defence, urgent and dropping intermittently. You bought the sensation that in the event that they have been going to get again into the sport within the second interval, they wanted to be extra incisive and medical in entrance of aim.
But it surely was the Dutch who scored the primary aim of the 2nd half – extra implausible work within the pit from Sevenich led to Vasiliki Plevritou’s exclusion, through which Van der Sloot transformed from with a robust shot from the right-post.
The next minutes have been finish to finish, with a number of wayward photographs from either side (Kontogianni, Plevritou, Rogge, Patra and Sevenich). You sensed the Dutch have been cleverly slowing the tempo of the sport down, to consolidate their now 5-goal lead. The depth of the sport dropped barely, however the Dutch appeared content material to restrict the Greeks to speculative and low chance efforts solely.
Nonetheless, there have been two very first rate probabilities earlier than the quarter was accomplished for Greece – Maria Myriokefalitaki and Eleftheria Plevritou having comparable probabilities on the left, however failing to search out the again of Laura Aarts web.
Into the final, it appeared unlikely that the Greeks would produce sufficient going ahead to get something out of the sport. And this drawback was exacerbated when the Dutch have been awarded a penalty inside the first assault. Lola Moolhuijzen, who performs her water polo in Greece, stepped up, and netted her second of the sport.
Alexia Kammenou was not impressed that her aspect now trailed by 11 targets to five, however even her intervention at a timeout couldn’t spur a a lot wanted Greek aim.
Maxine Schaap made her mark within the recreation with a superbly executed man-up transfer by the Dutch from Maria Myriokefalitaki exclusion to place the consequence past doubt – even with six minutes to go within the recreation.
It was simply an off day for the Greek assault. Nothing gave the impression to be coming off. They hit the bar from Christina Siouti and Ioanna Chydirioti makes an attempt, however they only couldn’t discover a method to make an affect on the Dutch scoresheet.
Ultimately Maria Myriokefalitaki netted her second within the recreation, with an honest end on the again publish. However following the pattern of the sport, they may not produce any momentum, as moments later, Maud Koopman prolonged the Dutch lead as soon as extra (13-6).
Eleftheria Plevritou obtained her hat-trick, but it surely was hardly a comfort.
Group A
- Hungary – 2 – 3pts
- Netherlands – 2 – 3pts
- Greece – 2 – 3pts
Group B
- Russia – 1 – 3pts
- Italy – 2 – 3pts
- Spain – 1 – 0pts
