In their opening match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup on Sunday, the Netherlands defeated tournament debutants Portugal 1-0 thanks to a goal from defender Stefanie van der Gragt.

Van der Gragt’s early header was allowed after a VAR review after initially being ruled to be offside, and the Dutch prevailed in a Group E match played in Dunedin beneath a covered dome.

The victory positions the Netherlands well for a tantalising matchup against the defending champions, the United States, who defeated them 2-0 in the final in France four years ago.

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Due to the departure of key coach Sarina Wiegman to take the England post and the absence of prolific scorer Vivianne Miedema from the World Cup due to a knee injury, the Dutch team no longer seems to be the powerhouse it once was.

Seven players that began the 2019 final were included in the starting lineup under new Manchester City signing Jill Roord, who also came off the bench in that game.

And in front of a crowd of roughly 12,000, one of their most seasoned players scored the lone goal in the 13th minute.

Over 100-cap center-back Van der Gragt rose to forcefully head a Sherida Spitse corner past Portugal goalkeeper Ines Pereira.

In the meantime, Portugal will be hoping to win their first World Cup game when they take on Vietnam, who were defeated 3-0 by the Americans on Saturday.