WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2017 SPORTS Austria brace for historic game WAGENINGEN: Women’s Euro newcomers “But Denmark sounds a little better than Austria are bracing for their semi-final Germany.” Aschauer added she had no against Denmark fully aware that tomor- doubt Austria-which enjoys massive fan row’s encounter will be a world apart from support at home-was ready for the chal- last month’s 4-2 win in a friendly. lenge. “Our team is something very special “It’s going to be a completely different in every sense of the word,” she added. game, the friendly was weeks ago,” right full “Of course team spirit is the most impor- back Katharina Schiechtl told AFP at tant thing, the key factor, but we are also Austria’s training ground in Wageningen. very good individually. “What makes us “Denmark have presented themselves very special is that we stick together no matter well so far at the Euros, they’ve played what, and we always believe until the final stronger and stronger every game.” whistle that we can make it.” “Besides, they have high-class individual “That’s what we proved for example in players like Pernille Harder,” added the game with Spain, but also in the other Schiechtl. She was on the pitch on July 6 games.” Austria surprisingly won their when Austria beat the Danes owing to group after beating Switzerland and braces from Nicole Billa and Sarah Zadrazil. Iceland and a 1-1 draw with France. So was left full back Verena Aschauer, who Aschauer and the lanky Schiechtl, who is said Denmark were a little more acceptable 24 and plays for Werder Bremen in the opponent than Germany, the eight-time Bundesliga, agreed the quarter-final win champion eliminated by Denmark in the against Spain on penalties after a goalless quarter-finals. draw was the biggest of their careers so far. “I wouldn’t prefer Germany, but in the “Incredible, amazing,” said Schiechtl. “It’s semi-final it doesn’t matter who you play a dream come true at the moment, and against, everything is possible in one speaking of the semifinal we’re going to game,” said the 23-year-old, who plays for put in everything we have left in us.” “But Freiburg in the Bundesliga. Denmark is going to be a hard task.” — AFP Real expected to give BAVEL: Denmark’s forward Pernille Harder (C) attends a training session of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 football tournament in Bavel, southern MLS stars intense match Netherlands yesterday.—AFP SOCCER CHICAGO: Veteran goalkeeper Tim against the MLS All-Stars when he Howard says top North American club returned with English Premiership side players should expect “cut-throat” com- Everton in 2009 in the current format Arsenal friends ready in petition from Spanish giants Real Madrid that pits the All-Stars against top-flight in today’s Major League Soccer All-Star European competition. Game. The All-Star match at Soldier “I’m not sure which one’s better,” he Dutch-England Euro showdown Field, home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears, said of the various permutations of the marks the end of a four-match, 11-day All-Star Game he has experienced. “But it ZEIST: Friends or not, Dutch keeper Sari van women’s Euro when she misjudged Belgian here are playing in England so they know us pre-season US tour for Real Madrid that will be certainly exciting to play Real Veenendaal will be all business when she faces Tessa Wullaert’s vicious lob into the top corner, really well but of course we know exactly how included a 3-2 loss to rival Barcelona in a Madrid-there’s no question about that.” her on-form Arsenal teammate and England and the Netherlands have a perfect record after they play,” she added. Clasico matchup at Miami. But Howard The All-Stars feature plenty of heavy- striker Jodie Taylor in the Euro semi-final tomor- winning all group games and their semi-final Danielle van de Donk and substitute expects Real Madrid to bring their best weights with marquee match experi- row. Taylor is the tournament’s top scorer with against Sweden. Dominique Janssen play for Arsenal, defender as they prepare for the upcoming La Liga ence, including World Cup winners five goals from just three games, after being But so do England, who breezed through the Mandy van den Berg for Reading, and young campaign. Bastian Schweinsteiger, David Villa and rested for the final group game against Portugal. group stage with ten goals for and one against striker Vivianne Miedema signed up with Arsenal “When you get to play for a team like Kaka. “It’s an honor to play for the MLS She scored a hat-trick against Scotland and was before edging France 1-0 owing to Taylor’s clini- from Bayern Munich before the Euro. “We are Real Madrid, there’s no days off,” Howard All-Star team, especially here in Chicago,” on the mark against Spain in the group and cal 60th-minute finish. playing every week on the highest level in the said. “There are no easy games. They said the Fire’s German import France in the quarter-final. “I know what kind of striker she is, I’ve played English league so we know what kind of football have a world-class coach that they are Schweinsteiger, who launched his MLS “She’s on fire and it’s great for me to see this more than a season with her,” says Van they’re going to play,” said Van Veenendaal. “Of trying to impress. “They have got to play career this season and will captain the because of course she’s still my teammate,” the Veenendaal. “I’m training every day with her so I course it’s very special, I know most of the play- well to earn a spot coming up for the La All-Stars by popular vote. “We will look 27-year-old Van Veenendaal told AFP at the knew she could play like this. It doesn’t really ers, but for now we’re playing for our own coun- Liga season. World football is intense to have a good game, to be competitive Netherlands’ training base in Zeist. surprise me, to be honest.” tries and I’m from the Netherlands and I really and it’s cut-throat. There aren’t any days against Real Madrid and if we can win, “Every little chance is a goal. She’s a real strik- want to beat them.” when guys just take it easy. When you we will go for the match,” Schweinsteiger er, she’s running, she’s working hard, and she has ‘NO DEJA-VU’ In their last encounter at the Euro, England put your jersey on and cross the line- told the Chicago Tribune. the luck on her side. She’s a great player.” “We’re Taylor also scored when the two teams last beat the Netherlands 2-1 in the 2009 semi-finals whether it’s a tournament, a regular-sea- “We know that it is a very strong team good, we did a lot of extra training last season to met in a friendly last November, handing after extra time with the decider scored by Jill son game, a pre-season game, an All- and that we are playing together for the prepare us both for the Euros so I guess she England a 1-0 win with a lob over Dutch keeper Scott, who is in the Netherlands but will not play Star Game-these guys are going to be first time. It is not going to be easy at all, knows exactly what kind of goalkeeper I am and Loes Geurts after coming on as a substitute. after two bookings. “Times change for them and up for it.” Colorado Rapids goalkeeper but we will try and have a good game I know what kind of striker she is.” “Maybe it’s good that she scored at that also for us so it’s not deja-vu,” said Van “But for now we have just one job and that’s moment because now we are ready for her,” said Veenendaal. “We’re just playing our tournament, Howard will start in goal for Chicago Fire and enjoy it a little.” Orlando City’s to win our next game,” added Van Veenendaal, Van Veenendaal, who is not by far the only Super we try to prepare every game and Thursday is coach Veljiko Paunovic in the mid-sea- Brazilian star Kaka, who helped Real who joined Arsenal in 2015, a year before Taylor. League player on the Dutch team. our next game so that’s the most important part son exhibition. Madrid to the 2011-12 La Liga title, said Van Veenendaal conceded only once at the “Many of our players from the national team for now.” — AFP In 2001, Howard represented the East facing his former team will be “a very in a conference versus conference All- emotional experience.” “I do not know Star Game and in the following year he how the game will go, but we have a was part of an MLS All-Star squad that great team to play a very even game News took on US national team. He played with Real Madrid,” he said. —AFP In brief Cristiano Ronaldo says his ‘brilliance’ annoys people LISBON: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo said yes- terday his “brilliance” annoys people, a day after he was quizzed by a Spanish judge investigating whether he evad- ed paying millions of euros in taxes.