The Red Flames must/may try to qualify for the World Cup next summer via barrages. They are second in their qualifying group after a simple win against Armenia: 0-7. So many reasons to celebrate for the Flames, but also one to be disappointed. They are not among the best runners-up due to results from other groups and now need to win at least 2 play-off matches to grab a World Cup ticket.
Goals:
- 10′ Eurlings 0-1
- 24′ Van Kerkhoven 0-2
- 31′ Vanhaevermaet 0-3
- 41′ Wullaert 0-4
- 51′ Van Kerkhoven 0-5
- 54′ Van Kerkhoven 0-6
- 80′ Kees 0-7
Wullaert is one goal short of record
The last World Cup qualifier of the Red Flames was still important, but in practice it was a mandatory number. The pointless Armenia was a bite-sized chunk for the Belgian ladies who had enough of a point.
The Flames couldn’t repeat the 19-0 monster score from the first leg, but they never ran into trouble in Yerevan. After 10 minutes, Eurlings opened the score after good preparatory work by Dhont.
The Belgians dominated and looked for openings through the flanks. With Van Kerkhoven they therefore had a lot of physical presence in the rush hour to start something with the many crosses. The OHL striker headed the 0-2 against the ropes.
Vanhaevermaet and Wullaert also put themselves on the scoreboard before half time. For Wullaert, that was already her 16th goal in this qualifying campaign – one goal short of equaling the record set by Germany’s Celia Sasic.
Van Kerkhoven is congratulated on her first of three goals.
At least two jump-off matches
In the second half we got to see the same game image. While Evrard suffered cold in her unthreatened goal, Van Kerkhoven proved why she deserved her starting spot. An easy rebound and a good deviation on a cross completed her hat-trick.
The Belgian closing word was for Sari Kees. The young defender headed in her very first international goal at the far post. Van Kerkhoven was close to a fourth goal a few times, but had bad luck in the finish.
Thanks to this big win, the Belgians are assured of second place in the group and the corresponding jump-off ticket. Because Ireland competed with Slovakia in a different group, Belgium is not one of the best three runners-up.
As a result, they end up in the first round of jump-off and have to play at least two games to qualify for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
“Mission accomplished”
- Ives Serneels: “We scored some good goals. Sometimes it could be just a little faster to be even more dangerous, but this team was very defensive. We did our job and that was the most important thing. The draw? I’m not scared, I’m curious. “
- Ella Van Kerkhoven: “Mission accomplished. We had to win and we did it. You always have a monster score in mind, but this was a different field, a different atmosphere. Then you miss the fans. My hat trick? I still miss a bit of finesse.”
