by Mtarfa and Valletta are scheduled to take to the pitch at the Centenary Stadium at 20:15. Valletta’s Jean Lopes discussed attributes required for youngsters to make the leap into the senior team and the prospect several of the players competing against each other for the second time in two days.
Slender Victories
The two teams are due for the third meet in the Assikura Women’s League this season tonight, with Valletta holding all the points from the first two meets and coming into it on the back of a victory. However, Mtarfa will feel they managed a small victory in returning to the pitch against San Gwann, and managing to limit the score to a 2 – 0 defeat.
Valletta marked a return to points with a 1 – 0 victory against Lija Athletic last week, having been dealt two straight defeats before it. The side had plenty of possession, but could not extend the early lead.
Jean Lopes remarked, “The game against Lija was an interesting one, where we managed to maintain possession of the ball and play in a solid and effective manner. Unfortunately, we were unable to convert the opportunities we had into goals. However, in the end, we were happy with our performance.”
Injuries & Transitions
Valletta have been a side in transition, with several new faces coming up the ranks. Jean Lopes was probed about the key attributes he looks at when deciding whether a player is ready to make the jump into the senior side.
He said, “As coaches, Leonardo and I are always looking for players with personality. Today, our team is made up of many U19 players, who are already a reality within our team. Some are always playing as part of the starting eleven. There are other young players, who we are giving the right time to mature. As coaches, we are always observing the performance of our younger teams and we certainly have more talent coming soon.”
Mtarfa also have a young squad, with the side also being one that actively tries to balance their U19 players within the senior team. However, the summer brought with it a few more senior players including Danna Fuentes Alvarez, Nicole Espinel Bautista and Clara Westerlund, despite the trio not being in line-ups since the start of the year. The side has also been missing a few other of its young players recently, including Ruth Micallef and Estelle Borg, among others.
A Second Meet In Two Days
The two sides met in the Assikura Women’s Youth League just two days ago, with Valletta securing a triumphant victory. In this regard, the teams were probed about their approach to dealing with the balance needed to secure points against the safeguarding of their players.
Jean Lopes replied, “The idea is to always give everyone the opportunity to play and gain minutes and experience during the season. It has not been easy for our U19 players to play one game on Tuesday and another on Thursday. We will study the best possibility so that we can give the athletes the necessary rest without affecting our performance.”
No responses were received from the Mtarfa camp at the time of writing.
The two teams are expected to take to the pitch at the Centenary Stadium at 20:15.
Lead Images: Lara Schembri / Elise Bajada
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