by Malta face Switzerland at the Centenary Stadium tonight determined to show their identity after the defeat to Turkey, with Manuela Tesse urging her side to start with the intensity they showed in the second half of that match. Having debuted against Switzerland in 2014, Shona Zammit stressed the transformation in the identity of the squad since then to compete despite their underdog status, while Switzerland coach, Rafel Navarro, arrives focused on attacking improvement and clinical finishing as his side pursues promotion and World Cup qualification.
Testing Paths
Malta will be taking on Switzerland at the Centenary Stadium at 19:00, with the locals determined to put on a better showing following an opening defeat to Turkey.
Manuela Tesse is pushing her team to show determination, “We must think about ourselves and play to our ability. We didn’t play our game against Turkey in the first half. Of course it was difficult after conceding the first two goals, but we were better in the second half. We must start off like that.”
“We know Switzerland is stronger, but we must fight on the pitch,” she remarked.
The Malta coach admitted the team will not be able to recover Rachel Cuschieri due to injury and that the player has returned to her club, Genoa, “We know she has experience and gives us balance and we missed her against Turkey. However, we will be without her today as well. We must step up.”
Malta’s selection continues to feature several players returning from lengthy spells on the sidelines, including Brenda Borg, Emma Xuereb and Jade Flask. Among the midfield selection will be Shona Zammit, with last year’s MFPA & MFA Female Player of The Year also only recently making the return to play following being sidelined by injury.
The match will have poignant significance for Zammit. She has exceeded eighty caps for Malta, the first of which came against Switzerland in 2014 at seventeen years old. Describing the match in view of the path for herself and Malta’s team since, she said, “I think looking back I realise how differently we approach such matches. We are still underdogs, but today we take to the pitch with a belief that we can show our identity and that the aim in the match is to compete and not simply to minimise the score.”
The midfielder confirmed the team’s determination for a better showing following the defeat to Turkey, “The beauty in football is that you get another chance. We must learn from our mistakes and do better, this will improve us as individuals and as a team. I think it’s real that since today many of us are playing at different clubs and leagues, we are taking longer to gel and it’s showing in the first matches of tournaments. It happened against Cyprus in League C last year and we regrouped and ultimately won the group. We must believe and work toward showing the same response.”
Switzerland head into it with one aim: winning by as many goals as possible as they seek to assert their dominance in the group in view of promotion back to League A and qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Rafel Navarro spoke about the importance of continuous improvement in view of ambitions, “Our goal is to be at the World Cup. We are working a lot to improve our level and I believe that we are better than we were yesterday.”
Formerly Barcelona’s assistant coach, Navarro has taken to Switzerland’s job with a determination on imposing an attacking mentality, making no secret of the desire for consecutive big wins in the group. The side dominated possession against Northern Ireland, but walked away with a 2 – 0 win, despite seventeen attempts. Navarro praised the win, but is looking for a more clinical final step.
The Switzerland coach noted that Malta changed approach with more direct football against Turkey, and that his team is aware of the potential dangers lurking in Malta’s team. He said, “We are firstly focused on ourselves and to stick to our game model. However, as with any team we try to exploit weaknesses and prevent their strengths. We must be especially ready for the second balls. Malta has good players and they’ve changed their approach a bit. We must be ready for their target to play direct because we know they have potential.”
Malta Looking To Utilise Home Advantage
The match will be played at the Centenary Stadium and not the National Stadium. The Centenary Stadium is a venue that drew in plenty of controversy in the previous League B tournament, both due to the pitch size and artificial turf.
Manuela Tesse underscored the desire to consolidate the strengths the home pitch gives the team, but is under no illusion about the strength of the opposition.
“It’s an advantage for us because our players are used to it and we do feel it’s our home stadium. However, we are playing against a strong team, I don’t think Switzerland are too worried about the surface. However, I believe we can make them struggle if we play like a team, are compact in defence and attack as a team too.”
On the other hand, Rafel Navarro made no mention of the impact of pitch size on tactical approach, but noted that the surface challenge is something that the team is prepared for, “It’s true that the majority of our players are regularly playing on natural grass, but it was the same in the last match for us. So, we are used to it.”
There were no figures tossed around as to the crowd expected for the match, but Manuela Tesse is hoping that the match can be a good advert for the women’s game as a whole, “I was happy with the draw because Switzerland organised an amazing EURO tournament last summer and I recognise this as an opportunity for us. I hope the stadium will be full to support us, and accept that they will also come to watch a strong footballing opponent in Switzerland.”
Geraldine Reuteler noted that hosting the EURO tournament raised the visibility of the team and its football across the board, voicing the desire to see the momentum continuing in the same direction as the team pushes further.
Tonight’s match will be another opportunity for both teams to make a step toward their goals. The match kicks off at 19:00 CET and will be played at the Centenary Stadium. Tickets are available online and the match will be broadcast on TVM Sports+ & SRF.
Lead Images: Brandon Bonett
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