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| December 3, 2002 | Tuesday | Ramazan 27,1423 |
Last-gasp strike earns Spain draw
PERTH, Dec 2: Spain scored from a penalty corner in overtime to draw 1-1 with Netherlands in the third Pool B match of the women’s World Cup here Monday.
In the scoreless first half, Spain looked sharper and attacked with more purpose while the Dutch sat back and waited to score from penalty corners, but had only one in the half, which was not stopped.
Deep defender Maartje Scheepstra forced a penalty stroke for Netherlands, eleven minutes into the second half, pushing forward with possession from Netherlands midfield to make a diving shot on goal.
Scheepstra occasionally doubles as a centre forward for Netherlands. Minke Smabers took the penalty stroke, saved by Maria-Jesus Rosa high, next to the right post.
Netherlands’ goal came sixteen minutes from time when Janneke Schopman converted Netherlands’ fourth penalty corner, hitting from the far left of the top of the circle on the variation from the battery past Rosa’s right foot.
Spain came under intense pressure as Ana Perez then Carmen Martin were successively yellow-carded to be a player short for the last 14 minutes of the match.
Spain survived the pressure and forced a penalty corner in the second last minute of play. Netherlands’ defence delayed, broke, argued with the umpire until after the final hooter sounded.
As Spain prepared to mount the corner, Netherlands’ six attackers streamed down the pitch from the half line before the push-out by Spain from the backline but Nuria Camon made the flick into goal off Clarinde Sinnige for the equaliser.
Japan squeezed into fourth place in Pool B with 9 points ahead of England after Japan beat Ireland 1-0 in the second Pool B match here Monday.
Reuslts:
United States 0 England 1
Japan 1 Ireland 0
Spain 1 Netherlands 1.
—AFP
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