Holland's greater experience proved crucial in their FIFA Women's World Cup Finals clash with Portugal at Forsyth Barr Stadium on July 23, the beaten finalists in 2019 easing to a 1-0 win over a side which qualified for these Finals at the intercontinental play-off series in February. The Dutch were swiftly into their stride, Esmee Brugts' raking cross-field ball inviting Victoria Pelova to tear down the flank in the fourth minute. Portuguese goalkeeper Ines Pereira raced out to deny her opponent, and thus was set the tone for the day. Alas, it was one punctuated by fouls aplenty, particularly from Francisco Neto's side, which made for a rather stop-start affair, thus preventing Holland from getting into their stride as often as many would have hoped. 'Twas the "Orange Leeuwinnen" who dominated proceedings, however, and after former FIFA Women's Player of the Year Lieke Martens had weaved her magic to beat two players and play in Pelova - only Carole Costa's vital block prevented a goal on this occasion, the Dutch took the lead from the resulting corner. Sherida Spitse delivered the thirteenth minute set-piece to the far post, where Stefanie Van der Gragt rose above all-comers to send her header flying into the net. En route, it passed Jill Roord, who was standing in an offside position, and it needed a Video Assistant Referee check to determine that she wasn't in the active area of the play before the goal could be confirmed. Another Spitse corner in the 24th minute found Roord lurking on the far post this time, but how she headed wide from four yards only she can explain - 'twas a bad miss by a player whose stoppage time strike saw Holland edge out the Football Ferns in their 2019 Finals encounter in France. Eight minutes before halftime, Martens latched onto a loose ball and evaded two challenges before seeing her shot deflect through to Pereira, who was in action again two minutes later, grabbing Danielle Van de Donk's eight yard header after Spitse and Lineth Beerensteyn had combined to create the opening. Right on half-time, Holland should have doubled their lead. Beerensteyn worked her way into the penalty area on the right, but pulled the ball back behind Van de Donk. Portugal failed to clear their lines, however, and when the ball broke for Beerensteyn again, she lashed a shot past the near post.

After the interval, Portugal offered a few threats for Holland to contemplate, the vast majority of them bearing the pawmarks of Jessica Silva. Five minutes after play resumed, she went on a rampaging run between defenders, only to drag her shot well wide of the near post. Immediately, the Dutch counter-attacked through Beerensteyn, who charged through the middle with Martens to her right. The striker opted to go it alone, but ran into trouble, and it was only due to Van de Donk coming up in support from behind that the opportunity remained alive. The midfielder's drive was superbly saved by Pereira, who denied Beerensteyn on the hour after she had forged a way through Portugal's defence on receipt of a pass from Jackie Groenen, moments after Van der Gragt had thwarted Jessica Silva's rampaging run at the other end of the park. The game's lone goalscorer was called on once again to thwart the free-running Silva in the 74th minute, Portugal's star striker then presenting Ana Borges with the chance to fire in a cross-shot. The ball landed on the roof of the net. Substitutions were by now contributing to the stop-start nature of the match, a situation which now suited the Dutch given they enjoyed the lead in the contest. The massed ranks of Portuguese defenders prevented Beerensteyn from doubling their advantage ten minutes from time, to which Borges responded with a charging run before feeding the overlapping Telma Encarnacao, who cut inside a defender before drawing a save from Daphne Van Domselaar. In the 89th minute, Encarnacao came desperately close to levelling the scores, just failing to make contact with Silva's angled cross. Holland responded instantly, Spitse's cross finding its way to Martens, whose volley flashed past the upright. This was far from a vintage Dutch performance, but the 11,991 fans present saw them hold on for a first-up victory against a Portuguese team which, in Jessica Silva, boast genuine star quality in a team making its maiden FIFA Women's World Cup Finals appearance at this tournament. Holland:     Van Domselaar; Spitse, Van der Gragt, Janssen; Pelova (Casparij, 90), Brugts, Roord, Van de Donk (booked, 78) (Egurrola, 80); Beerensteyn (Snoeijs, 87), Groenen, Martens Portugal:     Pereira; Borges, Gomes (booked, 84), Costa, Amado (Alves, 78); F. Pinto, D. Silva (Nazareth, 67), T. Pinto; J. Silva (booked, 55), Norton (Jacinto, 78), D. Silva (Encarnacao, 78) Referee:     Kateryna Monzul (Ukraine)