Delphine Cascarino’s Quick Double Takes France Top And Denies Netherlands

Andries Jonker had maintained that “on immoderate days miracles happen” but this was astir decidedly not 1 of them.

Admittedly location was a spell erstwhile Jonker’s Netherlands teased everyone by threatening France pinch nan imaginable of an improbable elimination but yet Delphine Cascarino, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and nan remainder of Laurent Bonadei’s attacking armoury were acold excessively powerful to beryllium eclipsed.

As France topped Group D having scored 11 goals successful nan people of 3 wins and now hole to look Germany present connected Saturday, nan 2017 European Champions caput backmost to Amsterdam and their latest caput coach bids them farewell.

A hot, sunny Sunday successful Basel had turned progressively humid and it was nary astonishment erstwhile thunder and lightning prefaced torrential pre-match rainfall astatine St Jakob-Park.

That apocalyptic preamble seemed thoroughly successful keeping pinch a melodramatic opening successful which nan France goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin was quickly forced to dive debased to contradict Victoria Pelova from distance.

Attacking urgency represented nan Netherlands’ sole dream of progression from Group D but, overmuch arsenic it sent excitement levels soaring wrong nan stadium, this exhilaratingly gung-ho attack invited counterattacks. Daphne van Domselaar duly had to prevention from Delphine Cascarino pinch her legs earlier tipping Sakina ­Karchaoui’s follow-up changeable information a station arsenic nan rainfall started falling again.

Given that Laurent Bonadei’s broadside required only a draw, astatine most, to advancement location was a consciousness France were playing wrong themselves as, pinch mixed results, they attempted to tie nan Dutch sting by slowing things down astatine each opportunity and taking their clip complete dormant balls.

Such patience proved a virtue, temporarily astatine least, erstwhile nan unmarked Sandie Toletti half-volleyed Les Bleues up aft gathering Marie-Antoinette Katoto’s good left-wing transverse aft a damaging ­concession of possession connected nan Oranje’s part.

Sandie Toletti (left) celebrates aft scoring nan first extremity of nan crippled for France. Photograph: Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

Not that Dutch redemption was excessively acold away. Although Peyraud-Magnin performed wonders to support retired Chasity Grant’s volley, Pelova delighted successful lashing nan rebound into a apical corner.

The psychological harm inflicted erstwhile England hit Jonker’s squad 4-0 successful Zurich looked to beryllium evaporating by nan minute. By measurement of proving it, nan Netherlands assumed nan lead done Selma Bacha’s ain extremity aft Peyraud-Magnin’s nonaccomplishment to woody pinch a cross.

Although Bacha seemed good positioned to clear disconnected nan statement she was wrong-footed by Lineth Beerensteyn’s fleeting touch, leaving nan shot to rebound disconnected her and ricochet into nan net. A disapproving Bonadei responded by folding his arms a small tighter and shaking his head.

With nan Netherlands now only a mates of unanswered goals distant from reaching nan quarter-finals astatine France’s expense, Jonker’s pre-match talk of “a occurrence of Basel” abruptly did not look rather truthful fanciful.

And peculiarly not erstwhile Dutch fans were treated to nan show of their main extremity threat, Vivianne Miedema, warming up early successful nan 2nd period. The request to ration her on-pitch minutes aft caller injuries had dictated nan Manchester City striker started connected nan chair but nan show of her limbering up unnerved Les Bleues fans, immoderate of whom had travelled from nan outlying suburbs of Basel that geographically beryllium to France.

Or astatine slightest it did until Katoto reminded everyone that Bonadei possesses a prima striker of his own. When a momentary nonaccomplishment of Dutch attraction handed possession to Cascarino her game-changing lofted done shot near Katoto’s near ft to do nan rest.

Not to beryllium upstaged, Cascarino swiftly scored an moreover much eye-catching extremity from nan separator of nan area aft dodging a mates of Dutch defenders earlier cutting wrong and unleashing a dipping and unerring right-foot shot.

Suitably inspired, Cascarino past scored a 2nd goal, polishing disconnected nan rebound aft Katoto’s changeable rebounded disconnected some posts.

As serial under-achievers astatine a bid of awesome tournaments, France are horribly prone to hitting nan metaphorical woodwork but arsenic Karchaoui scored their 5th extremity here, an immaculate left-foot penalty, nan consciousness that this clip it mightiness conscionable beryllium different grew.