by Birkirkara announced the signing of Caitlin Rogers to their senior squad, while also promoting Erika Muscat and Amelia Vassallo from the youth squads. All three could feature in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. One week away from the opening tie, The Sporting Fan spoke with potential debutant Caitlin Rogers on her perspective going into the match against ZFK Breznica.
Potential Debutants
Though Birkirkara pack plenty of experience in their squad, one also expects a few new names to crop up in the line-up. Over the years, Birkirkara has seen plenty of youngsters go up through the ranks, while the team sought to recruit a few new players to their squad. Goalkeeper Erika Muscat and creative midfielder Amelia Vassallo have been promoted from the youth ranks and could feature in this year’s competition. Additionally the depth in the squad has also been boosted through the recruitment of Caitlin Rogers. All three debuted in the strong victory over Lija Athletic in the opening match of the season.
Rogers On the Unique Nature of the Champions League
Caitlin Rogers made the switch from the Swedish side Umea IK. Hailing from the USA, she is also an alumni of the University of Montana. Asked how much the opportunity to feature in the UEFA Women’s Champions League enticed her to join the Stripes, Rogers said, “It definitely caught my eye, together with the idea of coming to a different place to experience new things. Being with the team I’ve already had a lot of great firsts, but I think growing up, playing in the Champions League was perhaps something I never really thought about. So, to be able to get to also do that while I am with the team is an experience I look forward to.”
Speaking about the unique nature of the tournament Rogers added, “It will be great to be in that environment which brings together teams from different countries and cultures. In the USA we have the NCAA tournament which pits the best of the best against each other, but it is still only limited to teams within the US. So, it will be great to be in a tournament that brings together teams from different countries.”
On Handling the Pressure of the Match
Noting the high level of the competition, Rogers said, “It makes me really excited to play and considering that the team’s first victory came so recently (last year) makes me feel that everyone in the team wants to get into that spot again.” Asked about how she would handle the first moments on the pitch, should she be handed her debut in the competition by the coach, Rogers said, “I think I would try to handle it like any other game because if you think too much about it, then that’s when it could get into your head. So, I think the idea is to be reliable with my first moments and then build on from there.”
Finally, probed about what she would consider to be a good performance from her perspective, Rogers alluded to her defensive duties noting, “I really enjoy the defensive part of the game, so to be able to make a block or an important interception would be something I would be extremely proud of.”
The Importance of Having a Strong Crowd in Support
Adding to it the fact that Birkirkara will be hosting the tournament in Malta, Rogers said, “The fact that we will be playing at home adds a bit of an extra thing to prove to the home fans, but it will also be great to have their support to hype us up.”
She continued, “I’ve been in the situation of having over three-thousand people who are against you and booing you. So it will be interesting to be on the opposite side, so of having the crowd being completely involved in the game and wanting you to succeed. As a player you feel that emotion in the stadium it fuels you to do even better in the game.”
The tie between ZFK Breznica and Birkirkara will be played next Wednesday 6th September at the Centenary Stadium, with kick-off at 6 pm.
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