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Netherlands Blows Out Vietnam 7-0 to Win Group E at the Women’s World Cup  

Netherlands' Jill Roord scores the 7th goal for her team during the Women's World Cup Group E soccer match between Vietnam and the Netherlands in Dunedin, New Zealand, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. (AP) 
Netherlands' Jill Roord scores the 7th goal for her team during the Women's World Cup Group E soccer match between Vietnam and the Netherlands in Dunedin, New Zealand, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. (AP) 
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Netherlands Blows Out Vietnam 7-0 to Win Group E at the Women’s World Cup  

Netherlands' Jill Roord scores the 7th goal for her team during the Women's World Cup Group E soccer match between Vietnam and the Netherlands in Dunedin, New Zealand, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. (AP) 
Netherlands' Jill Roord scores the 7th goal for her team during the Women's World Cup Group E soccer match between Vietnam and the Netherlands in Dunedin, New Zealand, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. (AP) 

The Netherlands scored four times in a torrid 15-minute first-half stretch, overwhelming Vietnam 7-0 in the Women’s World Cup on Tuesday and sealing first place in Group E.

The Dutch went into the match in second place on goal differential behind the United States. But the blowout win combined with the Americans’ 0-0 draw with Portugal made the Netherlands the group winner. The US advanced in second place.

The Netherlands dominated almost from the start. Lieke Martens chipped a shot into the net in the eighth minute over 5-foot-4 Vietnam goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh to get the scoring started. Then the rout was on, as goals from three other Dutch players quickly followed.

Esmee Brugts scored one in the flurry on a curling ball from outside the penalty area in the 18th minute, then got another from nearly the same spot in the second half. Jill Roord also scored two.

Vietnam changed goalkeepers at halftime, substituting Khong Thi Hang in for Tran Thi Kim Thanh. It was too late.

Attendance for the match was 8,215, a big drop from the sold-out crowd of 25,947 at the previous match, when co-host New Zealand played Switzerland to a 0-0 draw and was eliminated from the tournament.

KEY MOMENTS

Martens and Katja Snoeijs scored within four minutes of each other, setting the tone for the match. Coming into the game in need of goals to catch the US on goal differential, the Dutch players wasted little time celebrating and put the ball right back into play.

WHY IT MATTERS

Netherlands will advance to the round of 16 for its third time in tournament history, which includes the 2019 final. It will leave the group stage ranked first in Group E, followed by the defending champion United States.

Tuesday’s match was Vietnam’s last in this year’s Women’s World Cup, its tournament debut. The Vietnamese finished 0-3 with no goals and 12 conceded.

WHAT’S NEXT

Netherlands' first opponent in the knockout round will be determined by the last games in Group G on Wednesday. Sweden currently leads that group, followed by second-place Italy. The Netherlands will face the second-place team.

Vietnam’s first Women’s World Cup run has come to an end. The Vietnamese are next scheduled to play on Oct. 26 against Uzbekistan in an Olympic qualifier.

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For Ukrainian Athletes, Joy Mixes with Sorrow at the Paris Olympics 

Ukrainian canoeist Anastasiia Rybachok attends a training session ahead of traveling to Paris 2024 Olympic Games, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at the Olympic training camp in Kyiv, Ukraine July 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Ukrainian canoeist Anastasiia Rybachok attends a training session ahead of traveling to Paris 2024 Olympic Games, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at the Olympic training camp in Kyiv, Ukraine July 24, 2024. (Reuters)
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For Ukrainian Athletes, Joy Mixes with Sorrow at the Paris Olympics 

Ukrainian canoeist Anastasiia Rybachok attends a training session ahead of traveling to Paris 2024 Olympic Games, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at the Olympic training camp in Kyiv, Ukraine July 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Ukrainian canoeist Anastasiia Rybachok attends a training session ahead of traveling to Paris 2024 Olympic Games, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at the Olympic training camp in Kyiv, Ukraine July 24, 2024. (Reuters)

For Ukrainian competitors in Paris for the Olympics, joy goes hand in hand with sorrow. Athletes are striving to enjoy the dream of competing at one of the world’s most prestigious sports events while carrying the burden of the war back home.

“When we read news, we feel very upset," said Polina Buhrova, a 20-year-old badminton player at her first Games. “But it’s also our power and our possibility to show how strong we are that we are here, that we are going to fight until the end.”

The living accommodations for athletes from around the world are adorned with flags and slogans at the Olympic village. The Ukrainian house features children's drawings with messages like: “The resilient do not give up and strive for victory” and “Glory to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.” These drawings, a tradition to support Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline, have extended to cheering for their athletes.

“It warms my heart,” said fencer Olga Kharlan, smiling at the drawings. She added, “We want to finish this season successfully because we are doing it for our country.”

Kharlan had a unique route to the Paris Games. She was drawn against Russian fencer Anna Smirnova at last year’s world championships. Smirnova protested after Kharlan refused to shake her hand, and the Ukrainian was disqualified. The International Olympic Committee awarded Kharlan a spot in Paris anyway.

The fencer said preparing for the Games this year was challenging — not just the grueling routine typical for an Olympic athlete but because she had to train abroad due to Russia's war and had not seen her family in a long time.

But she is determined, saying her showing goes far beyond any sports arena.

“We fight and perform for those who, unfortunately, cannot come here because they were killed by Russia,” she said. “This is dedicated to them and to all our defenders.”

This year, Ukraine will be represented by the smallest number of athletes in its history of participation in the Summer Games, with 140 competitors in 26 sports. The most are in athletics, at 25, while there's just the one — Buhrova — in badminton. The war deeply and negatively affected Ukraine’s sports industry.

The International Olympic Committee barred Russians and Belarusians from team sports in Paris, and those who pass a two-step vetting procedure can compete individually as neutrals. They must not have publicly supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine or be affiliated with military or state security agencies.

In Ukraine, Buhrova said that the war undermined the importance of sports and accessibility for many and that she knows many athletes who stopped practicing after Russia’s invasion.

“When you try to choose between life and the sport, you choose life first,” she said. “If government have the choice, it’s understandable they choose to save our lives first, and then support the sport.”

Buhrova, originally from the eastern city of Kharkiv that has been under heavy Russian bombardment for the third year, said she had to evacuate abroad to keep training. The trauma of the war still affects her deeply: She said that even after leaving Ukraine, loud noises often remind her of the bombings back home.

Despite these challenges, she is excited and determined.

“I’m really happy I have the opportunity to show my performance, my best,” she said. “I will try to make my country proud.”

Anastasiya Kozhenkova, a Ukrainian rower who won a gold medal with her team at the 2012 Summer Olympics, said it is a significant achievement for Ukraine to even be represented amid the war.

“In the winter, there were many explosions, and it was very frightening because despite the training, you didn’t know if you would make it to the Olympic Games or not,” she said.

Kozhenkova said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the team online Wednesday, wishing them success and noting that their participation would help the nation take a break from the harsh reality of the war.

She said she hopes for fewer power cuts and no major attacks so that Ukrainians back home can enjoy the competitions.

“This will be a small relief for our people,” she said. “Maybe if there is electricity and people can cheer, they will experience (positive) emotions.”