by Spartak Myjava will proceed to the next round in the UEFA Women’s Champions League with Andrea Bogorova giving her view on the final and the winning moment for Spartak & the women’s game. Swieqi’s Shona Zammit & Dorianne Theuma beamed with enthusiasm for the challenges ahead. Buducnost’s Leonora Prenkočević had nothing but pride for the way the team secured a maiden victory against Agarista Anenii Noi, while Agarista’s Alexandr Verevchin reflected on the learnings from the two matches.
Tightest Of Margins To Separate Myjava from Swieqi
The UEFA Women’s Champions League round one came to a close last Saturday. Group CP-2 produced goals, major saves, drama and debuts for not just players but also two new team names in the competition, ZFK Buducnost and Swieqi United.
Ultimately, Spartak Myjava found a goal in extra-time through a combination of Tamara Kramlikova and Andrea Bogorova to defeat Swieqi United and earn the place in the next round for the first time.
Myjava’s forward, Andrea Bogorova, described the moments leading to the winning goal, “We believed until the end that we could make it. We felt good physically and were prepared to give it our all until the end. So, then to get that winning goal was an extremely proud moment.”
Questioned on the stakes and the challenge brought by Swieqi United, Bogorova continued, “Swieqi was a lot more tactical as a team, whereas Buducnost were more into duels. So, before the match we spent a lot of time analysing our opponent and I think ultimately we achieved the win because we prepared better.”
In the face of a narrow defeat in extra-time, Swieqi United’s coach, Dorianne Theuma, reflected on the match with a bittersweet smile, “The players were exceptional. They did exactly what we asked of them, they were disciplined in and out of possession. Perhaps in the beginning we didn’t believe that we could reach certain level, but today we showed we could match their level and I think there were moments where we were even better.”
The Swieqi coach felt the team deserved the win, “These girls deserve a lot, they’ve worked hard over the summer and worked hard the past year. I think this result isn’t deserved, but we now know that we can play at this level and it will motivate us to become even better and reach even higher.”
Swieqi United’s captain Shona Zammit was also asked for her thoughts on the match. Questioned on the team’s expectations against the performance put in and the result, the skipper drew on her experience in the competition and gave insight into the thoughts leading up to the final match.
She said, “I think as you get older you think more about the defensive side of the game. Whereas there were several in the team who were positive I was more a bit skeptical. As a team we’re new to the competition, we have a lot of young players who are experiencing this level for the first time and we’ve not played matches at this level. I think the first match was a good start, but perhaps it was slightly easier than we expected, which led to me to question whether it was a good preparator for this one.”
Zammit beamed with pride when she said, “However, honestly I was pleasantly surprised by the character the team showed. It was a tough match and though we had no pressure to win it, of course every player wants to win. I think as a team we always had character, but I think we showed a new level and although defeat is tough and I wish we won, this experience, this match, will strengthen us as a team.”
Proud Showings For Young Talent
Among the teams, there were several players making their first appearances in the competition. ZFK Buducnost had one of the youngest squads. Their Team Manager, Leonora Prenkočević, had nothing but pride for the way the team secured a maiden victory against Agarista Anenii Noi to earn third-place in the group.
Players of sixteen and seventeen years old shone against Agarista, with intelligent passing and movement from Buducnost’s youngsters to secure the victory. The second goal was created and scored by three players having the ages of sixteen to seventeen: Aleka Balevic, Ana Vlahovic and Angelina Dreshaj. Questioned about the performance, Leonora Prenkočević replied, “I am happy for them. You can see the happiness on their faces and this will be a crucial step for them in their career.”
She continued, “I think to win the match against Agarista with no goals conceded means a lot because this team is very very young. I think we have every reason to go back to Montenegro with pride of what we achieved here, for the girls, our club and our country in the competition. I think achieving this result, with the squad that we have is the most positive thing to show.”
Similarly, Swieqi United’s squad featured plenty of young talent, including two goals in two matches from seventeen-year-old forward, Sara Saliba. She was joined by several young introductees including twenty-year-old Salamatu Abdulai who also netted twice, as well as Michaela Cachia and Tammy Falzon who had strong introductions in midfield and defence respectively, in the two matches played.
In fact, Swieqi United’s coach, Dorianne Theuma, hailed the defensive work by Valentina Rapa and Tammy Falzon as they faced the match as a new defensive duo in the absence of the injured Rafanny Mendoza Abache.
She said, “To see these players rise to the challenge today was an incredibly proud moment as a coach. Rafanny has a lot of experience, but today Valentina and Tammy made us feel secure. Michaela was also an exceptional player today, she’s another player just going into her twenties. So, this performance must be considered with that in mind. They gave their heart out as they always do, and even more so they played football in the face of immense pressure.”
Areas For Improvement
On the other hand, Agarista’s tournament yielded tough defeats but the side’s coach, Alexandr Verevchin reflected on the learnings from the two, “I think we had chances against both Swieqi and Buducnost, but I think the real lesson is that at this level the fitness must be a lot better to be able to keep up. It’s true that our season has not yet started in Moldova and perhaps this has an effect. Perhaps if those first few matches had been played the fitness and intensity would be better and that would make a difference.”
Questioned on the decision to yield so much possession, Alexandr Verevchin conceded that the tactical plan was to attack on the counter, but found positives in the matches played, “Our tactical plan against such strong teams was to defend well and counter-attack. We did not manage to find goals, but I am happy with the first half against Swieqi United because we feel the girls were strong and then although we struggled in the second half against them, we had a stronger showing today against Buducnost. So, there are positives in the attitude that we also take and fight for another opportunity to be better next year.”
Growing Movement
The competition was hosted in Myjava for the first time, which was a proud moment for the women’s team to showcase their football. Andrea Bogorova reflected on the match, “It was a proud moment. If someone had said ten years ago that we would be playing Champions League here I wouldn’t have believed them. So, to play it here and earn the place in the next round is a special moment and feels like a dream come true.”
The match attracted 1,412 attendees. The forward noted that it had been a while since European football came to Myjava and hopes the matches will trigger a positive wave across Slovakia, “We’re happy to see the support because we remember what it was like to experience this from the stands when the men were playing their European competitions here. So, it’s a proud moment for us but also for women’s football in Slovakia.”
Swieqi United’s Shona Zammit hailed the positivity in seeing a substantial crowd, “Even if the crowd is against you, I think as a player to see so many people enthusiastic about this game is a positive thing. It doesn’t affect me negatively, I’d rather have so many people against me, than play in an empty stadium.”
Dorianne Theuma echoed the sentiment, “I tell my players these are the games we train for. To see a full stand is the dream of every girl. Whether they scream at us or support us, to see a stand full of people watching you play football is a dream and it is something that we are deprived of in Malta. So, this was motivation for us today, to show our best football in a stadium such as this.”
Close & Hungry For More
Spartak Myjava will have the opportunity to battle it out in the next round, but Swieqi United’s Shona Zammit is enthusiastic about the team’s exploits and believes they will motivate the side for more.
In fact, questioned about the journey throughout the past year to get to this point, the skipper referred to Swieqi United’s path from defeat to success, “I think rather than just the past year, it’s been almost five years now of building bit by bit, facing set-backs and ultimately today I think that was the proud moment, to see how far we’ve come and to be able to show the football that we can play on this stage. I think it’s always important to remember where you started and the progress you made to get to this point.”
Zammit finished, “Today will pass, but the progress made will stay with us, it is another stepping stone. Today we saw another side to the team and we can see that we can go a step further. I hope we do not forget what we achieved, irrespective of the result. I hope we can take this forward in the league and hopefully earn the right to another experience like this.”
Spartak Myjava will face ZNK Mura on the 27th of August. Swieqi United, ZFK Buducnost and Agarista Anenii Noi will take stock of their showings and seek to implement the teachings as they aim to earn another opportunity on the European stage next year.
Lead Images: Vladimír Pyxel Domen
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