THE HAGUE, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Netherlands came back from a halftime deficit to defeat China 4-1 in a women's football friendly in Rotterdam on Friday.

The match between the 11th-ranked Netherlands and 18th-ranked China was played in the stadium of Sparta Rotterdam in front of around 10,000 spectators.

The home team created the first chance when Lotte Keukelaar's header on a Chimera Ripa cross was saved by China's goalkeeper Xu Huan.

The Netherlands kept the initiative in the first half, but it was the visitor who opened the scoring. After a pass by Dutch goalkeeper Lize Kop was intercepted, midfielder Jin Kun beat Ilse van der Zanden in a one-on-one to put China in front in the 34th minute.

The host managed to bounce back in the second half. Ripa assisted on the equalizer of 19-year-old Chelsea midfielder Wieke Kaptein, who scored her first goal for her country in the 66th minute.

Substitute Jill Roord helped the Netherlands turn the game around with a low shot from within the penalty area in the 72nd minute. Two other substitutes, Esmee Brugts and Lineth Beerensteyn, extended the lead in the closing stages of the match.

The Netherlands hosts the United States, four-time world champions, in another friendly in The Hague next Tuesday. It is the last friendly of the Dutch team in 2024, with the UEFA Women's Nations League starting in February 2025 and the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 scheduled from July 2 to 27 in Switzerland. Enditem

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