Netherlands vs Sweden: Jackie Groenen’s extra-time winner fires Dutch into Women’s World Cup final

Netherlands 1-0 Sweden: This had none of the controversy, intensity or drama of Tuesday’s semi-final – not that this will matter for those in orange, who are now 90 minutes away from becoming world as well as European champions

Sometimes, one moment of quality is all that is required. And as Jackie Groenen found out, it can even be enough to win a World Cup semi-final, particularly a semi-final as poor as this. Groenen and the Netherlands will contest Sunday’s final, after her fine strike beat Sweden to settle an otherwise unremarkable contest.

This had none of the controversy, intensity or drama of Tuesday’s semi-final, played on the same pitch 24 hours earlier. The United States will not be troubled by anything they witnessed here. England’s players will have watched two teams short on quality with one persistent, nagging question: “What if?”

But while Phil Neville and his players will be in Nice this weekend, attempting to rise themselves for a third-place play-off against this Swedish side, the Netherlands will be 90 minutes away from becoming world as well as European champions. For a team who qualified for the first World Cup four years ago, it is some achievement.

Head coach Saerina Wiegman should thank her goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal, who made several important saves when Sweden were marginally on top. Much of the credit must go to Groenen, who capitalised on the space the Swedes offered her, striking low into the far corner to seal the final berth.

The first half was poor. Van Veenendaal, one of the Netherlands’ four-strong Arsenal contingent, was the most vocal member of their pre-match huddle and the busiest of their players in those opening 45 minutes. Sweden edged them - with two shots on target to one by their opponents - and the goalkeeper had to be alert for both attempts.

A woman in Stina Blackstenius’ form would usually convert the first. Sofia Jakobsson’s delicate work in midfield slipped Sweden’s match-winner from the quarter-final through one-on-one. Her shot was right down Van Veenendaal’s throat, even if she only collected the ball at the second time of asking.

The Dutch ‘keeper’s handling was questionable at times, particularly on the flat and straight corners Sweden insisted on playing. One failure to come and collect allowed Elin Rubensson to shoot from the edge of the area, and when that attempt was blocked, Lina Hurtgi pounced on the rebound. Van Veenendaal beat the shot away with her feet.

Her best save, however, came in the slightly-improved second half. Another awkward corner spread panic in the Netherlands’ penalty area, with space eventually opening up for Nila Fischer. The centre-half’s low drive was destined for the far, left-hand corner until Van Veenendaal’s fingertips diverted it onto the post. It was an excellent save.

Hedvig Lindahl punches clear under pressure (Getty)

At the other end of the pitch, the Netherlands were offering very little, especially for a team whose attacking talent lit up the 2017 European Championship and was much-vaunted at the start of this tournament. They too had to resort to the more prosaic form of set-piece play and it was not long before they had also hit the woodwork.

Vivianne Miedema had been largely anonymous up until this point, but on one corner swung in from the right she managed to peel away from the Swedish defenders who had previously done so well to contain her. She crouched slightly, attempting to direct her header just underneath the crossbar. Instead, she struck it.

Wiegman turned to her mercurial winger, Shanice van de Sanden, whose introduction was welcomed by those wearing orange in the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, her club stadium. In the final minute of regulation time, Van de Sanden was presented with a chance to spare us all another 30 minutes. Hedvig Lindahl, Sweden’s goalkeeper, tipped a rising shot over.

Linda Sembrant and Vivianne Miedema tussle for possession (Getty)

The Netherlands were now at least building attacks better, having largely nullified Sweden’s early threat. What the contest needed now was someone, anyone, to make a difference. As the clock crept into three figures, up stepped Groenen, reacting fastest to Danielle van de Donk’s deflected pass and from 20 yards out, drilling low and hard into the far corner.

If that is the sum total of the Dutch’s end product on Sunday, the United States will almost certainly win a fourth Women’s World Cup, retaining their 2015 title. But as Groenen demonstrated, sometimes one moment is all that it takes.