by The Stripes will initiate their bid for a thirteenth league title against San Gwann, this evening at Dingli Ground at 18:00. Birkirkara’s new coach Vince Galea is seeking a solid performance to carve out a fresh path for the team, while San Gwann’s Julian Camilleri rallied his troops for a fiery start, similar to that of last season.
New Beginnings For The Defending Champions Against A Side Looking To Consolidate
Birkirkara will be igniting their title defence with a new leader at the helm in Vince Galea. He takes over a side which has dominated the local women’s football landscape in recent years, while the team passed hands from Melania Bajada to Jose’ Borg. However, with each year teams evolve and this year is expected to continue to provide further competition.
Having been announced within weeks of the end of the last season, Vince Galea weighed in on the philosophy that he’s looking to employ having had the benefit of the off-season with his players. “During the preseason we have worked on certain principles of play in and out of possession while giving the freedom to the players to express themselves with full confidence and efficiency.”
Birkirkara’s squad has continuously evolved over the years. There have been several departures this season, including Ann-Marie Said, Veronique Mifsud, Sara Saliba, Ileana Farrugia, as well as the front trio of Marta Grosso, Arianna del Moral and Edith Garcia, to name a few.
However, the Stripes recruited as well. Among the signees, the side brought in Luana Vitoria Cabral who impressed in Mgarr United green last year, as well as midfielder Yuna Hazekawa, both of whom could debut tonight, along with forward Cali Schechinger. Additionally, Galea suggests that he aims to raise further talents within his squad, “There will be some changes from the previous season so we can maximise the players’ potential.”
Although the mantle of taking over the defending champions can be heavy, Galea appears unwilling to get bogged down by its pressures, instead seeking to carve out a fresh path. He said, “Our objective and focus should always be the next game, winning the next game. While we understand that people see us as the favourites due to the recent history, this is a fresh new season and I believe that each game has to be tackled on its own merit. We have worked tirelessly to get the squad synchronised in the tactical and physical demands we have been pushing.”
On the other side of the dugout will be Julian Camilleri, who will be in his second season in charge of San Gwann and in the women’s game. Asked about building on last season’s improvements, Camilleri replied, “We are aiming toward reducing our goal difference, as well as increasing more points across the rounds to fight for an improved place.”
The Yellows brought in a mix of players, and there will be a battle within the war, as they secured striker Hailey Russell from Birkirkara. Camilleri is hoping she will be instrumental in increasing the threat in attack, “Last year we had issues in finding the goal and so we knew that this was one of the areas we needed to address. We wanted to bring a prominent striker who strengthen our attack while giving us more options. So, we’re happy to have Hailey on board and she will be an important piece of our squad.”
The side also recruited the young defensive duo Jeanelle Falzon and Naomi Blundell, from Hibernians, whom Camilleri is hoping will rise to the fore, “Jeanelle & Naomi are young defenders who are ready to give their one-hundred percent to the team, to improve our defensive stance.”
On the other hand, there was no dismissing the tough loss of playmaker Andjela Kricak, but Camilleri hinted that the side has done their work in the off-season, “I would be lying if I were to say that we will not miss Andjela. However, we must look to the future and we have found ourselves a replacement whom we will announce in due course.”
Match Expectations
The two teams head into their opening match with a fresh slate. Vince Galea is backing his team to be ready for the battle against San Gwann, “There will definitely be players making their debut during this game. We look forward for a strong challenge and are confident that our players will rise to the occasion and have a solid performance.”
Meanwhile, Julian Camilleri recalled the inspired manner in which the team took to the pitch in last year’s first match in charge, “Last year we started by surprising everyone where we were only narrowly defeated by 2-1 against Mgarr United, which was a huge improvement in the scoreline. This year we’ve worked to strengthen our squad further and we are ready to compete for every ball until the last minute of every game to reduce the gap to the top teams.”
The two teams will kick-off today’s double-header at Dingli Ground at 18:00. The match will be followed by the encounter between Mgarr United and Mtarfa (20:30).
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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