by Malta’s U19 Women’s National Team ended things on a high, attaining a 3 – 1 victory against Kazakhstan after tough defeats to Latvia (5 – 1) and Israel (3 – 1). Coach David Attard weighed in on the justification of expectations against tactical decisions, in view of differing opponents and player response.
Mixed Results
Malta’s Women’s U19 National Team concluded their commitments in the UEFA Women’s U19 European Championships with two defeats to Latvia and Israel, as well as a victory against Kazakhstan. The latter marked Attard’s first competitive victory since taking over the team.
The Malta coach weighed in on the results in view of the team’s expectations as they headed into the tournament, “You always want more in terms of results and we definitely came into the tournament hoping for a better outcome, especially in the Latvia game. However, our main focus is on the long-term development of these players. From a performance perspective we saw clear signs of progress and continued to build on the work from previous tournaments. So, while we’re disappointed with the Latvia and Israel results, we’re encouraged by the direction of our performances.”
The victory against Kazakhstan marks a postive step for the team to bring home points in competitive international matches.
However, David Attard agreed that a bigger expectation of the team in terms of results is justified in playing matches against these nations, “Absolutely. We should always expect more from ourselves and strive for higher standards. But it’s also important to measure progress. In this tournament, we scored in every game and consistently created good goal-scoring opportunities, with numbers in the box, which are clear steps forward from previous competitive campaigns. Our focus is on improving our performance and developing individuals in preparation for the senior international level.Â
Facing The Pressure
The first match saw Malta equalising against Latvia just before half time, thanks to a direct free-kick by Lexine Farrugia. However, Latvia powered through a 5 – 1 victory in the second half. It was perhaps most alarming given Malta’s history against this nation in the women’s game.
Questioned on what he thought made the difference in the second half, David Attard weighed in, “That second-half against Latvia was a tough lesson for us. You have to give them credit as they came out with more desire after half-time and we lost our composure. We started to stray from our game plan and we were playing more direct even against strong winds – which isn’t our style and wasn’t part of the plan. It played right into their hands. It became a physical battle that suited them more than us and they punished our mistakes. It’s a clear learning moment for us about managing a game when the tide turns against you.”
The team was unable to find the net against Israel. However, David Attard rejected that it meant that the team showed no response to the Latvia match, “I understand why the result might suggest that but from a performance standpoint, I actually saw a strong reaction from the players. The players stuck to the game plan with great commitment against what I believe was the strongest team in the group. The difference really came down to moments of individual quality from Israel.”
On the other hand, David Attard suggested that the win against Kazakhstan came from a similar performance from Malta, and related more due to how Malta’s setup faired against Kazakhstan’s approach, “I think our performance level was consistent with the Israel match but the result was different because the opponent presented a different challenge.”
He continued, “Kazakhstan played a more open game with a back four against us which they didn’t seem to be used to playing compared to the deep defending, back-five they used against Israel and Latvia. Naturally their gameplan gave our attackers and midfielders more space and time on the ball.”
In fact, David Attard rejected it was to do with rotations within the Maltese team, “It wasn’t about finding a new setup as our core attacking group has been consistent. It was more about our players adapting well to the different tactical situation and taking advantage of the chances that a more open game provides.”
Tactical Decisions & Long-Term View
The Malta coach stuck to a similar back line and midfield, with changes more concentrated in goal as Erika Muscat and Maya Muscat traded places, as well as in rotation of the players in attack. The side found the net five times, courtesy of a variation of players and a mixture of creations, from direct set-pieces, passes to find incisive runs from midfield, as well as bigger presences in the box to convert crosses. Captain Lexine Farrugia netted twice, with Stella Francalanza, Nyorah Celeste, and Emma Flannery completing the scoring for Malta in the matches.
David Attard explained that Lexine Farrugia’s early withdrawal against Israel was precautionary, “She felt a minor muscle issue late in the first half. It was a clear decision to take her off as a precaution, especially to ensure she was available for our final game. Losing both her and the injured Nyorah (Celeste) certainly impacted our attack but I was proud of how other players stepped up and we still managed to score a good team goal.”
His responses to the rotations in attack, in view of the results, underscored that the changes were more to do with exploiting different attributes from players, more than experimentation to find the best setup.
However, from a tactical point of view, David Attard acknowledged that the matches showed the team’s shortcomings in playing out from a press, “Yes I agree. We did concede goals from mistakes made while trying to build from the back against a high press. But for us, these are calculated risks.”
Attard continued by underscoring the importance of facing the need to sacrifice the short term for the long-term, “If we want to develop players who are comfortable on the ball and want to be ready for the senior international level, we have to be brave and commit to this philosophy. Even if it leads to mistakes now. These experiences while painful in the moment, are invaluable lessons. Our philosophy won’t change – we see these challenges as part of the learning process.”
Players have since returned to club duties, with a handful of players possibly debuting at the National Stadium for the first time on Monday as Hibernians entertain Mgarr United for a chance to lift the Enemed Women’s Jubilee Cup. The match will begin at 14:30 with tickets available for purchase online.
Lead Images: Malta FA (Jonathan Caruana)
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[…] Given that the Maltese side has faced both Israel and Kazakhstan recently, David Attard noted that t…However, Bulgaria will be one to watch as well, “Bulgaria is a strong team who competed in League A against some very tough opposition, so we’re expecting a difficult challenge. That’s no different to how we approach every game.” […]