… but we have heard from Suzanne Wrack! Her verdict from Utrecht is in, and here it is. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night. Here’s Peter Oh with what he terms, and I’m not 100 percent sure I should either allow or encourage this, some “badge bantz”, but here we go. “So just the one Dutch lioness overcomes the three English ones. What happened to strength in numbers?” No word from Sarina Wiegman, so that’ll have to do. Millie Bright speaks thoughtfully to ITV. “It’s hard because I think there were parts of the game we really dominated … they were ruthless when they had their opportunities … we gifted them two goals, which is really disappointing … when you concede in that manner, that’s the most disappointing thing … it’s still all to play for … the games are getting harder and harder, opponents are getting better and better, and we’ve got to reflect, evolve, get better as a team and develop … periods of the game were really good … the second half we came out a different team … when you gift two goals it makes it very hard … they were really clinical but we were not ruthless enough in that area.” The Dutch were the better side in the first half; England improved immensely in the second. The match could easily have gone either way, but Renate Jansen’s 90th-minute screamer settled it. England will be kicking themselves, because both of the goals they conceded were the result of sloppy errors: Georgia Stanway allowed herself to be charged down close to her own box for the opener, while Alex Greenwood gifted Lieke Martens possession to set up the Dutch winner. On the other hand, Mertens and Jansen still had to finish both chances expertly, and there was a touch of offside about the first, while England created several fine opportunities themselves once they woke from their early slumber. Oh, and Alessia Russo’s goal was a typically magnificent piece of skill and improvisation. So on balance, nobody should be kicking themselves too much … though after three fine goals, and one highly entertaining match, the Dutch leapfrog England in the Group A1 table. FULL TIME: Netherlands 2-1 England The hosts clear the speculative long ball, and the whistle goes! There’s to be no dream return home for Sarina Wiegman, and the Dutch are right back in this Nations League group now. 90 min +6: Roord is booked for clumsily skittling Zelem in the midfield. One last chance for Earps to launch a Hail Mary pass. 90 min +5: England can’t apply any pressure at all. The clock ticks on as a bitty exchange plays out in the middle of the park. 90 min +4: Kelly crosses from the right but only whips into the side netting. 90 min +3: There should be more than five added minutes, as well, because Wilms goes down in the classic clock-management style, and require some treatment. She’s good to get up and go again soon enough. 90 min +1: There will be five added minutes. Can England, who have been the architects of their own downfall, save themselves? GOAL! Netherlands 2-1 England (Jansen 90) Greenwood carelessly passes straight to Martens near the centre circle. Martens feeds the sub Jensen down the inside-right channel. Jensen holds off Greenwood, steps into the box, and sends a screamer into the top-right corner. What a finish that was! The stadium descends into bedlam! 89 min: Kelly crosses. Spitse heads clear. James brings the ball down before crashing a shot well over the bar. 87 min: All the subs have drawn the sting from this game. Would both teams take the draw now? Perhaps. England more so, maybe, given their advantage in the group. 85 min: Stanway slides in on Kaptein from behind and is slightly fortunate not to go into the book. 84 min: Another double Dutch change as Beerensteyn and Groenen make way for Jansen and Egurrola. That’s them dancing. 82 min: The goalscorer Russo makes way for James. 81 min: Dijkstra slips Kaptein into the England box down the right. Kaptein cuts back dangerously … but nobody in oranje has gambled on a run. England clear their lines. 79 min: A bit of space for Stanway, the best part of 30 yards out. A highly ambitious and ultimately tame shot sails well wide left of goal. 77 min: A double change for the Netherlands, as Brugts and Pelova are replaced by Wilms and Kaptein. 76 min: Toone attempts to release Hemp down the inside-left channel, but her floated pass is intercepted well by Dijkstra. 74 min: Dijkstra makes good down the right and cuts back for Martens, who shapes like Zidane in the 2002 Champions League final but lashes her first-time strike straight at Earps. Either side of the keeper, and what a goal that would have been. 72 min: Beerensteyn barges Bright off the ball in unceremonious fashion. She tears goalwards and with only one defender in her way, should tee up Pelova in the middle. But she opts to shoot herself and it’s blocked by Greenwood. Pelova is fuming. Some questionable final-third decisions being made by both teams here. 71 min: Groenen drops deep before quarterbacking a pass down the middle. Beerensteyn tears clear only for the flag to go up. It appeared a no-brainer, but replays suggest it was tighter than it initially looked. The lack of VAR certainly benefited the Dutch for their goal, but it might have done a number on them there. 69 min: England snaffle possession in the midfield and pour forward. Hemp should release Toone down the middle but hesitates and the chance to set her team-mate clear is gone. Zelem keeps the attack going by pinging the ball wide right to Stanway, who creams a shot from 25 yards straight at Van Domselaar. Toone will be well within her rights to ask Hemp a wee question there. 67 min: England very much deserved their equaliser. They’d been second best up until the point at which they went behind, and since then have caused the Netherlands all manner of problems. Without Van Domselaar, the hosts would be in all sorts of bother. The momentum is very much with the Lionesses now. 65 min: Pelova dances in from the right and gets past Carter with ease. She whistles a low shot towards the bottom right. Earps saves on the line. What a response that would have been! GOAL! Netherlands 1-1 England (Russo 64) This one had been coming too. Kelly powers down the right and slides Stanway into the box. Stanway crosses low. The ball takes a little deflection off Janssen en route to Russo on the penalty spot. Russo adapts wonderfully and, falling backwards, whips a rising cross into the top right! What a finish! 63 min: Holland (yes sir) clear the corner but Russo comes at them again. Her low shot is turned around the post by Van Domselaar. The second corner is cleared, but something’s brewing, and … 61 min: Hemp charges down the right this time and crosses towards Russo. The ball breaks to Kelly, who can’t convert at the far post. Janssen tries to clear, only to smack the ball into Russo, the ball squeaking inches wide of the right-hand post. Had that been on target, Van Domselaar wasn’t getting to it. 59 min: Hemp is fine to continue. “In my experience with many Dutch friends over many international tournaments, the fans don’t seem to be too particular,” writes Julian Menz. “Yes, Holland is just one region of the Netherlands, but even the ‘the’ there can be disputed (see Ukraine, Lebanon, Gambia etc). Dutch (from the country’s previous linguistic and historical ties with ‘Deutsch’) fans have no problem with chanting ‘HUP HOLLAND!’ Hipsters, get over it.” 58 min: Hemp hurt herself while bombing in bravely there. She clattered into the post and requires a bit of treatment. 57 min: Kelly romps down the right and curls a low cross through the six-yard box. Hemp steams in and again attempts to bundle home … only for Van Domselaar to make a stunning point-blank save. Groenen is on hand to lash clear. 56 min: On balance, it’s been a little bit better from England since the restart and the home fans have fallen a little quiet as a result. A bit more for them to worry about. Hemp in particular has moved up through the gears. 54 min: Russo cuts in from the left and slides wide right to Bronze, whose looped cross is met by Hemp at the far stick. Hemp bundles it past Van Domselaar with her chest but Spitse clears off the line. The Netherlands break up the other end through Martens, who slips Beerensteyn into the box down the left. Beerensteyn crashes a shot off the base of the left-hand post, but the flag goes up immediately – and correctly – for offside. 52 min: A bit of space and time for Hemp down the left, but there’s nobody for her to cross to. Dijkstra heads away calmly. 50 min: The Dutch are comfortably in control right now. England pressing hard but not achieving much with it. 48 min: Earps passes out from the back and puts Carter in a spot of bother. Carter eventually manages to control and clear, but England continue to cause themselves unnecessary stress with their careless play out from deep. 47 min: No changes for the Dutch meanwhile. The hosts get the ball rolling for the second half. England have made a change, Kelly coming on for Daly, who had struggled against Pelova and was on a yellow. Within 13 seconds of the restart, Earps shanks a clearance out for a corner. Bright heads the set piece clear. Not exactly an immediate statement of intent. Half-time entertainment. GEORGE: What is Holland? JERRY: What do you mean, ‘what is it?’ It’s a country right next to Belgium. GEORGE: No, that’s the Netherlands. JERRY: Holland is the Netherlands. GEORGE: Then who are the Dutch? HALF TIME: Netherlands 1-0 England The Netherlands have been the better side, and deservedly lead through Lieke Martens’ goal. Yet England have hit the post and forced Daphne Van Domselaar into a top-drawer double-save. So make of that what you will. Voetbal, hè? Verdomde hel! 45 min: There will be one added minute. 44 min: The woodwork having been rattled down one end, Beerensteyn cuts in from the left and curls towards the top right. Earps is beaten all ends up, but the ball crashes off the bar and away! This match has exploded into life. 43 min: … and now Van Domselaar is forced to make a world-class double save! Stanway rolls a pass down the inside-left channel to release Hemp, whose low drive towards the bottom left is parried. The loose ball pings back to Bronze, who curls powerfully towards the bottom left. Van Domselaar turns the shot around the post for a corner, from which nothing comes. Wow. 41 min: … so having said that, England immediately come close to equalising. A cross looped into the box from the right. Spitse doesn’t deal with it very well, allowing Russo to head on to Daly, who whips a first-time shot towards the top left. The ball caroms off the outside of the post and away! 40 min: Zelem is the latest England player to snooze on the ball and allow herself to be closed down. Sarina Wiegman could do with getting her team in for half-time, and giving them the what-for. 39 min: Van de Donk is shoved to the ground from behind by Bronze. Just a talking-to from the referee, but England are beginning to betray some irritability. They’ve been very much second best so far. 37 min: Daly is booked for cynically bringing the irrepressible Pelova down, Pelova having once again sent her off to the coffee shop. 36 min: Was Van de Donk offside when the ball came through to her off Groenen? Maybe. Maybe not. But there’s no VAR, so.