by Swieqi United and Valletta will be taking to the Centenary Stadium at 20:30 in the first fixture of the preliminary round of the MFA’s 125th year anniversary competition, the Jubilee Cup. Dorianne Theuma and Anton Cremona weighed in on the match as the two coaches contend the fixture against a backdrop of injuries, restrictions and late notice.
In Search Of Overcoming Injuries & A Disappointing Defeat
Swieqi United and Valletta will be the first two teams to take part in the Malta FA’s Jubilee Cup, a competition set up specifically in celebration of the 125th year anniversary of Malta’s Football Assocation.
Both teams come into it from the opposing ends of the league table, but both come into the tie following defeat.
Swieqi United lost an initial lead to fall to Mgarr United by 3 – 1. Dorianne Theuma rejected that the defeat befell the team due to losing the midfield, but cast a wider look, “Not only the midfield, but it was an overall performance from the whole squad. We didn’t manage to react after the goal and unfortunately suffered more goals.”
The Swieqi coach also gave an update on midfielder Andjela Kricak who was withdrawn early against Mgarr United after picking up a knock, “Andjela suffered a quad injury, and we hope to have her back after the break.”
Meanwhile, Valletta had a harrowing opening half against Birkirkara, suffering two injuries to captain Joelma Alves Gabriel and Eliza Csik, and conceding three times while down to ten as they assessed the extent of each individual injury.
Questioned whether the subsitutions could have been made quicker to avoid the numerical disadvantage against a twelve-time champion, Anton Cremona replied, “They were early in the game and the players injured were ones most needed in the team, so you don’t want to rush. The goals came from a lack of concentration and I was very disappointed with this.”
Giving an update on the extent of the injury to the duo, the Valletta coach confirmed the severity, “Joelma has a ligament injury and it could be lengthy. Eliza’s is similar, but not as bad. Hopefully they recover as soon as possible, but for me the health of the player comes first.”
Welcoming A Different Competition?
The two teams are familiar with each other, but the match will bring with it a knockout nature and the prospect of challenging for a unique trophy.
Dorianne Theuma welcomed the competition as a chance for the team to get back on track, “The Jubilee Cup will be a good opportunity for the team to go again.” However, the Swieqi United coach lamented the restrictions imposed on rotating the team, “Unfortunately, we still have to take into consideration the 135 minute rule, as I would have preferred to give more playing time to the younger players.”
Indeed specifically questioned whether she is looking to rotate the team in view of facing a Valletta side which has incurred major injuries, or whether she believes consistency is needed to overcome the recent defeat, Dorianne Theuma stuck to the same rhetoric, “This game will be a good opportunity to go again and use it as a first step towards getting back on track. However, with the 135-minute rule, it’s not easy to make a lot of changes, so we have to manage the squad carefully while maintaining consistency.”
Valletta’s Anton Cremona slammed the poor organisation of the competition, “You have to play, but in our situation it is a useless game. The fixture came out one week before and players planned other things. I have a lot of players missing, injured or going to be abroad.”
Weighing the potential of challenging Swieqi United without key players and limits imposed on the youth players, against facing the defending champions who are also coming into it with their own injuries and on the back of a defeat, Cremona replied, “Swieqi is a good team and they are looking to win as many cups as they can. So the match is not going to be easy. We try to our best to avoid a heavy defeat.”
The MFA’s anniversary competition sees women’s football hosted at the Centenary Stadium on the weekend in a non-final fixture since the third weekend of the league. The two teams kick off at 20:30. Penalties will decide the team progressing should the two sides be locked at the ninety minutes.
The other fixture in the Preliminary Round will be played tomorrow between Birkirkara and San Gwann, while Mgarr United and Hibernians received a bye into the semi-final based on the draw.
Lead Image: Riccardo Flask
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