by San Gwann will welcome Swieqi United at 20:45 at the Centenary Stadium, following the clash between Birkirkara and Mgarr United (18:30). San Gwann’s Julian Camilleri is betting on his team to come up with another strong performance against an in-form Swieqi United side. Swieqi’s Dorianne Theuma praised the growth of San Gwann, but will certainly be pushing for a good performance and three points in search of the team taking the top spot in the table.
Pushing Toward Higher Levels
San Gwann head into the match knowing they will face an in-form Swieqi United team that will be hungry for the three points to take themselves top of the table by the end of the day.
Despite coming into the match on the back of a defeat, San Gwann’s trajectory continues to be a positive one, with another much improved scoreline against top four sides, following a 2-1 defeat to Mgarr United on Friday.
In fact, San Gwann’s coach, Julian Camilleri, was delighted by the recent performance, “I cannot be anymore satisfied by our recent performance. I saw what we trained for on the pitch, we had enthusiasm and were disciplined.”
Pushing his team toward higher ground, Camilleri continued, “Of course there were also some individual errors which every team makes, had we paid a bit more care at certain moments both defensively and offensively, we could have walked home with a point.”
San Gwann continue to be the best among the rest, with the team’s Hailey Russell topping the scoring charts, with the American building a good partnership with Shania Gheiti. However, it is a team that is showing strides in every department.
Julian Camilleri was questioned on whether he believes that he has the building blocks that he could develop further or whether this is threatened by the looming league split. He replied, “I am very happy with our current state. I have a lot to work with and the important thing is for the team to work toward our target.”
Swieqi United walked home with three points and a strong scoreline against Lija Athletic. However, Dorianne Theuma admitted that she was much happier with the team’s performance in the second half, “Despite the score, we didn’t perform well as a team in the first half. However, we regrouped during half time and performed much better in the second half. I always demand the maximum effort from my players, regardless of the game. We train hard for these matches, and that effort must be reflected during the game.”
The match featured a rotation in places, with Rafanny Mendoza Abache taking a defensive midfield position, while Tammy Falzon and Miriana Conti partnered each other at the back.
Dorianne Theuma did not give away too much on the likelihood of a recurrence but focused on the importance of versatility and rotation in the team, “We’re fortunate to have players who can perform in multiple roles. This was a great opportunity to test certain players in different positions, while also giving opportunities to others.”
Battling Injuries Amid The Season Toll
San Gwann’s Julian Camilleri confirmed that Rhea Borg will be sidelined with an ACL injury once more, very shortly after she made a return from the same injury. “Rhea has done her surgery and she’ll start her recover soon. We’ll take it from there.”
On the other hand, the San Gwann coach confirmed better news regarding captain Annabelle Rapa, “Annabelle took a heavy blow to her foot in the last match but it’s nothing serious.”
Swieqi United are not without their injuries, with Dorianne Theuma also confirming a longer term absence for Maria Vella, “Maria has been sidelined for almost two months and we are hoping to have her back in January.”
Meanwhile, Patricia Araujo was dropped for the match against Lija Athletic, with Chanelle Borg taking the place between the posts. Dorianne Theuma gave some insight about the change, “There are no issues, Chanelle is training very well and deserves to have her fair share of play time with the senior team too.”
Exploiting Strengths In Search Of Long-Term Success
Setting the pace in fifth place, before looking toward longer term targets, San Gwann will need to face a Swieqi United side which is yearning for the three points to get to the top of the table.
Still, Julian Camilleri is backing his team to put up another good showing despite the short turnaround in matches, “We’re aiming to keep out same setup as we played when facing Mgarr United. We did not have too much to prepare for this one, but we must adapt to the situations that we may face. I believe that we can have another good match, if we maintain our discipline.”
His counterpart, Dorianne Theuma, will certainly be pushing her team toward three points. However, questioned on the challenge which San Gwann’s forward line is bringing to the team in terms of physicality and approach, the Swieqi United coach praised the San Gwann unit.
She said, “As a team, we have full respect for the San Gwann squad. We are aware of not only the strengths their forward line possess, but the capabilities of the team as a whole. We will do our utmost to prepare in the best way possible.”
The two teams will be taking to the pitch at the Centenary Stadium at 20:45. The match will follow the clash between Birkirkara and Mgarr United, with that one starting at 18:30.
Lead Images: Lara Schembri
Make sure to never miss an Assikura Women’s League match by syncing your calendar here.
Stay up to date by following The Sporting Fan on social media: Instagram ~ Facebook ~ X
