by The Stripes lifted their eleventh title in an undefeated manner, extending their unbeaten streak to 87 matches after San Gwann FC yielded a walk-over in the final match of the league. Below is a short review of the team’s league journey with insight from coach Jose’ Borg and captain Stephania Farrugia.
A Bittersweet End
Birkirkara FC ended their league commitments in an anti-climactic way as their final league match opponents, San Gwann FC, informed the Malta Football Association (MFA) that they would be yielding a walk-over.
Despite the lack of a final league match, Birkirkara’s celebrations with their supporters started at the Centenary Stadium and continued beyond. There was plenty to celebrate as winning the title yields not just a trophy, but also the opportunity to compete against other European sides in the UEFA Women’s Champions League next season. It is the second trophy added to the cabinet this season, after the side also won the Super Cup against Swieqi United at the latter end of 2022.
The Sporting Fan spoke with coach Jose’ Borg on the wins in his maiden season in charge of the team, “Winning a trophy is always great. The league is our second (trophy) this season, after also claiming the Super Cup in December.”
Asked about lifting yet another league title, captain and Birkirkara local Stephania Farrugia said, “It’s a big honour for me to lift the trophy again for my team and my town.” Meanwhile, the captain spoke of the excitement but also challenges of playing in the Champions League, “Playing in the Champions League gives us an opportunity to improve and learn. It is a difficult but unique competition.”
A Near-Perfect League Campaign
The league performance saw Birkirkara rack up a tally of fifty points out of the available fifty-four. In fact, the side only dropped points in two fixtures, in which they were held to 1-1 draws by title-challengers Swieqi United and the young side of Raiders Lija FC earlier in the season. The biggest victory for the Stripes came against Mtarfa FC.
Asked about the added pressures associated with taking on the coaching role of an already successful side, coach Jose’ Borg stated, “It was a big challenge for me (taking over) as Birkirkara had a good unbeaten run, which is still maintained today. So, I had a lot to lose knowing teams geared up well this season, especially Swieqi United who strengthened with high-quality foreign signings.”
Indeed, Borg’s respect for the Owls is warranted as Swieqi United proved tough opponents in all three direct league confrontations but were edged out by the champions on the remaining two occasions following the initial stalemate. The wins allowed Birkirkara to open a six-point advantage at the top and they kept their momentum, effectively ending the title challenge for the Owls, who placed second with fourty-one points.
Quality at Both Ends of The Pitch
In a remarkable league campaign, the side achieved their success by striking the delicate balance between attacking quality and resolute defending. The team scored more than seventy goals, with January signing Brisa Campos and youngster Sara Saliba each netting eleven goals as joint top scorers for the club.
However, the list of players getting on the scoresheet extended well beyond these forwards, creating problems for opposing teams who were not given the luxury of only requiring tight marking particular players. Additionally, assists came from all over the pitch which tactically provided another challenge for opponents.
Beyond attacking duties, the side also boasted a strong defence which conceded just four goals in the league campaign. Hibernians scored twice, whilst the other two goals were scored by Swieqi United and Raiders Lija FC respectively. Veterans Stephania Farrugia and Charlene Zammit formed a crucial backbone in defence, together with goalkeeper Janice Xuereb. Full-back positions underwent more rotations with Alishia Sultana, Valentina Rapa, Samantha Zarb, Mariah Cardona and Ann-Marie Said all providing the width to the defence on different occasions.
Picking a Winning Team While Developing the Squad
Throughout the season, one must also consider the work done on the training ground to have a fit squad. It is accompanied by a selection headache that coaches face in every game, as they attempt to strike a balance between a winning team, developing the squad and resting players enough to avoid lengthy injuries. There is no denying that no player wants to be left out of a squad, especially when they can contribute to a winning performance.
Asked about the challenge of maintaining the unbeaten streak while also giving a chance to young talent, coach Jose’ Borg said, “We did this by using a mixture of experienced and young players. I had four players under the age of twenty (who also play in the Under-21 league), who averaged over seventy-five minutes per game, whilst another four played an average of forty-five minutes per appearance. In addition, there were also two Under-17 players who also took part in the senior’s league so that’s a very good mix between experienced and young players, giving a bright future to Birkirkara.”
Searching for the Treble
Birkirkara will not have too much time to ponder their accomplishments as they next prepare to compete in the Assikura Women’s Knockout, in search of their third trophy of the season. The cup kicks off next Wednesday 3rd May where the stripes will face rivals Swieqi United at 7.30 pm at the Victor Tedesco Stadium in a contest that this not to be missed.
Photo: Chiara Faedo
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[…] ES: You seem to have done quite alright with them (with a wide grin considering Birkirkara FC have dominated titles for seven consecutive years. You can read about their most recent league title here). […]