England Ladies 4 Holland 0 - Soccer Match Report

England: R.Brown, A.Scott, R.Unitt, K.Chapman, A.Asante, M.Phillip, K.Carney, F.Williams, E.Aluko (J.Handley 84), K.Smith (J.Scott 81), R.Yankey (S.Smith 74).

Match Report: With a draw being more or less as good to England as a win in this fixture there might have been some debate as to how the team would approach the game. Any doubts were answered immediately.

England were out of the traps quickly, biting into challenges and first to the ball all over the pitch. Their passing was also crisp and adventurous while the movement off the ball was instantly impressive.

Holland were under pressure from the word go and looked anything but secure as England attacked in at pace and in numbers.

Karen Carney sent in a centre which Kelly Smith anticipated but having got ahead of her marker she could only glance her effort wide. It was an encouraging move, however.

Rachel Unitt set a lovely attack in progress which quickly moved through Yankey and Aluko back to the marauding full back. Unitt then fed Yankey out wide but her centre was weak and easily cut out at the near post.

This was another excellent move though and illustrated England's willingness to throw bodies forward.

I have often complained about Unitt's reluctance to venture forward in open play but this was just a taster for an outstandingly adventurous performance.

Holland hinted at danger when a weak headed clearance by Mary Phillip bounced favourably for Melis but Anita Asante timed her tackle perfectly to remove the danger.

Typical of England they swiftly surged forward to take the lead with a wonderful goal.

Mary Phillip came striding out of defence and continued her run as the ball was ferried out to Yankey. She seemed to be trying to find her wing partner Carney who was breaking into the box but hit the ball straight at Phillip. The defender reacted superbly to control, turn and clip a fine ball beyond the left back for Kelly Smith lurking at the far side of the box.

Smith used all her craft to turn back inside onto her left foot, fooling two defenders in the process before burying an unstoppable shot just inside the near post.

It was a magnificent goal and totally in keeping with England's exhilirating start.

There was never a hint of England sitting back on this advantage. Even more confidence began flooding through the team and players were flooding forward from all angles and positions. The movement and interchanging of positions was breathless and the standard of passing remarkably good.

England were getting the ball forward with incredible speed and frequency but were going through feet and building through the midfield at all times. Total football in fact.

At the heart of virtually everything, however, were either Kelly Smith or Karen Carney, and often both.

Smith fed a lovely ball into Aluko and she wriggled into enough space to send in a decent centre but Carney found herself crowded out in the middle. Then a quick throw in released Katie Chapman near the byeline and Yankey darted in to try and convert her centre. The bounce was awkward, however, and she could only prod wide at the near post.

Once again it was encouraging to see a player prepared to vacate their normal position to go in where the bullets are fired.

On the quarter hour a dreadful ball out of defence by Asante presented the Dutch with a wonderful attacking position but Demarteau wasted the opportunity with a woeful shot from 25 yards.

It was a rare moment of hope for Holland, however, as England continued to swarm forward.

Fara Williams sent a raking pass to the byeline where Unitt was bombing forward again but she could not get enough on her centre to cause trouble in the middle.

Play was immediately switched to the other flank and Carney showed great skill to completely trick her defender on the angle of the penalty area. England's sprite was blatantly taken out but no decision was forthcoming from the Rumanian referee.

Mary Phillip came forward again to good effect and created real danger after riding a flailing challenge from behind. Phillip sent a good ball into Williams who instantly flicked the ball out to Yankey and her centre to the near post was met by Carney with another impudent flick. Unfortunately the ball was close enough for Wissink to make a routine stop.

Next it was Kelly Smith shrugging off a desperate bit of shirt tugging in midfield to embark on a driving run to the edge of the box. When she squared the ball Chapman let it run under her feet but the Dutch defence then botched two attempted clearances allowing Aluko a drive from the edge of the area that flew high and wide.

Asante then made another ill judged pass across field which could have spelled danger but for Phillip's alertness but it was becoming increasingly difficult for Holland to get outside their own half as England's continual hounding of the ball carried them further and further up the pitch.

Wissink should have come and claimed a long ball forward from Phillip but when she stayed at home Chapman was able to rob a petrified defender and although she then stumbled the Dutch were again unable to clear properly.

Carney quickly whipped the ball deep to the far post where Unitt arrived to test Wissink low down by the foot of her post.

England had already been denied a good penalty claim for handball when they got a stonewall decision in the 24th minute.

Alex Scott lobbed a throw into Smith tight to the byeline and her strength again proved too much for the Dutch defence. Spitse had a good pull at Smith's shoulders before having to let her turn and then Migchelsen launched a ludicrous high, dangerous challenge which did not make proper contact but was enough to fell the England forward.

Smith picked herself up to stroke the penalty home low to the keepers left. It was a bit of a surprise not to see Fara Williams stepping up but Smith would seem the obvious choice for spot kick duties.

Alex Scott was lucky to escape a yellow card that would have ruled her out of the France game with a late challenge in midfield and then Bito, the Dutch right back and best player, made a forceful run and shot which was charged down by the England defence before it could interest Rachel Brown.

Superb passing between Unitt, Chapman and Carney released Yankey whose centre was blocked at the expense of a corner and the wingers' resulting centre was headed over by Chapman.

Eni Aluko, still having a tough job in this formation but full of selfless running, made an electric break down the right flank and from her low centre De Boer sent in an ugly slice towards her own goal that Wissink needed to be alert to keep out.

The next flowing move involved Phillip, Smith and Yankey and ended with Williams driving well wide from 25 yards.

A neat turn by Rachel Unitt won England their next corner and when this came across Migchelsen sent in a bizarre header towards her own goal from 10 yards.

Wissink was quick and brave to keep this one out, taking a boot in the face from Yankey for her troubles.

Unitt then found Williams bursting into the box with an astute long throw and from her excellent cut back Carney produced a cushioned lay off for Aluko to drive at goal. Wissink plunged to her left to parry away.

Within seconds England had a throw in on the other flank and Kelly Smith was again able to show her strength before back heeling for Aluko to centre low but Bito was just ahead of Unitt at the far post.

There was no let up in England's tempo as they hunted in packs deep in the Holland half, either winning back possession or forcing the opposition into wayward passes into touch.

Another quick throw in found Smith who hit the bouncing ball fiercely on the half turn to bring another sharp save out of Wissink and then a cute little ball inside by Carney gave Alex Scott a shooting chance but her effort was deflected wide.

The first half ended with England camped in the final third of the pitch laying siege to the Dutch goal.

Somehow no further goals arrived but this was still an absolutely magnificent first half display. Not only had the work rate and the tempo been spot on but the passing and movement had been of the top order.

This is how football is meant to be played. I hope the players got an extra segment of orange for their efforts.

England were evidently keen that the second half wouldn't be an anti-climax and were immediately onto the attack winning corners down either side of the pitch in quick succession.

From the second of these, taken short, Yankey drilled in a great ball which caused pandemonium under the Dutch crossbar before being scrambled clear.

Kelly Smith made herself an opening with great feet outside the box but it is debatable where her effort would have ended up had it not looped off the ducking Karen Carney's back and lobbed over Wissink into the net.

Smith raced away to claim her hat trick but I would have thought it was Carney's goal really.

Within seconds slack passing out of defence by the Dutch allowed Aluko a shooting chance but her effort fizzed wide of the near post.

Aluko sent in a weak effort at the keeper shortly afterwards but had been given offside, incorrectly, in any case.

The 16 year old Spitse, given the arduous task of patrolling Kelly Smith, was then mercifully withdrawn and her replacement Hoogendijk quickly showed that she would not be shy in putting her foot in to keep the main England danger quiet.

As the hour mark approached there was at last a lull in England's performance though at 3-0 up and the game surely won this could be forgiven.

Scott and Yankey saw likely looking efforts charged down but there was now less eagerness to burst forward in the England ranks. Their play remained excellent, however.

Mary Phillip was keen to keep the side moving forward and made another fine break out of defence. Her through ball was ahead of the England forwards but once again there was hesitation in the Dutch defence and Kelly Smith nipped in to take possession down the side of the box. Smith was then unceremoniously dumped on her backside.

Rachel Yankey went over to send in a fierce inswinger which sailed over Wissink's head and into the far corner. The keeper was obviously disappointed with herself in conceding the goal.

Sloppy defending from a huge punt forward by Wissink saw Asante knock her back pass away from the advancing Brown but the England keeper was able to recover ahead of Melis at the expense of a corner.

Brown then made a confident take from a low centre from the right before getting lucky with a complete miskick from a Unitt back pass, the ball rolling straight back to the full back and avoiding the onrushing forward.

On 80 minutes Brown made her first save of the night in fielding an ambitious 40 yard attempt but with a host of substitutions being made the game was beginning to limp towards its' conclusion.

Unitt sent a lovely ball into Williams but she could not control running at pace into the box.

Suddenly England produced another wonderful sweeping move. Jody Handley flicked on a Unitt throw in tight to the left touchline to set the side pouring forward.

Chapman flicked on for Sue Smith who in turn fed Carney moving over to the left. The winger checked inside and got her head up to pick out Jill Scott storming forward completely unmarked.

Scott took a touch, steadied herself and then dragged an ugly shot wide of the left hand post from 10 yards out.

The game ended with Rachel Brown making her one testing save from a Melis drive at the near post after a good move involving the substitute Delies.

Overall, however, this game had been all about England who turned in their best display of this World Cup campaign thus far.

Quick, strong, incisive and inventive. This was all you could ask for from any team and was a class or two above anything this team produced last season.

The acid test is still to come of course but there are so many positives to take from this performance everybody can look forward to the deciding game against the French with real confidence.

In what will probably be a pretty fierce atmosphere and against much stronger opposition, however, this final game will still be a massive test.

England: R.Brown 6, A.Scott 8, R.Unitt 9, K.Chapman 8, A.Asante 7, M.Phillip 9, K.Carney 10, F.Williams 9, E.Aluko 8, K.Smith 10 (J.Scott 5), R.Yankey 8 (S.Smith 6).

I predicted a big performance and a goal from La Smith and I was right.
This was a magnificent team performance but Smith gives an extra 10% to a team effort as outstanding as even this one.
Available all over the pitch, impossible to knock off the ball and a real goal threat she is England's definite jewel in the crown.
Her first goal was simply thrilling.