Plenty Of Respect As San Gwann & Mgarr Seek To Overcome Defeats

San Gwann and Mgarr United will both be looking to bounce back with a victory this evening at the Charles Abela Stadium at 20:30. Julian Camilleri and Ryan Vella gave their views on working past a defeat to Swieqi, while giving insight into the return of familiar faces as they hone in on tonight’s battle.

Assessing Defeat

San Gwann and Mgarr will be meeting for the first time this evening with the two teams heading into it following tough outcomes against Swieqi United in separate competitions.

San Gwann faced a 8 – 1 defeat to the defending champions in their last league outing. Questioned on the assessment of such a drastic change from last year’s encounters against the Owls, Julian Camilleri replied, “There were several shortcoming from different members of the team, including myself. We did not reach our aims. We knew we were going to face a strong team, which has quality in its players, but also it was a team that was coming into the match to prove a point following a defeat. We’ve analysed our failures and have discussed the way forward to try to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.”

Mgarr United also head into the match following a defeat to Swieqi United. The Greens could not replicate the opening match dominance they showed against the Owls, ultimately succumbing to a 3 – 0 defeat, yielding the Super Cup.

Questioned about the mood and attitude in the dressing room during the past week, Ryan Vella replied, “⁠The attitude from the team was spot-on throughout this week. Every individual in our team knows that last Sunday we had a bad day at the office, and I’m sure that it will serve us a lesson for the future. Now the team is eager to bounce back with a positive performance.”

Returning Faces & Suspensions

San Gwann have gotten a boost in their ranks with the re-signing of Chaima Tourki. Julian Camilleri gave insight into the benefits of bringing back the Moroccan within his ranks, “She’s valuable to us in many ways. She’s strong technically, and also she’s familiar with our style of play. She’s also one of the first players that joined the side when I took over so she knows what I expect from her and she knows what to expect from me. I believe communication is one of the most important virtues in football and I think we have a very good relationship.”

Meanwhile, Mgarr United are still missing several key players, including the long-injured Brenda Borg, Veronique Mifsud and Ann-Marie Said. The side was also missing the latest signing, Ines N’Guessan against Swieqi United in the final.

Questioned about the progress on return from injury, Ryan Vella remained tight-lipped on returning timelines, “The situation is quite similar to how it was before. The players who suffered long term injuries are progressing really well. The rest of the team is fully fit and ready to go.”

Breaking The Defence That Is Yet To Concede A Goal In The League

San Gwann will head into the fixture seeking their first points this year against a team that is yet to concede a goal in the league. Julian Camilleri was probed on whether taking the learnings from the Swieqi match will be sufficient for points against the Greens, or whether Mgarr’s approach requires a completely different gameplan.

The San Gwann coach replied, “We’ve always been closer against Mgarr. I think we’ve always given them a good match, even though they always got a win. Ryan is a really great coach and I am certain that he will adapt according to the game and with the players that he has available, despite suspensions. They are a very organised side and a strong team, but we have worked hard in the past two weeks to have a good match.”

Mgarr United will certainly be without Yulya Carella, Alejandra Villegas Caly and Shakira Camilleri. In fact, questioned on the impact of suspensions on his choice of a first eleven, Mgarr’s Ryan Vella replied, “Even though we have some players unavailable due to suspensions, we’re lucky enough to have very good players who have been waiting for a chance. Changes will be done solely to field the best possible line up to give us the best chance to get the three points.”

As to whether he believes San Gwann might adopt a different approach following the Yellows’ defeat to Swieqi, Ryan Vella also hailed the work done by Julian Camilleri, “San Gwann has improved a lot and they constantly keep adding players and quality to their team. We expect a tough game against a disciplined team and we know that we need to be at our best level to get the three points.”

The two sides will meet at the Charles Abela Stadium at 20:30. The other match of the evening will be between Birkirkara and Swieqi United, who will meet at the Centenary Stadium at the same time.

Lead Image: Brandon Bonett / Timeless Snaps By Francesca

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