Euro 2025: Netherlands sparked by Miedema's 100th goal beats Wales
Netherlands' Esmee Brugts, center, scores her side's third goal during the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between Wales and the Netherlands at Allmend Stadion Luzern in Lucerne, Switzerland, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Netherlands' Esmee Brugts, right, celebrates after scoring her side's third goal during the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between Wales and the Netherlands at Allmend Stadion Luzern in Lucerne, Switzerland, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Netherlands' Vivianne Miedema, center, celebrates with her teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between Wales and the Netherlands at Allmend Stadion Luzern in Lucerne, Switzerland, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Vivianne Miedema, from Netherlands scores the opening goal, her 100th for the Netherlands, during the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between Wales and the Netherlands in Lucerne, Switzerland, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone via AP)
Vivianne Miedema, from Netherlands scores the opening goal, her 100th for the Netherlands, during the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between Wales and the Netherlands in Lucerne, Switzerland, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone via AP)
Netherlands supporters head to the stadium for the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between Wales and the Netherlands at Allmend Stadion Luzern in Lucerne, Switzerland, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Netherlands' Esmee Brugts, center, scores her side's third goal during the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between Wales and the Netherlands at Allmend Stadion Luzern in Lucerne, Switzerland, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Netherlands' Esmee Brugts, right, celebrates after scoring her side's third goal during the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between Wales and the Netherlands at Allmend Stadion Luzern in Lucerne, Switzerland, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Netherlands' Vivianne Miedema, center, celebrates with her teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between Wales and the Netherlands at Allmend Stadion Luzern in Lucerne, Switzerland, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Vivianne Miedema, from Netherlands scores the opening goal, her 100th for the Netherlands, during the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between Wales and the Netherlands in Lucerne, Switzerland, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone via AP)
LUCERNE, Switzerland (AP) — Netherlands great Vivianne Miedema's 100th goal in international soccer was key to a 3-0 win over debut-making Wales at the Women's European Championship on Saturday.
After Miedema's injury-hit season, no one expected the all-time Dutch record goal-scorer to complete its opening game in the toughest of groups.
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Those 70 minutes of Miedema were more than enough in a dominant win that gave Wales a tough lesson in its entry to major women's tournament soccer.
The result and performance suggested the Euro 2017 champion — and 2019 World Cup finalist — was up to advancing from Group D. England, the defending champion, and France met later Saturday in Zurich.
Miedema made her historic mark scoring with a delightful curling shot in stoppage time at the end of the first half.
The skill she showed to create the chance, by twice deceiving a defender when faking to strike the ball, seemed unlikely to that point. Miedema's first touch had been heavy in the penalty area and she seemed to lack match fitness after so little game time at Manchester City because of knee and hamstring injuries.
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The Dutch were relentless in the second half, adding goals in the 48th by Victoria Pelova and the 57th by wing back Esmee Brugts.
It could have been more. The Wales crossbar was struck twice between the second and third goals by shots from Jill Roord and Jackie Groenen. Roord also struck a post with a first-half shot.
Miedema's exit let another recently injured star forward, Lineth Beerensteyn, return to action and the winger quickly looked dangerous.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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