by Tonight will present two matches from the Assikura Women’s League as Mtarfa take on Valletta at the Victor Tedesco Stadium (20:30). Valletta’s Chris Vella confirmed that the team go into it looking to keep the winning momentum, while Mtarfa’s Christian Curmi & Brandon Spiteri hailed the team’s resilience in search of points, despite bowing to narrow defeats in recent weeks.
Narrow Scorelines
Mtarfa continued knocking on the door of their first points against San Gwann, but had to lower their heads to another narrow 1-0 defeat. The Yellows had the majority of chances, but the Blues’ continued to remain headstrong in limiting the damage.
Asked to give their thoughts on the continuous efforts to improve results, but still coming away empty handed, Mtarfa’s coaches Christian Curmi and Brandon Spiteri chimed in, “It wasn’t an easy match. San Gwann kept pushing but we stayed compact to defend our goal. We had opportunities as well. This season has been quite difficult so far, with a lot of challenges. Yet, we are seeing gradual improvement.”
On the other hand, Valletta had plenty of opportunities against Lija Athletic but could only find one goal to ultimately seal another three points. However, team manager Chris Vella rejected any concern related to the limited goalscoring returns, “It’s not really a concern. In our last few games our opponents seem to be taking quite a defensive approach against us and so making it more difficult. However, it’s true that we also need to be more clinical in front of goal as we’ve been quite wasteful and it is something we are constantly working on.”
The Sum Of Its Parts
The teams rely on the entire squad to show up when called upon in pursuit of their goals. Mtarfa were boosted by the return of Estelle Borg, who will continue to strengthen the attack. Borg is one of just two players to find the back of the net this season for the Blues.
Asked about the importance of having her back into contention to boost the attacking side of things, Mtarfa’s coaches replied, “Estelle is a great asset for the team. Her abilities together with the rest of the players will contribute towards reaching our goals. Giving up is not an option.”
On the other hand, Valletta have had to make do without Georgiana Mifsud for the past two matches, but she could be in contention tonight. Despite this, the side continues to show depth in their squad with the likes of Sabrin Blihi steering the defence alongside Eduarda Martins Souza, Michela Bonello Ghio, Lisa Vella and even Megan La Rosa.
Asked about the elements of squad rotation together with the boost of having Mifsud back in contention, Chris Vella responded, “Georgiana together with Sabrin provide the main backbone in our defensive wall and as such she is quite an important piece of the puzzle for us. Obviously, we have players that can cover well in her absence but it is good to have her back.”
Match Expectations
The two teams will meet tonight for the final time in the league season. Valletta have had strong outings against the Blues this season. Adding to the dynamics of the match will be the fact that the two teams will be playing the encounter in the expansive Victor Tedesco Stadium.
Probed on their preparation to handle the threat of Valletta in a space where they can stretch the game more, Mtarfa’s Christian Curmi and Brandon Spiteri appear to have done their preparations, “During training we have been focusing on how to attack and defend using the width and depth of the pitch. We also worked on endurance and strength which will hopefully help us during the match. We also worked on how to create goal-scoring opportunities whilst also maintaining a compact and disciplined defence.”
On the other hand, Valletta’s Chris Vella nodded to the improvement of the Blues in frustrating opponents in recent matches, but is backing his team to utilise the bigger pitch to continue in their positive form, “Tomorrow we are expecting a strong defensive game. As they’ve shown lately Mtarfa have made very good progress. Certainly playing in bigger pitches is an advantage for us in these type of games, as it gives us more space to build up.”
The two sides kick off their penultimate league match in front of their faithfuls at 20:30 at the Victor Tedesco Stadium. Tonight presents two matches from the Assikura Women’s League as there will also be the top of the table clash between Birkirkara and Swieqi United, with the potential of deciding the title race. That match will be played at the Centenary Stadium (20:15).
Lead Images: Mtarfa FC / Lara Schembri
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