by Birkirkara will be welcoming Swieqi United at the Charles Abela Stadium at 20:30. Vince Galea discussed his team’s performance to return to points, while Dorianne Theuma gave insight into the run-up to a match and the impacts of a cancellation. Coming into it from the ends of the Top Four pool, the coaches expect a tight affair but know three points could start to put real markers in the title chase.
Switching Momentum
Birkirkara & Swieqi United head into the match with different momentum following last week’s fixtures. Birkirkara returned to points with a goalless draw against Hibernians. Vince Galea saw the positives in it, but also desired better quality in the final third.
He said, “We definitely needed to be better in the final third. We limited Hibernians to few chances, but we failed to create enough chances ourselves to score goals. Still, this performance can be considered as a positive one at least from a defensive performance, where we were very solid.”
It was the first match since the start of the final phase where the team did not concede a goal. Indeed Birkirkara had a big boost at the back, with stalwart goalkeeper Janice Xuereb making her first appearance since April following injury.
Vince Galea was elated by her return, “She is a big boost for our team. Her experience, leadership and strong character means a lot to us and our young players. So happy for her return to play and to have her contribution in the last part of the season.”
Additionally, Vince Galea also deployed a new striker in the match against the Paolites, with Sofia Carvajal making her first appearance. The Birkirkara coach confirmed that she is an addition to the squad, “Yes, we acquired Sofia Carvajal to have something different in the offensive third. We do not expect departures and hope that this addition can help us with competition having other offensive players out of action.”
Meanwhile, Swieqi United’s match against Mgarr United was called off after four minutes on Friday, with the pitch deemed unsuitable for play following heavy rain. Asked whether she believed the match could have been called off earlier, the Swieqi United coach echoed the sentiment of Mgarr United’s Ryan Vella, “The rain was continuous and the pitch was already in a bad state during warm up. I believe the game shouldn’t have kicked off. However, this was not up to us, but up to the referee.”
Dorianne Theuma negated that the team benefited from the calling off as an opportunity to recuperate any injuries, explaining the coordination efforts leading up to the matchday, “With the way we are handling the squad, we would have preferred to play the game. We prepared all week as we did for every other game, with the right build up and intensity up until the day before matchday. Four U19 starting players were benched during the Assikura Women’s Youth League encounter we had, in order to be fully fit for this game. However, this is our reality and we feel we are managing it well.”
Details on the rescheduling of the fixture between Swieqi United and Mgarr United are still to emerge.
Big Three Points
The Owls head into the match with the upper hand in points, having a five point lead over the Stripes and a game in hand. The last encounter ended in a narrow 2 – 1 victory which was decided by a late header, following a victory apiece in the league prior to that.
Birkirkara’s Vince Galea negated that the fact Swieqi United did not play their match last week hands his team an advantage in terms of match sharpness, but is betting on the players’ loyalty to the shirt. The Birkirkara coach quipped, “I do not consider us having any advantages, since lately all odds are against us. However, we had a very good week of work and I am sure that my players will give their very best for the yellow and red shirt.”
Swieqi United’s Dorianne Theuma is likewise not discounting the opposition despite their last victory against them and the current points gap between the two sides. She said, “Although we beat Birkirkara during our last encounter, it was far from easy. We ultimately won it in the dying minutes of the game. We are aware they strengthened their team further and today is an important game for both teams.”
However, Theuma suggested she prefers her team stick to their philosophy rather than try to anticipate Birkirkara’s changes as a result of the returning Janice Xuereb and a new striker. “Having Janice (Xuereb) and a new foreigner gives them more depth to the squad, but we are well prepared and will go down playing our own game as we did previously,” she finished.
The two teams will meet at the Charles Abela Stadium at 20:30. Tonight also presents another Top Four clash at the Centenary Stadium as Mgarr United attempt to pip Hibernians to second place, starting at 20:15.
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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