PARIS, France, Jul 2 – The Netherlands stand one step away from their first ever women’s World Cup final thanks to a core of players aiming to conquer the world after taking Arsenal back to the top in England.

Vivianne Miedema’s thumping headed opener in their 2-0 quarter-final win over Italy on Saturday helped give her side a last four clash with Sweden on Wednesday. It was her third in France after scoring an astonishing 31 goals in 28 games for the Gunners as they won their first Women’s Super League in seven years.

Lining up behind her, for both club and country for the past two years, have been attacking midfielder Danielle van de Donk, centre-back Dominique Bloodworth and goalkeeper Sari Van Veenendaal, and Miedema recognised the impact having same players form the spine of both teams.

“Obviously it’s really easy, we’ve been playing together for two years, we play as goalie, centre back, number 10 and me and it’s the same at Arsenal so you get to know each other a lot better,” Miedema said after beating the Italians.

“I just need to look at Dominique Bloodworth and I know where’s she’s going to play the ball. It’s the same with DVD (Van de Donk), we just have that connection. It helps me a lot and it helps our team a lot, and I’m happy that we’ve got that.”

Saturday’s strike also increased 22-year-old Miedema’s total as her country’s top scorer to 61 in 80 matches for an international side considered relative minnows until very recently but who in the last three years have surged to the highest reaches of the women’s game.

Since taking charge, initially as interim coach, in 2016, Sarina Weigman has led the Dutch to just their second ever World Cup two years after winning every match, and plaudits for the way they played, in the European Championships.

“I didn’t expect to be in the semi-finals of this World Cup,” sais Miedema, whose team have shown they know how to battle.

– ‘I know exactly what they’re doing’ –

The Dutch have struggled to express themselves in France but have won two matches in the dying seconds, including their 2-1 last 16 win over Japan, and have scored the majority of their goals in the final 20 minutes.

“We’ve been complaining a lot that we’ve not played the best football but in the end we’re in the semis, we’ve done amazing and we can be really proud,” Miedema added.

Jill Roord has just joined Arsenal, a move which would have further strengthened the Gunners’ Dutch link had Bloodworth and Van Veenendaal not left pre-tournament.

However, both departing players agree with Miedema that the connection between the four Dutch dynamos is hugely important to their success.

“I think it’s very important. I realised on the pitch that Daniela and Viv are in front of me and I know exactly what they’re doing,” said Bloodworth.

“I think we are all in the core of the team so I think it’s important that we’re so fluent in working together.”

The 27-year-old Van de Donk has been crucial for Arsenal, scoring 13 times for the London club in their charge to the title last season and also winning the 2016 FA Women’s Cup.

She scored in the 3-0 Dutch hammering of potential final opponents England in the semi-finals of the Euros — her only goal of that tournament — and has proved to be a player for the big occasion.

Van Veenendaal said the Arsenal quartet “feel each other” when they’re out on the pitch.

“We’re all playing through the middle of the game and we know what we’re doing and we know from each other what we’re doing,” she said. “I think that will definitely help.”

%thecontent%%avatar%

%author%

%authornetworks%

%authordescription%

%authornetworks%

Comments

%sidebar%","opedarticle":"","sidead1":"ff","sidead2":"dd","sidead3":"","homestory":"

%title%

%game%%date%Read More--","taxonomyitem":"

%title%

%game%%date%Read More------","fixtureitem":"%name1%%score1%VS%score2%%name2%%time%","home":"rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn 1rn 2rn 3rn 4rn 5rn rn rn rn

Senegal dim Starsu2019 hopes of AFCON last 16

rn rn AFCON 2019rn rn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rn Read Articlern rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rnrnrnrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

More Headlines

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Benitez to take charge of Chinese side Dalian Yifangrn

rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn 12 minutes ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Dutch Arsenal connection gunning for World Cup gloryrn

rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn 1 minute ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Max Verstappen reconciles with rival Leclercrn

rn rn Motorsrn rn rn rn 22 hours ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Godin signs for Inter, Juve snap up Pellegrinirn

rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn 22 hours ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Tebas fears Neymar return would damage La Liga imagern

rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn 22 hours ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Frank Lampard excused from Derby pre-seasonrn

rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn 22 hours ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rnrnrn rn rn

Most Popular

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn AFCON 2019rn rn rn rn rn Wanyama to treat Stars to dinner in Cairorn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn AFCON 2019rn rn rn rn rn Olunga double earns Kenya AFCON hopern rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Motorsrn rn rn rn rn Stage set for WRC Safari Candidate Eventrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn rn Everton making Brazilians cry with joy at Coparn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn rn Kipchoge's sub-2hr marathon set for Viennarn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn AFCON 2019rn rn rn rn rn All in or nothing as Stars face Senegalrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Golfrn rn rn rn rn South Africau2019s Thimba wins Karen Mastersrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Golfrn rn rn rn rn KCB Karen Masters gets Ksh28m boost from KBLrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn AFCON 2019rn rn rn rn rn Le Roy presence inspired Migne in Starsu2019 winrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

All Sports

rn trn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Benitez to take charge of Chinese side Dalian Yifang

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Tuesday, 2nd Jul 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Dutch Arsenal connection gunning for World Cup glory

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Tuesday, 2nd Jul 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Max Verstappen reconciles with rival Leclerc

rn rn rn Motorsrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Godin signs for Inter, Juve snap up Pellegrini

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Tebas fears Neymar return would damage La Liga image

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Poll Question

rn rn ntnttnttntt

WILL EGYPT WIN 2019 AFCON AT HOME?

ntt
• YES
ntt
• NO
ntt

View Results

ntnn Loading ...n rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Frank Lampard excused from Derby pre-season

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Durant opts for Nets as NBA free agent frenzy begins

rn rn rn Basketballrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Seedorf wants crowd-pleasing Cameroon win over Benin

rn rn rn AFCON 2019rn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Coleman eyes improvement after Stanford sizzler

rn rn rn Athleticsrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

No 800m, no worlds says defiant Semenya

rn rn rn Athleticsrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Load More Storiesrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Sponsored

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Featured

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Benitez to take charge of Chinese side Dalian Yifangrn rn rn Viewrn rn Tuesday, 2nd Jul 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn Capital Sportrn Senegal dim Starsu2019 hopes of AFCON last 16rn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Max Verstappen reconciles with rival Leclercrn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Godin signs for Inter, Juve snap up Pellegrinirn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Tebas fears Neymar return would damage La Liga imagern rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rnrnttt","sidebar":"rn rn rntrn rn t

Most Popular

rn rn t rn t

rn tWanyama to treat Stars to dinner in Cairorn

rn AFCON 2019rn rn Friday, 28th Jun 2019rn rn rn t

rn tOlunga double earns Kenya AFCON hopern

rn AFCON 2019rn rn Friday, 28th Jun 2019rn rn rn t

rn tStage set for WRC Safari Candidate Eventrn

rn Motorsrn rn Wednesday, 26th Jun 2019rn rn rn t

rn tEverton making Brazilians cry with joy at Coparn

rn Footballrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn t

rn tKipchoge's sub-2hr marathon set for Viennarn

rn Footballrn rn Thursday, 27th Jun 2019rn rn rn t

rn tAll in or nothing as Stars face Senegalrn

rn AFCON 2019rn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn t

rn tSouth Africau2019s Thimba wins Karen Mastersrn

rn Golfrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn t

rn tKCB Karen Masters gets Ksh28m boost from KBLrn

rn Golfrn rn Tuesday, 25th Jun 2019rn rn rn t

rn tLe Roy presence inspired Migne in Starsu2019 winrn

rn AFCON 2019rn rn Friday, 28th Jun 2019rn rn rn rn rn trn rn rnrn rn rn rn t

Featured

rn rn trn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Benitez to take charge of Chinese side Dalian Yifangrn rn rn Viewrn rn Tuesday, 2nd Jul 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn Capital Sportrn Senegal dim Starsu2019 hopes of AFCON last 16rn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Max Verstappen reconciles with rival Leclercrn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Godin signs for Inter, Juve snap up Pellegrinirn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Tebas fears Neymar return would damage La Liga imagern rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 1st Jul 2019rn rn rn rn rn rn rn trn rn rn rn","articleerror":"

Oops...Something broke on our end

"},"messages":{"accessdenied":"Access to the account has been denied ","httperror":"Oops, something went wrong...please try again","contactgoogle":"Contacting Google","firsttime":"Seems this is your first time with this signin system. Please wait as we get your name","signinsuccess":"Cool. You're now signed in. This signin will close automatically now","pendingrequest":"Still communicating with the server","signedout":"Seems you were signed out. Try submitting again after you've been signed in","trackingerror":"Couldn't track Analytics","xhrnotconfigured":"To webmaster: Please confirm the xhr/ajax receptor is configured on the server","loadmore":"Load more stories"}}; /* ]]> */