by Swieqi United’s Super Cup victory against Mgarr United reverted the story of the opening matchday. Ryan Vella gave his thoughts on defeat, while Dorianne Theuma underscored the impact of determination in getting results. The two coaches weighed in on the aggression in the match and the impact on the season. Captain Shona Zammit gave insight to the mental battles for the side as they headed to the final, while Sara Saliba and Aleksandra Yaneva discussed their contributions and earning the first trophy with Swieqi.
On Character & Merit
There could only be one winner, but Mgarr United’s Ryan Vella conceded that the team needed to do more with the initial momentum in the match, “I think opposite to the first match, we started well but we got lost a bit then and I think they raised their intensity as we dropped. However, we had good chances in the opening stages, and we could have also scored. We didn’t take those chances and Swieqi capitalised on theirs. I think today Swieqi were better than us and the victory is fully merited.”
Questioned about missing big characters in the team as the going got tough, Ryan Vella weighed in, “I think what is safe to say is that it was not our day. I don’t think I can pin this on one player or missing someone in particular. I think a lot of the team was not at their best today and on the opposite side we had Swieqi who were on their game. We know their strengths and they showed them.”
Swieqi United’s Dorianne Theuma was probed on whether she thought taking those early chances made the difference on the day, especially considering the defeat against the same side three weeks ago. She replied, “I think the crucial difference today was our determination to take our opportunities. We created our chances, we were intelligent in our approach to the game and we took the chances created.”
Similarly probed about the importance of characters in earning this victory, Dorianne Theuma underscored the dynamic of her side, “This character is the same character that our players showed last year. This was what was missing in our last match against Mgarr.”
She continued, “I will keep saying that our players are very young, there is lack of experience. When things go wrong they doubt themselves. However, I think today they’ve shown again that when they want something, they are good enough to earn it.”
Indeed, Swieqi United’s captain Shona Zammit was questioned about the difference in coming to this final with a trophy to defend and facing a tough side that beat them three weeks before, “I think today was the first time we’ve felt some pressure, maybe because we reached a certain level in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and then we didn’t back it up in the opening match of the league. So, that was a big disappointment for us and of course doubts start to creep in. I felt we also lost a bit our identity in that match. So, mentally it was a difficult final to go into, mostly to overcome individual doubts, because the team’s abilities are there.”
She credited the team for showing up and earning this victory, “I think today we showed that the work we’ve done is still there and that we can reach those levels. We’re fighting to be better daily, there is strong competition in the league and that will not change. After today, we must look forward with optimism to the rest of the season.”
A Forward Line That Ticked For Swieqi
The Owls had a ticking front which continued to gel effectively to down the Greens. Aleksandra Yaneva continued a bright start to life with the Maltese side, delivering two assists on the evening for her two teammates up front.
The Bulgarian weighed in on the performance and earning the first title with the team, “I am very happy to give my best to the team so that we could get this victory today. For me it doesn’t matter if it is an assist or a goal, my aim is to help the team and I believe today we deserved this victory. Mgarr have their strengths, it’s good to play against a high intensity team. However, I believe today we showed our strengths individually and also as a team. All the staff has been exceptionally professional, they’ve been great to get us here and today we delivered to show ourselves as a professional side.”
Yaneva has found her feet very quickly with the side and credited the team for their support, “The team has helped me adapt very quickly. I am excited for the season because I believe if we keep playing like this, it will not be the only trophy.”
Meanwhile, Sara Saliba delivered a brace and was denied the hat-trick by the crossbar. The young forward is no stranger to Super Cup finals, having clinched two with Birkirkara. Questioned about earning this victory with her new side following the opening defeat to Mgarr, Saliba replied, “I think that defeat against Mgarr fuelled us to show a good comeback today. We worked very hard as a team in the past two weeks and I believe today is a result of that work.”
Also a new face in Swieqi’s forward line, Saliba appears hungry for more with the side, “I’ve found more of a family than a team in Swieqi, both in players and also in the staff. It only made my love for football grow further and I’m looking forward to what we can achieve for the rest of the season.”
Aggression At The Forefront
There was no mistaking of the stakes in the match, with tackles flying in and official Luca Grech in centre stage to control the two sides. The two coaches were questioned on the nature of tackles and their thoughts on the importance of officials controlling such fixtures to diffuse tensions rather than exacerbate them.
Ryan Vella weighed in, “I won’t argue the first red card, I think it was deserved. However, I think there were a lot of situations where we were given a yellow card and the other team wasn’t, for exactly the same kind of challenges. One case is Alejandra (Villegas Caly), who was booked for a challenge that was common from both and then eventually got the second yellow, whereas Swieqi were not booked for similar offences. I think my issue is not with the cards themselves, but I think what is important is to see consistency from officials in a match.”
Posed a similar question, Swieqi United’s Dorianne Theuma replied, “Football is a physical game. There were tackles that should have earned yellows earlier, there were tackles that were very late and tackles that could have been avoided. It is part of the game and I think it was on both sides. I think from our side there were a lot of contested moments even in the first half. However, I think it’s normal to see aggression in a final. In the end, I’m happy with the mentality and focus shown by the team.”
The Impacts On The Season
It is a first trophy and one that came very early this year. The two coaches were probed on the impact that this game has on the rest of the season for their teams.
Ryan Vella was clear in his response, “We must have a good reaction. We had a good start to the season and we won’t let this game take away from that. However, we must analyse this match and learn from it. We have our next match against San Gwann and we must ensure that we must have a much better performance than today.”
Likewise, Dorianne Theuma replied, “I think the opening defeat shed a dark light over us, and it was not easy to come up with the response in the past two weeks. Winning this final is the confirmation we give to ourselves, not to the opponents, that when we are at our best we can get there. Our players have exceptional work ethic, so when they believe in themselves and their abilities, this is what they can get. As a young player it is difficult to get consistency, but today it’s important for them to keep in mind that when they turn up fully focused and determined, they can get these results.”
The two sides return to action this Friday as Swieqi United face Birkirkara at the Centenary Stadium at 20:30, while Mgarr United take on San Gwann at the Charles Abela Stadium at the same time.
Lead Image: Timeless Snaps by Francesca
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