Holland produced an outstanding display of free-flowing FIFA Women's World Cup Finals football on August 1, recording the biggest victory of the tournament to date when thrashing Vietnam 7-0 in front of 8,215 fans at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium, which was hosting its final fixture of the event. Vietnam fired the first shot in anger in the contest, Bich Thuy Nyuyen scooping a shot over the bar on receipt of Thanh Nha Nguyen's angled pass, an effort to which the Dutch responded in devastating fashion - how else do you describe four goals in fifteen minutes? Leike Martens scored the first of them, neatly controlling Dominique Janssen's ball over the top before lobbing Kim Tran in the eighth minute. Three minutes later, Sherida Spitse and Danielle Van der Donk teamed up to play in Katja Snoeijs, who arrowed a shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the net. After Jill Roord had beaten two opponents before sending a twenty-yarder swerving past the post, the Dutch went 3-0 up in the eighteenth minute. Janssen and Martens teamed up again, this time for the benefit of Esmee Brugts, who unleashed an exquisite twenty-five yard curler into the top far corner. There was no respite for Vietnam - when the Dutch are in this mood, they're extremely difficult to contain. Stefanie Van der Gragt picked out Martens, who played the ball inside to Van de Donk. Despite being surrounded by Vietnamese defenders, she still managed to play a pass to Roord, whose shot fizzed inches past the post. It was 4-0 halfway through the first half, Janssen once more igniting an attack after catching Hai Yen Pham in possession. The defender promptly swept past Thu Luong before crossing for Roord to volley home from six yards. Veteran Vietnamese coach Mai Du'C Chung had seen enough, and promptly hauled off two defenders in response to this onslaught. His actions stemmed the tide somewhat, but only one team was going to score more goals in this contest, and they endeavoured to do so on numerous occasions. Tran saved from Snoeijs on the half-hour, then looked on with relief as Van de Gragt directed a header onto the roof of the net from a Spitse free-kick soon after. The goalkeeper then saved at the feet of Snoeijs after she was played in by Van de Donk in the 34th minute, four minutes after which Martens evaded two challenges before seeing her shot blocked to safety by Kieu Chuong, one of the substitutes. There was no let-up for the "Golden Star Warriors", Tran diving to her left to deny Snoeijs once more following a corner, then smothering a twenty-yarder from Van de Donk after Martens had set up her long-time team-mate. Another goal had to come, and on the stroke of half-time, Spitse, Martens and Brugts teamed up, the last-mentioned picking out Roord with her cross. Tran blocked her effort, but was powerless to

prevent Van de Donk from ramming the rebound into the roof of the net - 5-0. Before half-time, Martens sent a header flashing past the post, while after the interval, Van de Gragt saw her twenty-five yard volley grabbed by Hang Khong, who took over twixt the sticks for the second spell to afford the overworked Tran some respite from Holland's heavy artillery. Roord sent a volley from the edge of the penalty area flashing over the bar in the 54th minute, three minutes after which the Dutch scored a sixth goal, and what a goal it was! Brugts pounced on a stray pass and fair hammered it into the top far corner from twenty-five yards, a shot which was measured at a staggering 104.46 km/h - quite simply, unstoppable! In the next ten minutes, Roord headed against the bar, while Martens was denied her second goal of the game by the offside flag. Roord then directed a shot on the turn straight at Khong twenty minutes from time, after which the goalkeeper parried an effort from Martens, with Thu Tran stepping in to clear the danger after Snoeijs homed in on the rebound. Seven minutes from time, the Dutch made it 7-0. Janssen's free-kick picked out Van der Gragt, whose header across goal saw Roord win the race with Martens to wrap up the scoring, although the Dutch carved out a handful more chances prior to the final whistle. Van de Donk's 85th minute volley flashed just past the post following a Brugts corner, before Kerstin Casparij skied one from the edge of the area after working a one-two with Roord. Damaris Egurrola also went close following a Martens corner, while Holland's final attempts to make their winning margin eight goals saw Egurrola direct another effort last the post, before Khong saved from Martens at the death. This was a solid performance by the "Oranje Leeuwinnen", make no mistake, and the 7-0 scoreline could easily have been greater as they finished group play in style. They've plenty more in the tank, and are understandably eager to go one better than in 2019. It was a tough experience for Vietnam, however - to find themselves in their first World Cup Finals with both finalists from the previous tournament in their group was a nightmare draw. They head home better for the experience, and with goalkeeper Tran having made a great impact with her efforts over the course of the week. Vietnam:     K. Tran (Khong, 46); Thao Tran, Luong (Chuong, 28), Le, Thu Tran, Hoang (M. Nguyen, 28); Duong (booked, 82), B. Nguyen (D. Nguyen, 60), H. Tran, N. Nguyen; Pham (Huynh, 60) Holland:     Van Domselaar; Spitse (Dijkstra, 73), Van der Gragt, Janssen; Pelova (Casparij, 46), Roord, Groenen (Egurrola, 62), Van de Donk (Kaptein, 46), Brugts (Van Dongen, 80); Snoeijs, Martens Referee:     Ivana Martincic (Croatia)