Women's Euro 2022: France finally breach Dutch defense to end quarterfinal curse

By Jack Bantock, CNN

Updated 1108 GMT (1908 HKT) July 24, 2022

France players celebrate victory after defeating the Netherlands 1-0 in the Women's Euro 2022 quarterfinals.

(CNN)France reached their first ever Women's Euro semifinal after a 1-0 extra time win over the reigning championsthe Netherlands in Rotherham, England on Saturday.

Eve Perisset's penalty in the 102nd minute was enough to finally breach Dutch goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar and end a run of three straight Euro quarterfinal exits.Van Domselaar spearheaded a stubborn display from the Dutch who, defending the title they won on home soil five years ago, were outshot 33 to nine by a dominant French side.Having only received her second international cap in the opening match of the tournament when starting goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal was injured just 30 minutes in, the 22-year-old made ten saves in a virtuoso performance between the sticks.Hailing the performance as «world class,» Dutch coach Mark Parsons believed it was the best goalkeeping performance he had seen since Germany's Nadine Angerer saved two penalties to help her team to victory in the 2013 final. Read More«Goalkeeper of the tournament, there's no one even close to her,» Parsons told reporters.Van Domselaar makes yet another save to frustrate the French.'We are here to build history'And on the rare occasion Van Domselaar was beaten, Dutch defenders threw their bodies on the line. Stefanie van der Gragt provided the pick of the blocks, turning away Melvine Malard's close-range strike with her knees mere inches from goal.Yet the resistance was finally broken in the first half of extra time when Kadidiatou Diani felled Dominique Janssen in the box. Play was initially waved on by referee Ivana