Next after Germany, Spain will face hosts England in Norwich where right-back Batlle may well have to stop the marauding winger Lauren Hemp, someone she came face-to-face with last Sunday playing for her club in the Manchester derby. "They are really good, and they are a really aggressive team so I think it's going to be a really good test for us." For Spain's run of matches without conceding a goal to make it past 1500 minutes tomorrow, Batlle believes her team will need to be at their very best. Spain have never defeated Germany, the eight-time European champions and currently ranked third in the world, in five previous encounters. We just want to give our best performance." "We just want to play our way as we would against any team. Only two of the three can qualify so will the teams facing each other tomorrow hold something back in anticipation of their crucial duel during the summer? "Of course not", Batlle insists. Germany are also one of the teams Spain will face in the group stage of the European Championship, with both also drawn against 2017 finalists Denmark. We just have to keep working on that and have to do what we are doing." I think we are doing well but we just have to keep doing that because now it's a more important moment because now we are going forward towards the Euros. "I think in the games we are trying to do the right things and be more focused. Many are now expecting the women's team to embark on a similar period of domination.īatlle believes that sticking to the traditional Spanish style of short passing and possession-based soccer is the only way their team can succeed. It is a record reminiscent of the Spanish men's team up to 2008 before a breakthrough by a golden generation of players, many also at FC Barcelona, won an unprecedented three successive men's international tournaments in four years. Despite qualifying out of their first round group in each of the last four championship finals, they have been eliminated at the next stage each time and have never won a knockout match at any major tournament. “We’re working hard to renew the people that we feel will be part of it,” Skinner said of the various ongoing contract negotiations earlier this month.What Spain lack however, is experience of competing at the sharp end of a major tournament. But there are no options in the expiring deals of Diane Caldwell, Lucy Staniforth or Martha Harris. As with Batlle, the club has options to extend deals for Alessia Russo, Millie Turner and Ivana Ferreira Fuso until 2023. We’ll continue to do that and work hard as a group of staff, to make sure that we continue to develop the squad.”Ī number of United players are due to be out of contract this summer. “We work hard behind the scenes now at this time of the season, as every club does, to make sure that you keep the players you want to keep. She’s influential and you can see that within the games she plays,” Ho explained. She’s a big part of the plans we’ve got here moving forward. “Jackie is part of the football club and under contract at this football club. The Netherlands international, who agreed a switch to Manchester prior to starring at the 2019 World Cup, has recently returned to regular action after staff were keen to manage her fitness. Groenen’s future at United has also been the subject of recent uncertainty. She’s very well thought of within the playing group, she’s very well thought of by staff, and Ona continues to deliver for us every single week and is massive part of what we’re doing. “We’ll continue to work as we do with Ona. She is influential in what she does, she’s a big part of the squad and the team now,” said United assistant coach Martin Ho when pressed about Batlle’s future.
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