The Netherlands and Switzerland face off in the FIFA Women’s World Cup play-off final on Friday and Tuesday for Europe’s last space in the finals.
The play-offs, involving the four qualifying group runners-up with the best record against the sides first, third and fourth in their sections, started in October with the Netherlands beating Denmark and Switzerland seeing off Belgium. The qualifiers will join hosts France, England, Germany, Norway, Italy, Scotland, Spain and Sweden plus 15 other qualifiers in the 8 December draw.
Final: Netherlands v Switzerland
First leg: 20:00CET, Friday 9 November, Utrecht
Second leg: 19:0CET, Tuesday 13 November, Schaffhausen
- The first leg sold out in less than 30 minutes.
- In their last meeting, the Netherlands beat Switzerland 4-3 in The Hague in a March 2016 Olympic qualifier.
- The Netherlands qualified for their first World Cup in 2015 via the play-offs.
- Switzerland lost in the 2011 play-offs but qualified via their group four years later.
- The play-off final will be the last games in charge of Switzerland for Martina Voss-Tecklenberg, who will go on to coach her native Germany. Nils Nielsen, who led Denmark to the UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 final, will take over on 1 December.
- The Netherlands played at Utrecht in the opening game of UEFA Women’s EURO 2017, beating Norway 1-0 in front of 21,732 fans to start their run to the title.
- Switzerland played two qualifiers in this campaign at Schaffhauen, beating Belarus 3-0 and Scotland 1-0.
- Switzerland will be without Lara Dickenmann due to a knee injury while Ramona Bachmann misses the first leg through suspension.
Semi-finals
Women’s EURO 2017 final highlights
Netherlands v Denmark
First leg: Netherlands 2-0 Denmark (Breda)
Second leg: Denmark 1-2 Netherlands (Viborg)
Netherlands win 4-1 on aggregate
- First-half goals from Lineth Beerensteyn and Shanice van de Sanden gave the European champions the advantage after the first leg though they hit the woodwork twice.
- Beerensteyn was twice on target in the second leg, her seventh-minute away goal coming just after Nadia Nadim had converted a penalty, and she struck again just before the end. That was enough to ensure the Netherlands saw off the side they beat in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 final.
Belgium v Switzerland
First leg: Belgium 2-2 Switzerland (Leuven)
Second leg: Switzerland 1-1 Belgium (Biel/Bienne)
Aggregate 3-3, Switzerland win on away goals
- Janice Cayman gave Belgium an early lead in the first leg. Substitute Alisha Lehmann equalised in the 55th minute, the 19-year-old’s first senior international goal, but Laura Deneve made it 2-1 on the hour. However, with three minutes left, West Ham United’s Lehmann struck again.
- Géraldine Reuteler, who played with Lehmann at July’s Women’s U19 EURO in Switzerland, scored 23 minutes into the second leg for what proved an invaluable goal. Tine De Caigny levelled on the night with 13 minutes left but Belgium’s hopes of a first World Cup appearance are over.
Already qualified from UEFA: France (hosts), England, Germany, Norway, Italy, Scotland, Spain, Sweden
Other qualifiers: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Jamaica, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, United States (holders)
Places to be filled:
3 from Africa
1 from Europe
1 from Oceania
1 from play-off between Argentina and Panama
Finals draw: 18:00CET, 8 December, La Seine Musicale, Paris
Finals: 7 June–7 July, France
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