by Malta’s Women’s U19 National Team will be welcoming Kosovo at 11 am at the Centenary Stadium today as they kickstart their UEFA Women’s U19 European Championship round two tournament. David Attard discussed the desire for improved performance against the strength of foreign opposition and pushing promising players to reach potential toward their future of becoming senior national team representatives.
The Challenge Expected & The Objectives
Malta’s U19 women’s national team will be the first to be on duty in this international window as they take on Kosovo at 11 am at the Centenary Stadium today. Led by David Attard, the team will be then facing Latvia on Friday 4th April at 14:30, before their final encounter against Kazakhstan on Monday 7th at 11 am. All matches will be played at the Centenary Stadium.
David Attard relayed his expectations from the tournament, “Our focus is to continue develop our performance from the previous tournament while preparing our players to compete in senior football. We will compete against strong teams but with the experience gained from the previous tournament we aim to be more competitive, grow in confidence and take another step forward.”
It will be the second round, following their first matches back in November where the side struggled against the strength of Croatia, Slovenia & Luxembourg. Malta conceded twelve goals and scored one.
Attard underlined that while they expect different challenges from their opposition in this tournament, Malta will try to push forward with its own philosophy. He said, “Each team brings different challenges, whether it’s their physicality, tactical discipline or technical ability. Our approach remains the same – focus on our game, learn from each game and compete with a strong mindset.”
Although matches are all scheduled during weekdays, Attard is upbeat about the home advantage for his team, with the loyal following still expected, “This is my first time leading the team at home, but I assume that playing at home is always special! It gives us the familiarity of the environment we are used to and hopefully we can use that to our advantage. The experience from Round 1 has helped us grow, and we want to show that progress in front of our home supporters.”
The Selection
The team will feature a number of names who have continued to steadily gain recognition in domestic leagues, including several who are regular in the senior women’s league in Malta. It also features the return of Nyorah Celeste (Hibernians) who has been sidelined by an ACL injury since last April, while newcomer Crista Chetcuti Ganado (Leicester City) features for the first time.
Questioned about making the selection, Attard replied, “The selection was based on both performance and potential. We want to provide opportunities for players who have been consistent at the domestic level while also integrating talents like Crista, who we believe has a bright future. The ultimate goal is to prepare more players for the senior national team.”
Although packing promising talent, the forward line is not featuring much depth for rotation. Questioned about how much this constrains his approach, David Attard is relishing the opportunity it presents, “Rather than seeing it as a constraint – we see it as a chance to adapt and explore different solutions. It’s a fact that we would like to have a better depth of forwards, but we have players with versatility who can step up in attacking roles and we will focus on collective play to create opportunities.”
The goalkeeping line-up features the return of Erika Muscat (Birkirkara) who will be accompanied by San Gwann’s Geona Muscat.
Protecting them will be a list of growing talents including Malta senior domestic league regulars, Lara May Azzopardi (Birkirkara), Amber Galea (Hibernians) and Milena Stagno* (Lija Athletic). Sassuolo’s Francesca Bartolo is also amongst the mix, with the rising Michela Ionadi (Ternana Calcio), Shana Farrugia (Hibernians), Megan La Rosa (Valletta) and Thea Ida Scicluna (Swieqi United) completing the defensive unit.
The midfield features a selection of players who were all involved in the first round for Malta. This includes, San Gwann duo Fatma Al Girbi and Nilayza Attard, Birkirkara’s Stella Francalanza and Amelia Vassallo, together with Swieqi United’s newly-minted champions in Ema Micallef, Shannen Mallia and Ylenia Azzopardi.
The attack is three-pronged with Nyorah Celeste (Hibernians) making the return alongside debutant Crista Chetcuti Ganado (Leicester) and Valletta’s Suzanne Farrugia Sacco (Valletta), who is the only forward to retain her place since the first round.
*Edit: Milena Stagno was replaced by Angele Fenech (Mtarfa) due to injury.
Lead Image: Malta FA
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