England beats the Netherlands: Entertainment for the royal family

The Prince had traveled to Zurich; nothing more needed to be said about the seriousness of the situation. In the lower tier of the Letzigrund Stadium, cell phones were already being pulled out before the match on Wednesday evening to get a photo of William in a joyful mood, just in case. How it would end was unknown at the time: A group stage exit at the European Championships would probably have darkened even the royal expression, but at kickoff, that was still a possibility. That alone was a bit of a sensation after the opening defeat to France, even in Group D of Death, where only Wales, a small football nation, is a more grateful opponent.

However, the theoretical possibility of England being eliminated only lasted for a few minutes. The only thing that was acutely threatened was the dignity of the football nation in orange on the other side of the field in the 4-0 defeat to the Netherlands.

It was the impotence of the Dutch women that dominated this match more than the brilliance of the English women. You could see that in the many small actions in midfield, in ball losses and misplaced passes. You could also prove it with many small numbers, such as the mere eight touches of the ball that striker Vivianne Miedema had over 66 minutes of play before she was substituted. Miedema, 28, was once one of the hopes of an entire country - now she, along with many other protagonists in orange, represents one of the low points in Dutch women's football . Coach Andries Jonker, who remained lethargic on the sidelines, will also have to answer for this. And so will the KNVB, which put the coach and team in a position to compete in a European Championship together in the first place, even though everyone involved has known since January that their paths would part after that.

The English simply had to fulfill their basic task. Unlike against France, their passing game was more precise, simpler, and more targeted this time, even if the big, open-play chances were initially lacking. However, England has enough individual quality in their starting eleven to achieve success through other means.

Lauren James is one of those players who creates special moments. What happens when you give the 23-year-old from Chelsea FC space to dribble and shoot was evident in the 22nd minute: With a long-range shot into the right corner, James gave England their first lead at this European Championship. This clearly served Sarina Wiegman's team well, as they subsequently gave the ball to the Dutch without it ever reaching the dangerous zone. Instead, Georgia Stanway made it 2-0, also scoring a powerful long-range goal just before halftime.

Even three Dutch substitutions made by Jonker at halftime could not alter the Dutch team's dominance. The presence of recently injured striker Lineth Beerensteyn had no effect, nor did the presence of experienced defender Sherida Spitse. The Dutch team remained puzzlingly lacking in energy, and in this form, they would have difficulty advancing, not just in Group D.

England took advantage of this to provide the visiting royal family with some excellent entertainment: Lauren James (60th minute) and Ella Toone (67th minute) increased the lead to 4-0 in the second half, this time from close range. Striker Alessia Russo was the only one without a goal, despite numerous great opportunities. She was nevertheless named Player of the Match. The English women's recovery was successful, and a win against Wales would likely secure their place in the quarterfinals, where Germany could be a potential opponent.

Only one person on the England bench in Zurich had to rack their brains thinking about the near and distant future: Arjan Veurink, the England women's assistant coach. He will take over as national coach of the Netherlands in August.