Malta’s women’s team will be making its debut in the FIFA World Cup this afternoon at the Centenary Stadium when it meets one of the top European teams, Spain, in a qualifier (kick-off 5pm).
It is a match from Group 5 which also includes recent European Championship finalists England, Austria and Turkey.
The Maltese girls are looking forward earnestly towards today’s encounter which will see them breaking new ground in the history of women’s football in Malta.
The match comes after the 4-0 defeat of Latvia in June in a UEFA mini tournament. That result brought about a lot of confidence in the team, even if coach Pierre Brincat and his players are well aware that today’s opponents live in a much different street, that is, of a much higher level.
Addressing a news conference yesterday morning, Brincat said he was aware of the big gap that existed between the teams in women’s football. “The gap is even bigger than that existing in the men’s sector, but we will be doing our best to reach better levels through our performances in this qualifying group.
“It is a new experience for us but we will be doing our best to try and combat their superior qualities such as physical strength and technical abilities.
“We know that Spain are ranked among the top eight teams in women’s football at world level. Let us not forget that in the European Championship qualifiers, they faced England twice, drawing 2-2 at home and losing 1-0 away. And let us also not forget that England reached the final where they lost 6-2 against Germany last month,” said Brincat.
The coach said they had lost two players through injury, Kathleen Saliba and Catherine Camilleri. “We hope to have them back into the squad later on: perhaps Camilleri may be fit to play the next match against England on 25 October. However, we have new players in the form of Corissa Vella, Yanika Debono and Kim Parnis. They will all gain valuable experience, even if they will be starting from the bench,” he said.
Brincat also announced his formation. Barring any last minute injuries, it will be as follows:
Sharon Costantino, Rebecca Chircop, Chantelle Fenech, Natasha Pace, Maria Azzopardi, Rachel Cuschieri, Dorianne Theuma, Ylenia Carabott, Mandy Debono, Rebecca D’Agostino and Emma Xuereb.
Brincat also said it would be impossible for his team to play any sort of attacking game against Spain. He added: “It would be crazy for us to try and attack the Spaniards. We intend to play our game as much as we can in the hope of limiting the damage. It is a match completely different from the others we have already played so far.”
Captain Rebecca D’Agostino told the press the girls were all very much aware of the big challenge facing them in this competition. She said: “We are looking forward to this opener against Spain. We know their strengths and we also are aware of our limitations. Such matches will be very difficult for us, but we intend to give them a good run for their money. We have trained hard during the pre-season and physically, we hope to stand on a par with them.”