by Hibernians and Swieqi will be locking horns as the two sides seek to establish themselves in second-place this evening at the Centenary Stadium (20:15). Martina Borg and Dorianne Theuma weighed in on contrasting events in the Jubilee Cup semi-final, while discussing their efforts in extracting the best from their players as they continue their bid to climb up the table.
Cup-Tie Drama
Hibernians will be welcoming Swieqi United at the Centenary Stadium in a match that gives the opportunity for one of the two teams to separate themselves in second place before the international break.
Hibernians head into the match having successfully navigated the Jubilee Cup semi-final against Birkirkara. Three second-half goals gave the Paolites a 3 – 0 win against the Stripes, with the side appearing to effectively unlock Birkirkara over changes in the break.
Martina Borg was understandably elated by the victory as the side clinched the spot in the final, “It was a good win and certainly it lifts the spirits in the team.”
Considering the impact of the changes in the match, Martina Borg was probed on whether this was the plan all along or whether it was an instinctive change considering the proceedings in the opening half. “We have a deep squad so yes if I see the need, I will certainly look to utilise our players and shake things up at half time. There’s a lot of players in our team who are fighting for various positions in a healthy competition.”
She continued, “I had options for the first eleven and the uncertainty of who to field from the start is something positive, because it means the team is composed of similar quality players, each of whom can bring their own game and make a difference. In this case, I felt the players who started the match did well, but we needed a change at half-time to continue pressuring Birkirkara to ultimately open the score. We dominated possession, created chances and ultimately scored three goals, so I’m happy with the team.”
On the other hand, Swieqi United mounted the comeback against Mgarr United, sending the match into extra-time late on. However, ultimately the Greens walked away with the victory following a penalty shoot-out on Saturday.
Questioned on whether she felt Mgarr United merited the result, given the chances created in open play, Swieqi United’s coach, Dorianne Theuma, weighed in, “I wouldn’t say Mgarr were necessarily better than us. They created some opportunities, yes, but not many of them were on target. We knew they were coming into the match in good form and overall I felt we defended well. In the end, it came down to small details and we weren’t able to make the most of our moments in the final third. That’s an area we know we can improve.”
Versatility In Players & Systems
The two coaches have each brought changes this year. Into her first season in charge, Martina Borg continues to shape Hibernians into her philosophy, with several players seen to operate in multiple positions.
Besides players rotating in the starting eleven, such as Ileana Farrugia starting on the left, Friday’s decisions also shifted Leah Ayres deployed wide, while Georgiana Mifsud moved into the right-back position. Sylivia Kabene and Amber Galea slotted in the central attacking position and in centre-back respectively.
Questioned about whether this versatility is something she is looking from players, or whether it is a case of searching for the strongest fielded team, Martina Borg pointed toward the former. “No, certainly I am looking for players that are able to play in more than one position. In fact, in one of my first talks with the team as coach, I made clearly the importance of players being open-minded about playing in two positions.”
Highlighting the evolution of the game of football, Martina Borg continued, “I believe football as a game has changed and positions are no longer static. So, if a player is constrained to a single position, she’ll be more disadvantaged in finding space to play when we are making certain rotations.”
Indeed, the Hibernians coach praised the two players in question, “Georgiana is certainly capable of playing at right-back, and Leah had a good week in training as well. Considering Sylivia’s form in attack, I wanted to also maximise the strength of attack with Leah on the wing and Sylivia in the centre.”
Meanwhile, Swieqi United’s Dorianne Theuma was also probed about the decisions leading to the heavier use of a midfield trio, as opposed to the diamond which was more favoured last season.
The Swieqi coach replied, “We’ve actually used a few different systems this season. We have a more versatile squad now, which allows us to adapt and choose what suits each phase best. Unfortunately, a few injuries have made it harder to build the consistency we want, but overall the flexibility in the team has been a real positive.”
All To Play For
The two sides head into the match equal on points and with a target to bring home the three points. The last match between the two was hard-fought, however, Swieqi United overturned an early conceded goal to walk away with a 2 – 1 victory.
Hibernians’ coach Martina Borg rejected that her team will have any advantage of freshness, given that her team played their semi-final on Friday and without the need of extra-time. “I don’t think it gives us any advantage, considering that there have been around four-five days since.”
On the contrary, Borg underscored that the bigger impact would be the Youth League matches that the two teams played on Tuesday night, “I think that has more of an effect.” The Paolites have been one of the sides to most balance players between the two leagues, but Martina Borg is taking it in her stride, “As usual we will see how best to balance playing time to ensure that everyone is as fresh as possible. However, all in all, I do not believe we have any advantage in relation to the impact of the Jubilee Cup matches.”
Fielded the same question on the impact of the previous matches, Dorianne Theuma replied, “An extra day of rest always helps, but we’ve prepared as well as possible.” As to whether she feels this is a must-win match if the side is to reel in Mgarr United at the top, she finished, “Every match is important at this stage. This game is another opportunity for us to show our quality and keep pushing in the right direction.”
The two teams will kick-off under the floodlights at the Centenary Stadium at 20:15.
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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