The Under-17 Women’s National Team beat its Belgian counterpart 1-0 this Thursday, in the 2nd round of the 2024 UEFA European Women’s Championship, held in Malmö, Sweden.
A goal by Mélanie Florentino, scored in the final moments of the match, gave expression to the overwhelming dominance of the Portuguese team, which thus achieved its first victory in the European Championship and continues to dream of progressing to the next stage of the competition.
In the other Group B match, Spain beat Poland 1-0. Given this result, Equipa das Quinas needs a victory, this Sunday, against the Poles, to seal their ticket to the semi-finals.
As for the game, Portugal came in hungry to win, with the Portuguese team taking control of possession from the beginning of the match. The first great scoring opportunity came in the 12th minute, with Matilde Nave working well on the right, then leaving it to Iara Lobo, who set up Carolina Tritão for a shot, with her left foot, passing millimeters away from Aude Waldbillig’s left post. .
The national team continued to dominate the match, with Carlos Sacadura’s men creating several offensive actions. In the 26th minute, after Sofia Liu’s run, Francisca Castro made the Belgian left post shake. Almost reaching rest, in the 42nd minute, Tristão took the ball, in a quick transition from the Portuguese side, leaving Matilde Nave, from Leiria, who shot for a brilliant save from the Belgian goalkeeper.
When hostilities resumed, the Belgian team began to increase the speed of the match, creating more opportunities in the Portuguese area. A tough game until the end, with the Lusitanians never giving up until the end and fighting with all their strength to put the ball in the net, which ended up happening during the injury time, at 90’+3, in a play completed by Mélanie Florentino, after an exquisite assist from Matilde Vaz.
