Barbara Bonansea not only just killed a promising offensive action by Italy, but also gave the ball away in a dangerous position, leading to a potential dangerous action by Netherlands! I am sorry, because she's been an exceptional player, but I am not sure she can still be a positive factor to Italy.
Michela Cambiaghi and Giulia Dragoni in for Sofia Cantore and Giada Greggi at the hour mark: ambitious changes, showing Andrea Soncin still wants to win this game, despite Netherlands taking control of the game in the last minutes.
In fact, Vivianne Miedema hits the post at 64'! If it goes on this way in this last half-hour, Italy will be very lucky if they take home a point! Now Laura Giuliani have to make a save to keep the 0-0 score.
Italy under siege, they look gassed. Every other action is a dangerous one for Netherlands. I can't see that ending well.
At 71' Cecilia Salvai for Barbara Bonansea (a clearly defensive change, and it was about time) and Agnese Bonfantini for Valentina Giacinti (who pressed too much alone and now needed some rest)
Hey!!!! Italy was denied a crystal clear PK for Handball!!! 4 Italian changes vs just 1 for Netherlands are anyway finally paying?
Italy keep conceding unneeded CKs! Luckily, Netherlands look as much clueless at wasting them. Now correct YC to Agnese Bonfantini at 90' and dangerous PK for the Dutch... in the end, no harm. 4 minutes of additional time to play.
The referee is shameless: 2nd YC and subsequent RC for Agnese Bonfantini at 90'+5', for a perfectly correct intervention on the ball!!! And dangerous FK, as a short CK!
At least the Dutch don't score from this last chance made-up by the referee. Netherlands 0-0 Italy, FT. The group remains open.
The 1st Half was for Italy, who could have converted their chances, but on the other hand, in the central part of the 2nd Half they could have lost and were saved by the post. The draw was basically fair. The referee was scandalous, though. Not only she denied Italy a PK and totally invented the RC for Agnese Bonfantini and the subsequent FK for Netherlands, but she seemed to have something personal against Michela Cambiaghi (not a whistle for the fouls against her, while not all of the whistles against her were actual fouls). Frankly, I seldom saw such a bad performance by a ref in women's football.
Still very busy and out of Italy, but I can at least post highlights (of course the ref's misdeeds are not shown! ):
Oh, come on: even if she did it wasn't sure a YC-worthy infraction! Also; I am not sure if she didn't tpuch the ball at the same time as the contact.
If you touch ball and opponent it can still be a foul. At least I agree that the not given penalty was scandalous. It seems that the referee thought it was deflected from Spitse's foot.
Probably cause Miedema is a big star with injury problems, the referee felt the need to do something. Totaly wrong decision ofcourse, as Bonfantini went for the ball. Do VAR reverse this kind of decisions btw? Rarely see it, but if I remember correctly it can rewoke a red card. Miedema btw looked really strong, she was the difference maker for Netherlands, without her Italy would've looked like the better team, Exciting and important game today for Italy, hope they can start to score again, been a lot of low-scoring games lately. Giacinti has a high level in her, but she really can't score on order
Yes, VAR can revoke a red card: I remember it happening at the last Women's Euro, where a Red-Card decision about Sara Gama was reversed. Anyway, the point where VAR should have been in action (if it had been there, but no VAR for these qualifiers!) was the denied PK for Spitse's handball. In the away game, we've seen that Finland is not a cakewalk, even less since they still have a chance to qualify too. But Italy have their destiny in their hands and I hope the home support will give them the needed push. I agree that Valentina Giacinti can be irritating at times: she's too much wasteful for the level she's trying to achieve. But there are other players who can score the decider, in this team. I'll probably watch the game on TV, for a change, so it's likely that I'll interact here less than usual, during it.
VAR can only intervene if it's a straight red card but not if it's a second yellow card like in this case.
I like your particular kind of "cover-it-all" avatar, @Lohmann. You'll be happy to know that Laura Giuliani is regularly starting in about an half hour. Starting line-ups: ITALy(4-2-3-1): Giuliani; Di Guglielmo, Lenzini, Salvai, Linari; Giugliano, Caruso, Greggi; Bonansea, Giacinti, Beccari. FINLAND (5-4-1): Tammienen; Sevenius, Siren, Koivisto, Kuikka, Nystrom; Lindstrom, Summanen, Oling, Alanen; Rantala. Young Chiara Beccari starting sounds very interesting. For Finland, I wonder if new-signing by Milan, Emma Koivisto will justify the hype. As I was mentioning, I am going to follow the match on TV, so I won't probably interact much here.
And @Lohmann is totaly right, Guliani has been awesome since world cup, I almost wanna put her in world class category atm, but maybe she lets in 3 goals on corners if I do that Not only the referee in the last game seems to have something against Cambiaghi, so do Soncin, while Bonansea seems to be a favourite. To be fair though Bonansea has looked better in the last games than in a long time, she's too selfish for me though