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Camden New Journal - by CATHERINE ETOE in China
Published: 27 September 2007

England’s Lianne Sanderson shakes hands with US keeper Hope Solo .
Picture: ?Natalia Sollohub

Striker’s Arsenal vow as England bow out

ENGLAND’S World Cup exit will not affect Arsenal’s defence of four major titles, according to their teenage striker Lianne Sanderson.
Nine Arsenal players were among the side whose World Cup dreams were dashed on Saturday night by a crushing 3-0 loss to world number one side, the USA.
The tearful players were on their way home within hours of their dismissal but the Gunner girls look set to make an immediate return to action in the Premier League.
Arsenal get their league campaign underway against Watford today (Thursday), while the defence of their League Cup and European Cup titles will follow thick and fast throughout October.
But Sanderson, who at 19 was the youngest player in the England squad, insists she and her colleagues will pick themselves back up in time for their club season.
She told the New Journal: “I’m looking forward to going back to Arsenal and hopefully we can do well, we are all mature and professional enough to know that what has happened has happened and we have to move on.”
The Quadruple title winning teenager was the Premiership’s leading striker last term and presented Hampstead FC’s budding stars with their end of season trophies at the Emirates Stadium.
But she was only given 10 minutes of World Cup football to shine and while she offered an outlet England had been sadly lacking in the second half of their quarter-final tie, it was not enough.
Arsenal’s Kelly Smith had been her usual dazzling self during a goalless first half, which saw England captain Faye White suffer a broken nose after being caught by a stray elbow.
England failed to come out of the starting blocks in the second half and conceded three goals in the space of 12 minutes and by the time manager Hope Powell threw Sanderson on, the game was all but lost.
Afterwards, Sanderson admitted she was delighted to have made her World Cup bow, but was “devastated” to go out of the competition. She added: “It feels good to have played but I would much rather have stayed on the bench than us lose.”

• Read more about the England team in Three Lions on her Shirt: The England Women’s Story by Catherine Etoe and Natalia Sollohub online at www.thecnj.co.uk

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