by Valletta and San Gwann will complete the quarter-final stage in the Assikura Women’s Knockout, at Mgarr Ground (16:30). The two teams are well versed in each other’s strengths and weaknesses by now. Valletta go into it undefeated against San Gwann this season, but both Valletta’s Chris Vella and San Gwann’s Julian Camilleri made clear the hunger to progress and take the challenge to Birkirkara in the semi-final.
Seeking A Place In The Top Four
Valletta and San Gwann will take to the pitch knowing that they’ve danced this dance before. However, the two take to the pitch knowing that progressing from the quarter-final will give them the opportunity to test themselves against Birkirkara, with a chance to prove their learnings since the league split at the turn of the calendar year.
Asked about Valletta’s objectives as they head into the competition, team manager Chris Vella replied, “The team has been working hard towards this competition and obviously it is our last chance this season to prove ourselves. Especially since if we progress through the quarter final we will be meeting much sterner opposition than we had since the league split.”
Meanwhile, San Gwann’s coach Julian Camilleri suggests that the team is not getting ahead of themselves, “We prepare match by match. The fact that we are encountering Valletta, who is a side that was with us in the bottom four, puts us in a position to fight for a place in the next round. I believe that if we do this, then we can progress.”
Maximising The Break
The two teams had the opportunity to focus on preparing for the competition, considering that several players were not called on international duty. Asked about the utility of this period, Valletta’s Chris Vella responded, “The holidays tend to disrupt the routine, however, it was mostly training as usual. We had a chance to focus on the physical aspect given the break in games.”
On the other hand, Vella suggested that the break still has not allowed the team to fully recover certain players, “We are still dealing with a few injuries but hopefully will have the players back soon.”
Meanwhile, asked a similar question on the utility of the International break, San Gwann’s Julian Camilleri replied, “We sought to maximise the time together, with an effort to address anything that was possible. The extended break gave us time and flexibility to work on the physical aspect, which perhaps is something that is not so worked on when you have weekly matches.”
Is There A Twist In The Tale?
The two teams are very familiar with each other by now. Valletta head into the fixture undefeated against San Gwann. Asked whether the Knockout style of the competition will require some tweaks on their end, or whether they prefer not to tamper with a working formula, Valletta’s Chris Vella replied, “Sometimes the Knockout tends to be a different story to the league. Our approach during the last phase worked well, but I’m sure the coach will be using all the available resources at his disposal.”
Probed about the belief of utilising the past matches against Valletta to find the elusive victory in a match where the winner takes all, San Gwann’s Julian Camilleri replied, “Our target is to get to the semi-final. It is not easy, but it is possible. Valletta have always been a difficult match for us but we were always in the matches. As I always say, a match is won by the side that does the minimum amount of mistakes. In past matches against them, we were the team to make most matches. So, I think we go into the match looking forward with a view to learn from these mistakes.”
The two teams will finish the quarter-final round at the Mgarr Ground. The match is expected to start at 16:30, depending on the outcome of the match between Mtarfa and Swieqi United (KO 14:00).
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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