With her hundredth goal, Vivianne Miedema gives wings to the Dutch team at this European Championship

Forty-five minutes of patience, one whim with two subtle chops and a tight shot into the far corner. On the stroke of half-time, Vivianne Miedema threw the opening match of the European Championship against Wales out of the woods with a magnificent goal. A liberating goal that inspired the Orange women for a much more accurate second half.

And also: a memorable moment for the 28-year-old striker herself. In her 126th international match, the 28-year-old Miedema scored her hundredth goal. A confirmation of her world class and of definitive recovery of form after a difficult season at her club Manchester City and with Oranje. She was often injured for a long time.

Miedema's opening score in extra time came at the right time: after a first half in which the Netherlands played good football and dominated decisively but were rarely really threatening. In a nearly sold-out Allmend Stadium in Lucerne (over 14,000 spectators), Wales managed to hold out for a long time, supported by a large group of loudly singing travelling supporters.

More chances in the second half

At the start of the second half, Oranje was considerably more effective. Miedema had given the team wings. Within fifteen minutes, it was already 3-0 – goals from right winger Victoria Pelova and the emerging left back Esmee Brugts. Many more big chances followed, shots on the crossbar, a disallowed goal – it remained 3-0.

A great victory that also gave national coach Andries Jonker liberation – and relief. In the run-up to the tournament in Switzerland, the Amsterdammer put a lot of pressure on his team. When he was told by the KNVB board in January that his contract would not be extended after the European Championship against his wishes, he raised his ambition. "We are going for the title."

To achieve this, the opening match had to be won. In group D, Wales is on paper the weakest opponent; the following matches will be considerably more difficult. On Wednesday, title holder England will follow in Zurich, next Sunday France in Basel.

In a reasoning that is difficult to follow, Jonker caused a lot of confusion on the eve of the opening match. Where he had wanted to let the issue of his involuntary departure rest for months, he said in a long interview with the NOS on Friday that he had considered resigning before the European Championship due to that lack of confidence. Even recently, when the Dutch team had played two mediocre matches in the Nations League at the end of May and the beginning of June (4-0 loss against Germany, 1-1 against Scotland).

It raised eyebrows among the followers of Oranje, and probably also among the selection. Why did he bring up the issue again, while the tournament has already started? At a press conference on Friday, Jonker said that he did so very deliberately, to sharpen the players and "motivate them to the bone" for the match against Wales. "It is one of the things I have come up with to make the team willing to go through the wall for each other and with each other during this tournament."

Raising your voice like Van Gaal

Jonker responded to questions about his statements with irritation. He looked less relaxed than usual and appeared overly sensitive to criticism. To a journalist who accused him of putting on a "puppet show", he personally and in a raised voice attacked his old mentor Louis van Gaal.

The fact that his players showed what he asked of them a day later – to book a resounding victory with attractive football – will have strengthened Jonker in his belief that he did not create noise within the team, but rather unity. He is still convinced that the Netherlands also has the qualities for it – if everyone is fit.

Jonker can also draw hope from the first match on that point. The fact that match winner Miedema lasted longer than an hour – she was substituted in the 70th minute – was encouraging. She had not played longer than an hour since her injury. After the match, the top scorer of the Dutch team said emotionally that she had been afraid of having to miss another major tournament. Two years ago, she had withdrawn from the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand due to a cruciate ligament injury. This year it had been “very exciting” again, she said, whether she would be fit enough in time to go to Switzerland. To speed up her recovery, she had even taken a physiotherapist with her to her holiday destination last month.

Medically, participation in the European Championship was even more exciting for her replacement on the field. Lineth Beerensteyn played for the first time since the end of April. The striker of Vfl Wolfsburg had not been in action since she sustained an injury. She had trained with the group in recent days, but had apparently not fully recovered to start in the first team, let alone play an entire match. Beerensteyn was immediately dangerous in the point of attack. She hit the side netting once and also scored once – but was then offside.

National coach Jonker said afterwards that he was “very pleased” with the first victory of the Dutch team. Although he would have liked to see a few more goals – “but the crossbar and the post were not on our side” – he said that his team did exactly what he had agreed with them. “What they showed today is what we want to show.”