Groenen makes winning start to World Cup
Jackie Groenen made a winning start to the Women’s World Cup on Tuesday, when the Netherlands defeated New Zealand 1-0 in their opening Group E game.
Groenen played in a central-midfield position during the win and, after an impressive display, was replaced on 76 minutes by Jill Roord, who went on to score the winner for the Dutch in injury time.
The 1-0 victory at the Stade Oceane in Le Havre means the Netherlands are second in their group, level on points with Canada, who beat Cameroon 1-0 in their inaugural game of the tournament.
Next up for the Oranje is a meeting with the Cameroonians on Saturday (kick-off 14:00 BST), where they could guarantee their passage to the next round with a win.
Groenen is an integral part of the Dutch squad, having played a significant role for the Netherlands in their successes at the 2017 European Championships and last year's Algarve Cup.
As for the Reds' other representatives at the Women's World Cup, England’s 2-1 win over Scotland featured three United players from last season.
Our skipper Alex Greenwood played 90 minutes for Phil Neville’s Lionesses, while Kirsty Smith and Lizzie Arnot were introduced as second-half substitutes for Scotland.
English defender Abbie McManus, who, like Groenen, has signed a pre-contract agreement with the Reds ahead of the new season, also came on after the interval, playing the final 35 minutes.
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