by Manuela Tesse and Grigorov Vyacheslav Sergeevich reflected on the friendlies as Malta could not find a way past Belarus. Beyond results, the two reflected on the positives of several players earning valuable minutes in view of the upcoming competitive fixtures for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifications. Yulya Carella gave her view from midfield and the wing on gaining valuable minutes at senior international level.
Match Review
Belarus continued to show improvements under Grigorov Vyacheslav Sergeevich, to complete the second win against Malta by 1 – 0.
The Belarussian coach was happy with what he saw from his team, “It’s very good to have won without having conceded a single goal. However, I look at the second performance as a more important one, because to retain the win when you are leading by just one goal is much harder. These are the matches that build your character.”
He credited Malta for the quality opposition they provided in the match, “I would say Malta had good chances to score, maybe we were a bit more lucky at times. I would say that I’m happy with our goalkeeper, Katerina (Miklashevich) and the defence, because I thought they had a really good match.”
Manuela Tesse felt the team deserved more from the two performances, “I rewatched our first match and looking at today also I would say that there are some improvements. However, in this match in particular I would say we had a lot of players coming into the team and I am happy with what I saw.”
Focusing on the full back position she continued, “We knew we have a problem with this position, because at international level this position is very crucial in ball possession. We are still working on who Malta can be at League B, because at time we are too defensive. However, I think in the first match we tried Steph (Farrugia) for more physicality not to change her position, but today we found this physicality in Alexandra (Gatt) and Rebecca (Bajada). So, based on their performance we know we have more players who can contribute in this position.”
Yulya Carella gave her own take on the match, “I am grateful for the opportunity, of course the intensity at international level is different but I do my best to give my all in whichever number of minutes I get to help the team.”
The youngster started in midfield before being switched wide by Manuela Tesse. Reflecting on the two positions she said, “Playing in midfield has a lot of responsibility, a lot of thinking and you really need to read the game well, cover for your teammates, there’s a lot to it. On the wing, you expel a lot of energy but it is more focused.”
Questioned on the impact that this opportunity has on her season as Mgarr United continued to push unbeaten in the league, Carella replied, “Of course, these experiences motivate you even further to keep working when at club level, to keep doing well with the team and to get the opportunity to represent the country more.”
Importance Of Testing Squad Depth
Both teams changed plenty during the second match, with a long list of youngsters taking to the pitch as the clock ticked on.
Grigorov Vyacheslav Sergeevich remarked the importance of young players taking the opportunity, “I was really happy with our substitutes. We had a number of really young players, like Anastasiya Kavaliova, and another number of players aged eighteen to nineteen, who really did their best and did their work well today.”
Manuela Tesse’s positives from the match mostly centred about seeing new players take to the fore, “I would say in this match I am particularly happy because Rebecca Bajada had an amazing game, Yulya Carella is improving a lot, Tammy (Falzon) also came in and did well and Alexandra (Gatt) as well. So, these are positives because like this we know that we have other players that can contribute to our development.”
In fact, probed about the ability to switch Carella from midfield to the width, Tesse remarked the desire to bring further players into the fold, “We miss a player like Lexine (Farrugia) up front, I think it’s evident we miss something up front, but of course she is with the U19. I think we also miss a player like Sara (Saliba). I think the national team could really use her contribution, so I hope that she changes her mind. With these players, maybe we can push further, because Leah (Ayres) also came in and is showing improvements, so to have all will give us more depth.”
Manuela Tesse credited the clubs for their work, “I think we need to thank our clubs because they are working, the improvement that a player makes, happens a lot at the club which is where a player spends their time. So, I’m happy for their contribution.”
Outlook From The Window
There’s no doubt that Belarus walk away the happier from the two in terms of results as they prepare for their battle in League C, “Malta was expected to be a strong opponent and they were, so as a coach these were perfect matches to assess the team. The victories are great to boost confidence in preparation for the competitive matches in February. We have two further preparatory friendlies in November, against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Greece, so this was a good step and we look forward to continue building.”
Malta’s home stand was quieter than the sporadic Belarussian support. Given the scores and the prospect of League B opposition, which remains a challenge for Malta to win against, Manuela Tesse was questioned about efforts to boost the confidence in the side.
She said, “I think we saw a little bit of fear at times today in the first half, because at times we were throwing it long even from our experienced players. However, we are able to play football and in fact this was what we showed them at half-time. Otherwise, we go back to the football before I was here, putting the ball long, but League B is too physical to play like that. Belarus showed that.”
Looking at what she would like to see the team do more of, she continued, “So, I think we need to be bolder in running, trying to beat the opponent one on one, make some tactical foul. You could see this game intelligence today from Belarus and this is important to stay in the game. This is football at high level.”
Tesse provided a composed conclusion on the window, “I think the matches showed us where we need to improve. In general I am happy. We deserve more I think, I am a bad loser and so I am angry, but at the same time these are friendlies that have given us a lot to think about and work on for the future.”
Malta’s senior team will go back to competitive duties with their clubs, while the U17 side will prepare to face Lithuania on Monday for the UEFA European Women’s Under-17 Championship Round 1 match. They will compete at the Centenary Stadium at 13:00.
Lead Image: Brandon Bonett
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