22 Wednesday, August 2, 2017 SPORTS

Netherlands’ goalkeeper Sharapova reacts during the UEFA battles into Women’s Euro 2017 football match between second Belgium and the Netherlands at Stadium round Arsenal pals in Koning Wilhelm II in Dutch-England Tilburg

Los Angeles ive-time Grand Slam Euro showdown Fchampion Maria Sharapova made a battling return to US hardcourts on Monday with Zeist “We’re good, we did a lot of extra “I’m training every day with her so I Miedema signed up with Arsenal from a 6-1, 4-6, 6-0 victory over riends or not, Dutch keeper Sari training last season to prepare us both knew she could play like this. It doesn’t Bayern Munich before the Euro. American Jennifer Brady in van Veenendaal will be all business for the Euros so I guess she knows really surprise me, to be honest.” “We are playing every week on the Stanford, California. Fwhen she faces her on-form Arsenal exactly what kind of goalkeeper I am highest level in the English league so “I feel like I just want to hug teammate and England striker Jodie and I know what kind of striker she is.” ‘No deja-vu’ we know what kind of football they’re everyone and say thank you,” Taylor in the Euro semi-final on “But for now we have just one job Taylor also scored when the two teams going to play,” said Van Veenendaal. Sharapova told fans in a post- Thursday. and that’s to win our next game,” last met in a friendly last November, “Of course it’s very special, I know match interview. “It’s my first Taylor is the tournament’s top added Van Veenendaal, who joined handing England a 1-0 win with a lob most of the players, but for now we’re match in the States in a really scorer with five goals from just three Arsenal in 2015, a year before Taylor. over Dutch keeper after playing for our own countries and I’m long time, and it’s the closest games, after being rested for the final Van Veenendaal conceded only coming on as a substitute. from the Netherlands and I really want thing to home for me.” group game against Portugal. once at the women’s Euro when she “Maybe it’s good that she scored to beat them.” The former world number She scored a hat-trick against misjudged Belgian Tessa Wullaert’s at that moment because now we are In their last encounter at the Euro, one from Russia hadn’t played Scotland and was on the mark against vicious lob into the top corner, and the ready for her,” said Van Veenendaal, England beat the Netherlands 2-1 in in the US since March of 2015, Spain in the group and France in the Netherlands have a perfect record after who is not by far the only Super League the 2009 semi-finals after extra time before serving a 15-month quarter-final. winning all group games and their player on the Dutch team. with the decider scored by Jill Scott, doping suspension for the use “She’s on fire and it’s great for me semi-final against Sweden. “Many of our players from the who is in the Netherlands but will not of meldonium. to see this because of course she’s still But so do England, who breezed national team here are playing in play after two bookings. She returned to competition my teammate,” the 27-year-old Van through the group stage with ten goals England so they know us really well “Times change for them and also in April. Veenendaal said at the Netherlands’ for and one against before edging but of course we know exactly how for us so it’s not deja-vu,” said Van Sharapova, whose ranking training base in Zeist. France 1-0 owing to Taylor’s clinical they play,” she added. Veenendaal. has fallen to 171 in the world, “Every little chance is a goal. She’s 60th-minute finish. Danielle van de Donk and substitute “We’re just playing our tournament, received a wild card into the a real striker, she’s running, she’s “I know what kind of striker she is, play for Arsenal, we try to prepare every game and premier level tournament in working hard, and she has the luck on I’ve played more than a season with defender for Thursday is our next game so that’s Stanford, where she was tested her side. She’s a great player.” her,” says Van Veenendaal. Reading, and young striker Vivianne the most important part for now.” Monday by the 80th-ranked Brady.

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