by Valletta and Birkirkara will meet under the floodlights tonight at the Centenary Stadium at 20:15. Coaches Jean Lopes and Vince Galea were asked to weigh in on the officiation level that continues to shroud discussion on a weekly basis, while giving their verdicts on trajectory, injuries and the upcoming encounter.
Assessing A First Win & First Defeat
Valletta and Birkirkara will meet for the first time on the back of opposing encounters. Valletta secured their maiden win of the season last weekend, triumphing by 5-0 over Mtarfa. On the other hand, the Stripes could not complete the comeback against Hibernians, missing out on points by a 3-2 defeat.
Valletta’s Jean Lopes made plenty of changes to the side which faced the Blues which gave for somewhat of a shaky start, but the Brazilian was proud with how the team pushed through to grab the win.
He said, “It’s true, the start of the match wasn’t as good as we had planned. We knew that Mtarfa had been performing well in their previous games, and we struggled a bit to settle the team at the beginning. It was an interesting match because, in addition to the win and the clean sheet, we were able to test some tactical variations and player rotations. In the end, the outcome is positive, and of course, we’re always happy with the victory.”
On the other hand, Birkirkara’s defeat to Hibernians was shrouded in controversy pertaining to the officiation, but the Stripes also know that there were misgivings at both ends which could have also given the match a different look.
Speaking about the chances themselves at either end, Birkirkara’s coach Vince Galea said, “In general, the team had very good control on the game but for sure we once again had a slow start, and we were not sharp in both boxes; defensively and offensively. Subsequently individual errors and unnecessary mistakes unfortunately cost us the match. Definitely room for improvement here.”
Officiation Controversies Warrant A Deeper Investigation
While the high-profile match between Hibernians & Birkirkara may have grabbed the most attention based on officiation issues, it was not the first match, not even this season, where crucial decisions may have swung the result.
Valletta had a torrid start to the season, in part affected by crucial officiation decisions. The side clawed back an equaliser in their opening match against Lija Athletic following a corner that begged plenty of investigation, while the injury time added may have also raised some eyebrows. The Citizens were also dealt a blow against Swieqi United with a penalty which opened the floodgates for the Owls late in the match.
The two coaches were probed about their thoughts on whether the fact that such issues continue to rear their heads in every match warrants deeper investigation, to ensure that the Assikura Women’s League is given the officiation level that it truly deserves.
Birkirkara’s Vince Galea was reluctant to discuss to broadly, but unequivocally denounced the conditions in the match against Hibernians, “I prefer not to comment about this matter, not out of respect for the topic or the persons officiating the matches, however the circumstances my players had to face in this game (against Hibernians) were something to completely disapprove of.”
Valletta’s Jean Lopes admitted that the topic is a tricky one to discuss, “Without a doubt, I’m almost afraid to comment, so as not to be “targeted” by the referees, as happened a few weeks ago when, before the match even started, the referee told me not to talk to him, or he would give me a card.”
However, the Valletta coach was eloquent in his opinion, urging the authorities to address the situation, “Unfortunately, there have been repeated blatant errors in the women’s league, which undermines all the hard work we put in during the week. We’re all human and prone to mistakes, but when it comes to football, we should at least have a basic understanding of the rules, which sometimes seems to be lacking. I hope the federation is paying attention to these errors and not only punishes those who make major mistakes but also provides conditions for referees to improve.”
Dealing With Lengthy Injury Blows
Valletta’s win against Mtarfa was dampened by an injury to Kim Fava, which Jean Lopes admitted requires further diagnosis, “Unfortunately, Kim suffered a knee injury. Our medical team is taking all the necessary precautions, but we don’t have any official information yet regarding the severity of the injury. We hope she can return to the field soon and continue helping us for the remainder of the season.”
The coach had positive news on the return of Gaia Antonelli who has been sidelined with an ACL since last season, “Gaia Antonelli sustained a serious knee injury last season and is currently recovering. This week we saw her training on the field with the ball. So I’m optimistic that she will be back helping us soon and I’m counting on her a lot.”
Meanwhile, probed about Michela Bonello Ghio who has not featured at all this season, Jean Lopes admitted the player has been sidelined with off-the-field commitments, but would be welcomed with open arms, “She’s an athlete we all admire and I always count on her as well.”
The Stripes’ Vince Galea was also probed about the recovery of goalkeepers Janice Xuereb and Erika Muscat, as well as captain Stephania Farrugia. He replied, “Janice and Stephania are both individually doing their rehab. Erika is getting closer to start full training with the squad.”
Match Expectations
The two teams had some thrilling encounters last season, including a Knockout semi-final which was ultimately decided very late by an own goal, sending Birkirkara into the final that they would ultimately win.
Jean Lopes is relishing the tussle but is not getting bogged down by last season’s exploits, “As I always say, every game is different. What happened last season against Birkirkara is in the past—it was an interesting match, but we have to focus on the present.”
Probed about using their own positive momentum against the fact that the Stripes will come into it on the back of a defeat, Jean Lopes replied, “Birkirkara is the reigning champion and their loss to Hibernians is completely normal considering that both teams, in my opinion, are the best in the league. So we’re certain it’s going to be a very tough match and we need to stay fully focused to perform as well as we did in last year’s cup match.”
Likewise, Birkirkara’s Vince Galea is continuing to look ahead at the fresh path he seeks to lay out with the team this season, “I do not look at last season encounters as a platform for this season. This week efforts were fully focused to inject confidence and I am sure that our players will show up on the day in a competitive manner. We will keep going.”
The two teams will initiate the sixth matchday of the Assikura Women’s League under the floodlights at the Centenary Stadium tonight, starting at 20:15.
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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