UWCL: Birkirkara’s First And Last Goalscorer In The Competition

The UEFA Women’s Champions League fixture between Birkirkara and ZFK Breznica kicks off in less than a week. In preparation, The Sporting Fan caught up with Ruth Steer-Chetham and Charlene Zammit to get their first-hand impression on scoring the first and last goals for the Stripes, while getting their thoughts on the upcoming tie.

On The Meaning of Scoring These Goals

As highlighted in the review published earlier in the week, Ruth Steer-Chetham netted Birkirkara’s first goal in their maiden participation back in 2007. She scored against that year’s hosts, KRKA Novo Mesto.

Questioned about what she remembers from that first appearance with the team in the competition, Steer-Chetham said, “I had just signed with Birkirkara from Melita that summer and it was our first time participating in the Women’s Champions League, so being given the chance to play was quite a big deal for me. This especially when one considers the strength of the opposition who were at such a high and professional level. Opposing teams consisted of many popular national team players and many of us had never more or less played at such level. It was obvious to me that these teams were ahead of us in all aspects.”

Steer-Chetham was not in the starting line-up that day but made the most of her appearance off the bench to get the Stripes’ first goal in their first participation. Asked about the goal itself, she said, “I remember the goal like it was yesterday, the ball flying into the net, all my teammates running toward me and we were all shouting as if we had won the match.”

Since then, Ruth Steer-Chetham made several appearances in the competition, including with Hibernians, alongside Charlene Zammit. The latter scored the last goal for Birkirkara which led to their maiden victory in the competition last year. Her goal came just under ten minutes after Raina Giusti’s equaliser, since Glentoran had scored earlier in the match.

Most notably known for being a defensive rock, Zammit is perhaps somewhat unorthodox in being the last goalscorer. However, she has a knack for scoring important goals. The goal against Glentoran came from a corner kick and asked to describe those moments leading up to it she said, “You may not believe it, but for some reason while walking up to attack the corner, I had already pictured myself scoring. I think you get these moments in important matches and maybe it had to do with the fact that Raina (Giusti) had got that equaliser just after coming on, so then you believe even more that as a team you could get the result by building on that momentum. You have to also consider that we had been building toward earning that first victory for a long time.”

Asked to describe those feelings after blasting the goal into the net, Zammit said, “I can never forget that moment. I screamed so much in celebration; it was a great feeling.” However, being a defender, Zammit then had to immediately switch into defensive mode to ensure the team maintained that lead.

Questioned about those final thirty minutes of the match, she said, “Glentoran kept piling attack on attack, with a very fast and strong front line. However, we were all physically prepared to keep pushing to the final whistle.”

Probed about the realisation of earning that historical victory against an opponent of such strength, Zammit said, “I think in those moments, the elation of hearing the full-time whistle is indescribable. There is a sense of relief, emotions and an adrenaline rush that makes you believe that you have actually won it!”

Looking Ahead To This Year’s Fixtures

Both players will be in contention for selection in this year’s competition. The team will be up against it when they host ZFK Breznica, with the Montenegrin champions coming into the match as the seeded team. Earning a victory on home soil is something that would be another significant moment in the story of these players, but would also etch another record in the history books of women’s football in Malta.

Questioned about her aims this year in the competition, Steer-Chetham exclaimed, “It will definitely be to give my utmost performance to help our team get a win on our soil.” Zammit agreed, but also noted the difference in pressure that perhaps such a scenario brings, especially since the team has now already won a match in the competition, “I think it there is something special about being able to play the competition in Malta and even in front of our families. However, perhaps there is also a different kind of pressure to do well and to win that game, maybe even because of the victory against Glentoran.”

Asked about the importance of having a strong crowd behind them as they attempt to achieve a positive result, Steer-Chetham noted, “Being able to play in Malta will give us a mental boost and I’m sure that we will have many supporters cheering us on!”

The match will be played at the Centenary Stadium on Wednesday 6^th September, at 6 pm. Tickets are on sale, costing €5 for adults and €3 for children and seniors. Tickets may be purchased here.

Lead Photos: Birkirkara FC

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