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Euros Preview: Iceland

by Kris Goman (28/6/22)

Above: Iceland celebrate their qualification for Euro 2022. Photo: Iceland Review.

Iceland, placed 17th in the FIFA World Rankings, are known as Stelpurnar Okkar (Our Girls) and are a small island nation with a population of only just over 370,000 people (slightly more than the English city of Coventry or the Central Coast of NSW). The nation bats well above average in women’s football for its size. Vigdis Finnbogadottir was the world’s first female elected head of state, becoming president in 1980, and Iceland is known for its progressive feminist politics. Icelandic people use Patronymic or Matronymic surnames meaning their surname indicates the first name of their father or mother followed by dottir (daughter) or son (son). So for example, Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir is the daughter of Gunnars.

The Squad:

Goalkeepers: Telma Ivarsdottir (Breidablik), Cecilia Ran Runarsdottir (Bayern Munich), Sandra Sigurdardottir (Valur).

Defenders: Aslaug Munda Gunnlaugsdottir (Breidablik), Elisa Vidarsdottir (Valur), Glodis Perla Viggosdottir (Bayern Munich), Ingibjorg Sigurdardottir (Valerenga), Gudny Arnadottir (AC Milan), Gudrun Arnardottir (Rosengard), Sif Atladottir (Selfoss), Hallbera Gudny Gisladottir (IFK Kalmar).

Midfielders: Alexandra Johannsdottir (Eintract Frankfurt), Dagny Brynjarsdottir (West Ham United), Karolina Lea Vilhjalmsdottir (Bayern Munich), Selma Sol Magnusdottir (Rosenborg), Gunnhildur Yrsa Jonsdottir (Orlando Pride), Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir (Olympique Lyonnais).

Forwards: Svava Ros Gundmundsdottir (Brann), Berglind Bjorg Thorvaldsdottir (Brann), Agla Maria Albertsdottir (Hacken), Elin Metta Jensen (Valur), Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir (Wolfsburg), Amanda Andradottir (Kristianstads).

The Head Coach:

**Above:** Thorsteinn Halldorsson, Iceland’s head coach. **Photo:** Visir.

Thorsteinn Halldorsson was appointed coach in January 2021 After coaching the Breidablik woman’s team since 2014, winning the Icelandic Championship three times and making the final 16 of the Champions League in 2019. He was a successful defender prior to coaching making over 150 appearances in the men’s top division.

Since he’s been their manager, they’ve only lost to the Netherlands and the USA. Iceland have also recorded wins against the likes of Japan, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, and the Czech Republic.

Euros History

Iceland have qualified for three previous Euros, in 2009, 2013, and 2017. They made the quarter-finals in 2013 but lost all their group games in 2009 and 2017.

Qualifying

Iceland qualified after being runners up in Group F which consisted of four other nations: Sweden, Slovakia, Hungary, and Latvia. Iceland only lost one match – against Sweden in their away match, 2-0. They drew their home match against the Olympic silver medallists 1-1. They recorded the biggest win of the group against Latvia 9-0 and Elin Metta Jensen topped the goal scoring in the group with 6 goals. Their goal difference was +20.

Strengths

Iceland has a good grassroots football scheme that inspires young girls to compete professionally. The small population means that the Icelandic people are just as interested in supporting the women’s team as the men’s, particularly when they do well.

Iceland have prolific scorers in Elin Metta Jensen, Dagny Brynjarsdottir and Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir. They had a high-scoring run in qualifying and still kept out the likes of Sweden with solid defence. Most of the team play in the Scandinavian and German leagues, with the notable exceptions of Jonsdottir playing for Orlando Pride in the NWSL, Brynjarsdottir playing for West Ham United in the FAWSL and Gunnarsdottir having recently left Olympique Lyonnais in the D1 Arkema for Juventus. Only seven members of the squad play for domestic Icelandic teams giving them wide-ranging experience with their European opponents.

Development Areas:

Iceland have never qualified for a World Cup and have only qualified for the Euros three times before. They’ve had reasonable success in the annual Algarve Cup but they lack big tournament experience. The pressure of this tournament could take its toll on some of the less experienced and younger players.

Key Player:

**Above:** Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir, a Champions League winner with Olympique Lyonnais before heading to the Euros with Iceland. **Photo:** OL Feminin.

Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir is the Iceland captain and most successful player. She was a regular starter for Lyon prior to falling pregnant and then having a baby last November. She played again in March and was part of the Champions League-winning team in May. She’s just signed for Juventus for next season and is a calm and strong leader. Her presence will lift the team.

One To Watch:

21-year-old Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir is making a name for herself with Wolfsburg. The team made the semis of the Champions League this year losing to Barcelona so she has some big match experience. She also won the league this year with Wolfsburg. She is fast, technical, and brave.

Prediction

France are likely to win their group but Iceland could get to the quarter-finals. Italy are becoming stronger and stronger of late but Iceland have a solid, experienced squad and it’s certainly not inconceivable they could get through. It’s unlikely they’d get any further though.

Group Fixtures

10th July: Belgium, 5pm, Academy Stadium, Manchester.

14th July: Italy, 5pm, Academy Stadium, Manchester.

18th July: France, 8pm, New York Stadium, Rotherham.

Impetus is previewing a different nation every day between now and the start of the European Championships. Click below to read the previously published articles: FRANCE – by Jean-Pierre Thiesset: https://impetusfootball.org/2022/06/25/euros-preview-france/ AUSTRIA – by Jorge Ceron: https://impetusfootball.org/2022/06/26/euros-preview-austria/ GERMANY – by Johnathan Stack: https://impetusfootball.org/2022/06/27/euros-preview-germany/- https://impetusfootball.org/2022/06/27/euros-preview-germany/

NPL WA Women Round 13 Wrap

Ben Gilby provides his weekly round-up of all the action from the Western Australia NPL Women’s competition. As usual, there is a detailed report on one game and a wrap of all the other matches along with photos (27/6/22).

Above: Fremantle City’s Kat Jukic (centre) who was hugely influential for her team in Sunday’s game against Balcatta Etna. Photo: FotoEnzo.

MAIN REPORT OF THE WEEK:

Balcatta Etna 1-2 Fremantle City

A looping cross-shot from Tash Rigby was ultimately the difference between the two sides in a dramatic and entertaining game on Sunday afternoon.

This was the second meeting between the two sides in four days after they played their rearranged Round Six clash in midweek. Balcatta came from behind to record a 2-1 win on that occasion to seal their fifth straight league win and meant that if they could repeat the success, they would go second in the ladder.

Both teams produced a hugely enjoyable high tempo and skilful encounter in the Grindleford Reserve sunshine. The opening quarter saw Freo have the edge in terms of possession and chances, but the hosts had the dangerous Monique Prinsloo, who was combining ominously with Monique Godding on occasions to suggest that once Balcatta were able to put together a consistent period of pressure, they were capable of giving as good as they got.

Much of the visitors’ successes were down to the pace and guile of Jessica Darmago on the left, the physical presence and experience of Kat Jukic who drifted across the centre and towards the right, along with the work rate and quick thinking of Tash Rigby on the right who played in a number of deliciously pacey crosses throughout.

Despite missing the influential pairing of captain Mikayla Lyons and Siobhan Longmore, Fremantle were solid at the back and dangerous going forward. They won back-to-back corners, before using their rapid-fire passing game to cut through once more. Darmago escaped from Tahlia D’Opera on the left and cut across to find Kayla McCulloch who in turn linked with Matilda Boyle. Rigby was then played in on the right to play in a cross for Jukic to hit a first time volley wide.

With fifteen minutes on the clock, the creativity of the visitors combined once more. From a Balcatta throw parallel with their own 18-yard box, the ball went straight to Jukic. The former Perth Glory W-League player was tightly marked by two, but showed great skill to escape and cut in towards the edge of the box where she laid off to Jamie-Lee Gale who advanced into the area and hit a low shot across home goalkeeper Gabby Dal Busco and into the net.

**Above:** Fremantle City celebrate after Jamie-Lee Gale put them ahead at Balcatta Etna on Sunday. **Photo:** NPL.

From the re-start, Fremantle almost doubled their advantage. Darmago skipped along the left and pulled the ball across for Rigby towards the back post who crashed a shot first time against the bar.

Yet, Balcatta are made of stern stuff, and they came back from this adversity to put together their longest spell of consistent pressure in the first half. Prinsloo hit a long ranger just wide of the far post before Tahlia D’Opera rifled in an effort from outside the box which needed to be pushed over by Dayle Schroeder in the Fremantle goal.

From the resulting corner, as the ball was ricocheting around in the box, it was handled by a visiting defender, and referee Stephen Knight pointed to the spot. Up stepped Godding to dispatch the penalty for her second goal in a week, and Balcatta were level.

**Above:** The ball hits the right hand side of the net after Monique Godding dispatches a penalty to level the scores. **Photo:** NPL.

After an initial bout of arm-wrestle football after the equaliser, it was Freo who had the slight edge before the break. McCulloch’s influence on the ball was growing. She was comfortable in possession and in one such move found Annabelle Leek to commence another rapid passing exchange from the visitors, the ball was played into Jukic and moved on to Gale whose effort was forced into the side netting after Dal Busco cleverly advanced to narrow the angle.

Matilda Boyle was forced off the pitch due to injury for the visitors before the break to be replaced by Coral Buxey. During the interval, Balcatta brought on Mia Yeo, and it didn’t take long for the teenage left-sided player to show her worth as the second half opened with a bang.

Monique D’Opera showed great vision to switch the play from the centre out to Yeo on the left. Fremantle gave the Balcatta youngster too much space – something she thrives on – and Yeo advanced up the wing and played in a cross for Prinsloo who hit a shot that was handled by Laura Waltman, and Balcatta were awarded their second penalty of the match.

Laura Continibali placed the ball on the spot this time, and Freo keeper Dayle Schroeder repelled the shot to the left of centre – however, the visitors celebrations were cut short as referee Stephen Knight ordered a re-take. Continibali v Schroeder take two sensationally went the same way as the original as Schroeder saved with her legs.

Buoyed by this incredible turn of events, the visitors immediately went on the offensive and Rigby hit another long ranger which was pushed away from the top corner by Dal Busco.

Back came Balcatta, and Continibali beat Natarsha Smith on the right, to play in a tempter towards the back post for an unmarked Yeo, but the teenager sidefooted wide. Shortly afterwards, injury claimed Yeo and Carys Davis came onto the left.

**Above:** Tash Rigby (4) hits the winning goal for Fremantle City. **Photo:** NPL.

Into the final ten minutes, Freo grew once more. They had a penalty shout waved away claiming Aaliyah Jorquera handled the box, but Stephen Knight wasn’t moved. The visitors continued to push. With six minutes remaining, Jukic, on the left turned her way out of a cul-de-sac once more despite the close attentions of Balcatta markers and laid a pass inside for McCulloch who in turn found Rigby outside her on the right. The Perth Glory A-League Women captain advanced before looping a cross-shot which left Dal Busco grasping as it sailed into the net.

Despite Balcatta’s best efforts in the remainder of the game, it was Fremantle who ran out winners to strengthen their position in the top two.

Teams: BALCATTA ETNA: Dal Busco, M.D’Opera, T.D’Opera, Seerden, Godding, Jorquera, Prinsloo, Doust, Continibali, Veroni, Alberts. Substitutes: Davis, Cawley, Yeo, Englebert.

Scorers: Godding (pen) 26′

FREMANTLE CITY: Schroeder, Smith, Rigby, Gale, Waltman, Darmago, McCulloch, Boyle, Leek, Jukic, Kiama. Substitutes: Buxey, Siah, Nolan, Carta.

Scorers: Gale 15′, Rigby 84′.

Referee: Stephen Knight.

Round 13 Wrap:

**Above:** Ischia Brooking (second right) celebrates with her teammates after putting Hyundai NTC 1-0 up against Curtin University on Friday night. **Photo:** NPL.

This weekend’s action began on Friday night as Hyundai NTC hosted bottom-of-the-table Curtin University at E&D Litis Stadium.

The home side went ahead with just eight minutes on the clock as they profited from a move along the left which saw the ball played in low. Curtin had several opportunities to clear, but failed each time, allowing Ischia Brooking to comfortably side-foot home the opener.

Five minutes later it was 2-0. Grace Johnston put in a high cross from the right which caused chaos in the Curtin defence and it was easily nodded back across goal for Anna Powell to chest the ball across the line. With 18 on the clock, a corner from the right was prodded on by Louise Tana for Powell to smash home from inside the six-yard box for the first in a spell of three goals in four minutes.

**Above:** Hyundai NTC’s Tanika Lala (9) completes the scoring from the penalty spot. **Photo:** NPL.

The second in that period came when Curtin lost possession from goalkeeper Stacey Cavill’s short pass out of the box to Tana who fed Tanika Lala outside her. Lala advanced and was able to place a shot into the far corner. It was 5-0 after a similar catastrophic loss of possession at the back. Cavill’s short ball was returned back towards the area and the second attempted clearance only found Lala just inside the box to the left. The young star took a touch and unleashed a rocket into the top right-hand corner of the net.

The flow of goals was stemmed until just after the hour mark. Tana showed great pace to get away along the right and play in a cross that looped up high. Lala went in with Curtin keeper Cavell who initially repelled the danger only for her work to be undone as the ball rebounded off of Powell and in, for her hat-trick. The final goal in NTC’s 7-0 success came from the penalty spot with Lala stepping up to complete her hat-trick.

**Above:** Perth RedStar celebrate Olivia Wood’s goal that settled matters at Murdoch University Melville. **Photo:** NPL.

Unbeaten league leaders Perth RedStar maintained their 13-point lead at the top of the ladder with a 2-0 win at Murdoch University Melville on Saturday. But they needed two late goals in order to keep up their 100% start to the season.

They went ahead thanks to Renee Leota goal. The outcome at BeSteam Stadium was finally settled when Olivia Wood forced home from close range at the right hand post.

The round’s remaining scheduled game between Subiaco and Perth SC was postponed.

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts	GD
Perth RedStar	12	12	0	0	48	5	36	+43
Fremantle City	13	7	2	4	30	14	23	+16
Perth SC	11	6	2	3	19	6	20	+13
Balcatta Etna	12	6	1	5	15	11	19	+4
Hyundai NTC	12	4	4	4	20	24	16	-4
Murdoch University Melville	12	3	3	6	12	16	12	-4
Subiaco	11	1	3	7	10	34	6	-23
Curtin University	11	0	1	10	9	48	1	-39

Round 14 Fixtures: Curtin University v Subiaco, Perth RedStar v Balcatta Etna, Perth SC v Murdoch University Melville, Fremantle City v Hyundai NTC.

Matildas Analysis: Seven Levels Of Huelva

by Jonathan Tay (27/6/22)

Above: Post-match scenes after Australia’s 7-0 defeat to Spain. Photo: Football Australia.

It’s the 90th minute.

Clare Polkinghorne, standing near her own penalty spot, is surrounded by the youthful trio of Courtney Nevin, Taylor Ray, and Charli Grant.

Having just conceded their seventh goal, there’s a pause, as all three turn towards the veteran defender, looking for an answer.

All Polkinghorne can offer is a trudge, head-bowed, back to her position for another kick-off.

It’d be easy to write this match off as “the Matildas rested seven key players against Spain, the favourites for the Euros”. But there are a number of takeaways and implications for the bigger picture, on this challenging road toward the World Cup 2023.

“Controlling” the space against uncontrollable Spain

Australia Head coach Tony Gustavsson spoke in his pre-match press conference about being able to “control the game without the ball”.

Against a possession-dominant and imperious Spain, they would have to compromise; could the Matildas control the spaces where they would allow their opposition to have the ball?

Setting up in an unfamiliar and ultra-conservative 5-4-1 formation, Australia hoped to deny the central areas of the pitch, ceding ball control (they ended with just 27% possession) and forcing Spain out wide.

**Above:** The Matildas seeking to deny central areas with two defensive banks.

Though Gustavsson spoke of choosing moments to be aggressive in their press, the Matildas allowed an average of 27 passes per defensive action (their average the past year is nine).

On paper, it made sense. But this is a team boasting the peerless Barcelona midfield of Patricia Guijarro, Aitana Bonmatí, and Alexia Putellas; the system may have seemed sound, but the gulf in individual quality was immense.

The Matildas did hold La Roja at bay until the 43rd minute, but cracks appeared in their gameplan from the off.

Less than a minute into the game, Katrina Gorry, playing as the widest midfielder on the right, lost her mark too easily, allowing Mariona Caldentey to play a defence-splitting pass through to Lucia Garcia.

Garcia herself evaded Tameka Yallop’s unsuccessful attempt to play for offside, and her redirected shot forced goalkeeper Teagan Micah into action early.

Spain were confident of winning their one-on-one duels throughout the game, and happy to utilise whatever space was afforded to them. Regardless of the integrity of the formation, Spain felt they were able to have their way in any match-up across the field

Here in the 38th minute, Mariona burned right-wingback Cortnee Vine down the outside.

She promptly stood Vine up again by the by-line, before deciding to go straight through her with a nutmeg, working her way into a dangerous position in the box.

For the first goal of the match, Aitana was able to receive the ball on the edge of the 18-yard box.

She jinked past an overmatched Courtney Nevin, conjuring the space to curl a delightful ball into the top corner.

La Roja were patient in their build-up, probing for outlets from flank to flank, and racking up 94 passes to the final third (to Australia’s 12). A continual revolving door of midfield and forward runs consistently sought to manipulate the Matildas’ shape.

Their irrepressibility eventually wore down an inexperienced side, with the floodgates opening to little resistance in the second half.

On a wingback and a prayer

With Steph Catley rested for this international window, and Ellie Carpenter sidelined with an ACL injury, question marks surrounded the right- and left-back positions for the Matildas.

Gustavsson opted for the makeshift pair of Cortnee Vine and Tameka Yallop in a five-player defence, particularly curious given the strength of their opponents.

It proved to be costly; Spain constantly found joy out wide on both sides of the pitch, exposing the improvisational backline, with the additional consequence of handcuffing Vine from using her pace going forwards as well.

Here in the 17th minute, a simple wall pass bypasses a ball-watching Vine.

Mariona is able to put in a great ball which is swept into the goal, however from an offside position.

In the 20th minute, Yallop again attempts a lazy offside trap.

Garcia is able to waltz onto a through-ball, with all the time in the world to find a cutback to a teammate in the box.

Things, unfortunately, did not improve when Jamilla Rankin came in on the left for her debut.

For the fourth goal of the night, Garcia is able to dart in front of the young defender unawares.

The movement catches Rankin in an inferior position, and Garcia is able to outjump her opponent and power the header home.

In reality, the cupboard was laid bare for Gustavsson, forced to work with the few options at his disposal.

However, Charli Grant, who seemed the obvious candidate to take Carpenter’s spot, and was consistently solid amidst the barrage of attacks, was preferred as the right-centre back for the night.

The wingback position is an area of real concern as the search for depth in the roster continues

New faces, same old challenges

Lost in the negativity of the result, were the debuts for Rankin and Ray; rewarded for fine seasons in the A-League Women with their first international caps.

And while promising to see new players continue to be blooded, particularly from the local Australian domestic market, criticism can be directed at the timing of the introductions.

Gustavsson spoke pre-match about this being a great opportunity to play Spain and to find “answers” to where this squad, and particularly the younger players were in their development; whether they could translate their abilities to the international level.

Realistically, however, the writing was already on the wall, those answers are already known. Against a side peaking for the European Championships, there was no need to test the hypotheses.

Questions are probably better asked of Football Australia and the relevant organisers, who espoused taking the “long-term view” in resting a host of key players for these international friendlies.

A visibly frustrated Gustavsson explained post-match, “When we planned this match, the plan was to have our best team here.”

“We knew 12 months ago that this was the only time this year we could go up against one of the best teams in Europe, a week out from the Euros.”

That would seem to be at odds with the bigger picture, and questions have to be asked about when this long-term view was really adopted.

With the World Cup on the horizon, the time to align perspectives and answer questions is running out.

Euros Preview: Germany

by Johnathan Stack (27/6/22).

Above: The Germany squad line-up for their Arnold Clark Cup match against Canada in Norwich earlier this year. Photo: De Fodi Images.

The Germany squad was announced on the 18th June, and features eight players from Women’s Bundesliga champions VfL Wolfsburg and seven from Bayern Munich.

Chelsea midfielder Melanie Leupolz will miss out on this year’s tournament after announcing back in March that she is pregnant with her first child. Also missing out is Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan as she is recovering from a torn ACL that caused her to miss the Champions League final win against Barcelona.

Not quite making the final squad were Martina Tukefovic (Hoffenheim), Maximiliane Rall (Bayern), Jana Feldkamp (Hoffenheim), Sjoeke Nusken (Eintracht Frankfurt). Chantal Hagel (Hoffenheim). Chantal Hagel has been listed as the 24th player in the squad so if any player were to drop out, she will take their place.

The Squad:

Goalkeepers: Ann-Katrin Berger, Merle Frohms, Almuth Schult.

Defenders: Sara Doorsoun, Giulia Gwinn, Marina Hegering, Kathrin Hendrich, Sophia Kleinherne, Felicitas Rauch.

Midfield/Forwards: Nicole Anyomi, Jule Brand, Klara Bühl, Sara Däbritz, Linda Dallmann, Laura Freigang, Svenja Huth, Lena Lattwein, Sydney Lohmann, Lina Magull, Len Oberdorf, Alexandra Popp (C), Lea Schüller, Tabea Waßmuth.

The Head Coach:

**Above:** Germany’s national coach, Martina Voss-Tecklenburg. **Photo:** DFB.

Germany are led by 54-year-old Martina Voss-Tecklenburg a legend of the women’s game. During her time as a player, she played for KBC Duisburg, TVS Siegen, and FCR 2001. For the national team, Voss-Tecklenburg represented Germany 125 times. She appeared at three World Cups (1991, 1995, and 1999) as well as the 1996 Olympic Games.

Voss-Tecklenburg has fond memories of the Euros, winning the competition four times (1989, 1991, 1995, and 1997) from five attempts. In 2009 she managed FCR 2001 Duisburg to UEFA Women’s Cup (now known as the Champions League) glory before going on to lead FF USV Jena. She led the Swiss national team from 2012-2018, taking them to the last sixteen in their first appearance at a World Cup in 2015. Voss-Tecklenburg also ensured qualification for Switzerland for their first European Championships in 2017. She took over as Germany’s national head coach in 2019.

Euros History:

The Germans are no strangers to Euros glory. They are the most successful team in the tournament’s history holding the record for the most titles. They have lifted the trophy eight times – 1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, and 2013.

Qualifying:

Germany won eight out of eight matches in Group I as they soared through qualifying for this summer’s tournament, scoring an impressive 46 goals and conceding only one goal in the process with their biggest win coming against Montenegro which was 10-0 victory. They finished nine points clear of second-placed Ukraine.

Strengths:

Going forward Germany has an eye for goal and is a threat. Players like Magull, Freigang, and Popp scored goals regularly in qualifying and will have a goal or two in them once the tournament has begun.

Development Areas:

Despite a very strong qualifying campaign where Germany only conceded one goal to the Republic of Ireland, questions were asked of their defence after a shock 3-2 defeat in World Cup qualifying to Serbia back in April. So, if Germany is to go all the way to clinch a ninth European crown they will have to tighten up at the back.

Key Player:

**Above:** Lea Schüller, one of Germany’s most prominent players. **Photo:** Richard Callis/Sports Press Photo.

Lea Schüller. The 24-year-old was named 2021 German Player of The Year back in January. Schüller has had a great season for Bayern Munich scoring 21 goals in all competitions and bagging 11 goals in seven World Cup qualifying games for the national team.

One to watch:

Laura Freigang. The Eintracht Frankfurt forward scored 14 goals in all competitions and four during Germany’s qualifying group for this summer’s tournament.

Prediction:

Latter stages. I think Germany will be within the top eight of the tournament, so with that being said, I expect them to be anywhere from the quarterfinals onwards to the final. Germany certainly has the firepower up top, they just keep it tight in defence.

Group Fixtures:

8th July: Denmark, 8pm, Brentford Community Stadium, London.

12th July: Spain, 8pm, Brentford Community Stadium, London.

16th July: Finland, 8pm, Stadium MK, Milton Keynes.

This is Johnathan Stack‘s first article for Impetus. To read his bio, and those of the rest of our contributors, click here: https://impetusfootball.org/about-our-contributors/

Impetus is previewing a different nation every day between now and the start of the European Championships. Click below to read the previously published articles:

FRANCE – by Jean-Pierre Thiesset: https://impetusfootball.org/2022/06/25/euros-preview-france/

AUSTRIA – by Jorge Ceron: https://impetusfootball.org/2022/06/26/euros-preview-austria/

Grainger And Ingle: Wales Are Going In The Right Direction

Impetus’ Martin Townley was in today’s Wales media conference and heard from head coach Gemma Grainger and captain Sophie Ingle (27/6/22).

Above: Gemma Grainger at today’s media conference. Photo: FAW.

Wales manager Gemma Grainger spoke to the media ahead of her side’s friendly international against New Zealand. The match on Tuesday will take place in Pinata, Spain where the squad has been enjoying some warm weather training.

“Since we travelled out last Wednesday, we’ve had a real opportunity to enjoy some time together both on and off the pitch. “That was always the plan really to come to pinata was that we had that time, which we haven’t really had as a team before.”

This camp is the last time the squad will get together before they face Greece and Slovenia in their final World Cup Qualifiers. Wales, who are second in their group will make the playoffs if they can win the two games and Grainger is using the time to keep improving her side.

“It’s given us an opportunity to speak about some key themes that we want to talk about as a team to take on to the pitch and really continue our improvement as a team on and off the pitch.

“So, the week is a week has been great, it is hot, I think we knew it was going to be hard. There’s an enjoyment part to that when we’re not training. But then when we are training, we obviously have planned for the heat.

“It’s been quite a nice opportunity to do a different type of session, you know, a different type of coaching session, because when it is hot, we do get the opportunity to you know, to talk a little bit more whereas, sometimes in the cold, we must move things on quite quickly. So nice relaxed vibe, but preparation going well so far.”

Grainger has continued playing opposition of a higher ranking in friendly games with New Zealand ranked 22nd in the current FIFA rankings. “We’ll play a higher-ranked opposition, but what we’re hoping to get out of it is a competitive game.

**Above:** Wales boss Gemma Grainger emphasised the importance to her side of playing higher-ranked opposition regularly. **Photo:** FAW.

“We want to utilise the game to continue our progress. And with preparation for September in mind, you know, New Zealand will be an opportunity to play a higher-ranked nation. And then that will build into the September prep nicely.

With the option to use up to six substitutions in this game the Wales manager will make use of all options, believing that the squad depth she has available is exciting.

“When we had the development camp on Monday and Tuesday, we’re really starting to explore and learn more about the whole group, because what we do know is that player depth and squad depth is a real sign and correlation between successful teams.

“You know, when I look at the teams in the European Championships this summer, and the teams that people tip to win it, there’s no clear favourite, but the teams that have the best depth, there’s a good opportunity for those teams”

Grainger also praised the way the New Zealand side will play and that she is excited for the game

“You know, they like to play football, which is a credit to them, they have a real clear playing style in terms of how they want to play. They have some fantastic qualities, both in and out of possession. And they’re an opposition and we’re excited to test ourselves against”

The last meeting of the sides saw Wales win a close game 1-0 with Kayleigh Green getting the winning goal.

**Above:** Sophie Ingle speaking to the media today. **Photo:** FAW.

Wales captain Sophie Ingle spoke about the positives and challenges of how Wales’ warm-weather training camp today.

“Yeah, it has been nice. Obviously, it’s always helps training when it’s warm weather, but it’s tough as well, because it’s a bit warmer. And, you know, we’re out of season. So that heat kind of gets to us a little bit quicker than it usually would.

“Away from football pitches, we’ve done some team bonding activities, down the beach, and just to get out the hotel and enjoy the nice weather.”

Ingle will lead Wales into their final World Cup qualifying games in September and revealed that the squad have been using this time to prepare for those games.

“Yeah, more prep for September. I think the girls know that. Obviously, we’ve got New Zealand to play, and they play potentially a different way to the two teams we’re coming up against, but we can still work on things for September.”

Wales beat the Football Ferns the last time the side met in Cardiff and the Wales captain reflected on what transpired in that encounter.

“I remember a lot of rain! I remember was it Kayleigh Green who scored. “It was quite an even match game. I think we were probably a little bit better in possession than them. But it could have gone either way.”

Wales are playing just one game in this window, but New Zealand travelled to Norway on Saturday losing 2-0. Ada Hegerberg and Guro Bergsvand getting the goals. Ingle is hoping that the busy schedule can work to Wales advantage.

“They’ve travelled to Norway, and then got here yesterday, so hopefully they are a bit fatigued which might work in our favour. But they’re quite direct team, they’re athletic, they like to get it to their number nine, or their striker and kind of play off her.”

“We want to win, and that’s why we play football, but it’s the performance at the end of the day. We’ve worked on a few things this camp on the training pitch. That’s kind of what I want to see that comes out in this game, that the things we’ve worked out on the training pitches, we’ve been able to transfer into a game situation.”

With two big games top come in the Autumn, Ingle emphasised what making the World Cup in 2023 would mean the world to her.

“It would obviously mean the world to me and the girls if we do qualify for the World Cup. You know, not just the World Cup, we want to go on to then qualify for the next Euros and so on and so on.

“We want to put Welsh women’s football on the map. I think we’re going in the right direction.”

Euros Preview: Austria

by Jorge Ceron

Above: Action from Austria’s game with Northern Ireland. Photo: Irish FA.

Austria have assembled a squad that contains players who are more than capable of troubling the top nations. With Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger at the back, and quality from the likes of Viktoria Schnaderbeck, Carina Wenninger, Sarah Zadrazil, and Nicole Billa, the Austrians are capable of a strong tournament.

The Squad:

Jasmin Pal (Sand), Manuela Zinsberger (Arsenal), Andrea Gurtner (Granadilla Tenerife), Mariella El Sherif (Sturm Graz), Viktoria Schnaderbeck (Tottenham Hotspur), Katharina Naschenweng (Hoffenheim 1899, Verena Hanshaw (FFC Francfórt), Carina Wenninger (Bayern Munich), Sabrina Horvat (Koln), Laura Wienroither (Arsenal), Marina Georgieva (Sand), Katharina Schiechtl (Werder Bremen), Virginia Kirchberger (Eintracht Frankfurt), Jennifer Klein (St Polten), Barbara Dunst (Eintracht Frankfurt), Celina Degen (Hoffenheim 1899), Laura Feiersinger (FFC Francfórt), Lena Triendl (Sand), Marie-Therese Höbinger (Turbine Potsdam), Lara Felix, Sarah Zadrazil (Bayern Munich), Katja Wienerroither (Grasshopper Club Zürich), Lisa Kolb (Freiburg), Lisa Makas (St Polten), Stefanie Enzinger (St Polten), Nicole Billa (Hoffenheim 1899).

The Coach:

**Above:** Irene Furhmann, Austria’s head coach. **Photo:** Wiener Zeitung.

Irene Fuhrmann took over as national coach in July 2020. Fuhrmann is totally immersed in the direction of her national team. FOr almost 10 years, from 2011 to 2020 she was assistant to Dominik Thalhammer and was a part of Austria’s superb achievements at Euro 2017 when they reached the semi-finals.

Before that, in 2008 she was a coach for the Austrian U19 team. Most of her football career was spent at USC Landhaus Wien. The challenge for Fuhrmann and her team will not be easy, to overcome what was achieved in the last Euro, but the Austrian fans can rest easy, they are in the hands of a great coach.

Euros History:

In 2013 the Austrian women’s team came close to qualifying, but lost the playoff 3-1 on aggregate against Russia. But in 2017, they finally made it, and what a tournament they had. After getting through the group stage with wins over Switzerland (1-0) and Iceland (3-0), plus a 1-1 draw with France, they overcame Spain after a penalty shoot-out. This set up a semi-final with Denmark, which again went to penalties, but this time the Austrians were eliminated 3-0.

Qualifying:

Austria qualified as one of the best second-place finishers in a group. Their campaign opened with a 3-0 over North Macedonia. The second game was more complicated, but a solitary goal from striker Nicole Billa in the 12th minute gave them the second win, this time away in Serbia. The third game repeated the dose against North Macedonia, but this time away, 3-0 was the score.

The matches against Kazakhstan were the easiest matches, the first game was decided with a 9-0 in favor of the Austrians with four goals from Hickelsberger and three from Nicole Billa. In the away match they won 5-0. Those games were just training to get to the most difficult matches of the qualifying campaign against the French favorites, the first game was in Vienna, and the match ended 0-0. In the game that decided the first place in the group, Austria defeated 3-0 by les Bleus. The last game was key, since the three points would clinch qualification as one of the best second-placed nations, and it was not until the 81st minute when Nicole Billa scored the winning goal against Serbia.

Strengths:

Without a doubt, it is their defense. In all the qualifiers for the European Championship, they only conceded three goals, and all of those came in one game against the French and are currently looking to repeat that stat in the World Cup qualifiers. This defence is commanded by veteran Bayern Munich defenders Carina Wenninger and Tottenham’s Viktoria Schnaderbeck, accompanied by English Arsenal player Laura Wienroither, and a group of young defenders who play for different FrauenBundesliga teams such as Katharina Naschenweng and Celina Degen from Hoffenheim. They will seek to zero out the hosts, plus powerful Norway with Northern Ireland also in the group.

Areas For Development:

A fairly competitive and balanced team wherever you look at it, a couple of excellent goalkeepers, defense is their strong point, a young but experienced midfield, and a forward line capable of scoring goals against the best teams in the world. However, they have a tough group. Opening against the powerful English, and close against one of the favorites, the Norwegians with a must-win game against Northern Ireland in between.

Key Player:

**Above:** Nicole Billa – Austria’s star. **Photo:** AIlura/CC-BY-SA.

The player to watch for Austria is Nicole Billa: A born, lethal scorer who is at the right time, scoring goals and providing assists. The 26-year-old Kufstein striker is the main card that the Austrian team could be so strong. Billa made her debut at the age of 14 with Wacker Innsbruck, later moving to one of the most popular teams, St. Pölten-Spratzern, and from there he made the jump to the FrauenBundelisga with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in 2015. There at Hoffenheim, she had a quiet start, scoring six goals in her first two complete seasons.

But she did not lose patience, nor did the team lose it with her, in 2018/19, she scored nine goals, and for the following season, she finished as runner-up in the scoring charts of the FrauenBundesliga with 18 goals. In the 20-21 season and at the age of 25, she won the scoring title that season with 23 goals, becoming the first Austrian to achieve such an achievement in the German league. These are numbers that make their rivals in Group A worry a lot about her. Regarding the national team, Nicole Billa has impressive numbers, in 77 games she has scored 42 goals, although she has never scored a goal in the European Championship, so in this summer’s competition she will go out with everything to get her first goal.

Prediction:

It is unlikely the Austrians will have another fairytale-like Euro 2017 and it seems to me that they will go home early. They share a group with a couple of favourites. England will seek to get rid of the bad taste in their mouths of that Euro 2005 when they were hosts and did not manage to even get out of the group stage. Just a few months ago they met at Southampton, and England struggled to beat Austria 1-0, with that result the Austrians will cling to a good result against the hosts.

They also share a group with Norway, which is motivated by the return of one of the best players in the world, Ada Hegerberg. If they want to aspire to a hypothetical second round, this is the key game. Northern Ireland complete the group, and even this will pose a threat for Austria as the Northern Irish already drew against Austria in recent times.

Group Fixtures:

6th July: England, 8pm, Old Trafford, Manchester.

11th July: Northern Ireland, 5pm, St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton.

15th July: Norway, 8pm, Amex Stadium, Brighton.

Impetus is previewing a different nation every day between now and the start of the European Championships. Click below to read the previously published articles:

FRANCE – by Jean-Pierre Thiesset: https://impetusfootball.org/2022/06/25/euros-preview-france/

Gustavsson: “This Is A Wake-Up Call For A Lot Of People”

Impetus’ Ben Gilby was in the post-match press conference which followed an experimental Australia squad’s 7-0 defeat to Spain. He heard the Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson outline how initial plans to field his strongest squad went up in flames and how he believes that deeper investment is needed to bring the next tier of players up to top international standard (26/6/22).

Above: Tony Gustavsson in his post-match media conference after last night’s 7-0 loss to Spain. Photo: Football Australia.

Tony Gustavsson went into this clash with Spain claiming that regardless of the outcome on the scoreboard, finding just one new player for his World Cup squad would be a good result. After his team’s second-half mauling by the Euros-bound Spanish, there are more searching topics for him to examine.

“I’m always honest,” he said. “When we planned this match, the plan was to have our best team here. We wanted to match ourselves against one of the best teams in the world. We knew 12 months ago that this was the only time this year we could go up against one of the best teams in Europe, a week out from the Euros.

“We would have loved to have had the strongest group here. But, at the end of the day, we had to look at well-being in a long-term way. We entered into a contract with the Spanish so the game was always going ahead.”

**Above:** Lots to ponder now for Tony Gustavsson and Football Australia. **Photo:** Football Australia.

Asked about what this result shows about the depth of the Australian game that Gustavsson has long made a point at wanting to work on, the head coach said: “We need long-term answers. It’s about legacy from 2023 and the investment after the World Cup. The answers we have now is a wake-up call for a lot of people.

“It was too fast for some players. They need to be exposed to that. I’m not saying that to criticise these players, I’m saying it to get them to where they need to be. If they are not quick enough to get into the right positions, we’re not going to win.”

Given the squad that was available to him for this match, Gustavsson outlined how he approached the clash.

“We wanted to look at this game as two forty-five-minute periods. In the first of those periods, we got answers showing that, considering the experience, or lack of experience that we had on the park, to commit to a game-plan like that against Spain, one of the best teams in the world, I was happy with the girls’ efforts and commitments. The effort in the defending – it was a good mix between high pressing and low walk defending.

**Above:** Katrina Gorry’s performance was one of the few positives for Tony Gustavsson last night. **Photo:** Football Australia.

“A real positive was Katrina Gorry. ‘Mini’ was world-class. She showed she has the tactical ability to match any player in the Spain team. If she can get in an environment where she can be forced to play at maximum speed football, it will be even better for her. This is not me saying she doesn’t play at a club where she can do this, it is about her working on it now between international camps.”

As he moved on to the plan for the second half, Gustavsson recognised that he knew it was always going to be difficult.

“The second half, we looked at different things, different players, and I want to be very clear now that it’s not about blaming players for this loss. It’s more about representing the situation that we are in right now (in terms of a less experienced squad in this international window).

“We finished the game with four players who are playing NPL and one player in college, and to expect those individual players to match up against Spain, it’s not fair for them to take that hit.

“I will take that hit as a coach. I said it from day one, we need answers. We need investment in our program, and I think this was very clear. We need to make investment and players need to get into an environment where they can thrive and be ready for international football.”

**Above:** Teagan Micah – has impressed when given chances for Australia and is in consistent form for her club side in Sweden. **Photo:** David Lidstrom.

One of several key matters to consider once the dust settles on this defeat is Gustavsson’s inability to settle on a regular goalkeeper. With Teagan Micah regularly playing well at international level when she gets a chance, and consistently at a high level for her club side, Rosengård, the time has come to give her a consistent run of 90-minute opportunities for the Matildas.

It would appear that Lydia Williams will play at least some part in next week’s friendly in Portugal to claim her hundredth cap, but with chances few and far between for her at Arsenal, and the Rosengård custodian in consistently good form, it is time for Micah to get as many minutes as possible behind her in the national team.

Euros Preview: France

by Jean-Pierre Thiesset

Above: The French national team pictured after qualifying for the European Championships. Photo: Equipe de France Feminine.

The France women’s national football team is known or nicknamed as Les Bleues (The Blue ones) and are currently placed third in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings.

The Squad:

Goalkeepers: Mylène Chavas (Bordeaux, France), Pauline Peyraud-Magnin (Juventus Italy), Justine Lerond (FC Metz, France).

Defenders: Selma Bacha (Olympique Lyonnais, France), Hawa Cissoko (West Ham United, England), Sakina Karchaoui (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Griedge Mbock (Olympique Lyonnais, France), Ève Périsset (Bordeaux, France), Wendie Renard (Olympique Lyonnais, France), Marion Torrent (Montpellier, France), Aissatou Tounkara (Atletico Madrid, Spain).

Midfielders: Charlotte Bilbault (Bordeaux, France), Kenza Dali (Everton, England), Sandie Toletti (Levante, Spain), Grace Geyoro (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Ella Palis (Bordeaux, France).

Forwards: Sandy Baltimore (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Delphine Cascarino (Olympique Lyonnais, France), Kadidiatou Diani (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Marie-Antoinette Katoto (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Melvine Malard (Olympique Lyonnais, France), Clara Matéo (Paris FC, France), Ouleymata Sarr (Paris FC, France).

There are five players from both Olympique Lyonnais and Paris Saint-Germain in this squad; this is not surprising as these two teams dominated D1 Arkema this season. Furthermore, most of these 10 players will probably be in the starting team.

There were though some surprises. Amandine Henry (Olympique Lyonnais), in pretty good shape in the end of D1 Arkema season and scorer of an outstanding goal in Champions League Final, is not in the squad. According to a lot of people who follow women’s football, it is only because she spoke out against Corinne Diacre in previous years in the media.

Some players not selected are easier to explain in my opinion. Eugénie Le Sommer, Olympique Lyonnais, is still a great player but she had not played a lot this season and was never in the starting team when she came back to Lyon from her loan at OL Reign in USA. Goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi of OL Reign then Olympique Lyonnais this season has only rarely played when she came back from USA, apart from when Christiane Endler was injured. Perle Morroni, Olympique Lyonnais, lost her starting place in Lyon team for Selma Bacha.

The Head Coach:

**Above**: France head coach Corinne Diacre. **Photo:** Picture Alliance.

Corinne Diacre, 47 years old, has been in charge since 2017. She spent her entire playing career with Soyaux. She earned 121 caps for France, scoring 14 goals, and appeared at the 1997, 2001, and 2005 European Championships. Diacre also scored the goal that ensured France’s first-ever qualification for the World Cup of 2003.

Diacre’s coaching career saw her as Soyaux’s manager and assistant to the national side and notably, in 2014 she took charge of men’s second-tier side Clermont Foot. This was the first time a woman had led a men’s team in the top two divisions of a European league. She left the role in 2017 to take over the head coach position for the French Women’s National Team.

Controversy has followed Diacre with selections for the national side and some players have spoken openly in the media to question her decision-making.

Euros History:

France have appeared six times in the European Championships. They first qualified in 1997. Their best results came in making the Quarter-Finals in 2009, 2013, and 2017.

Qualifying:

France topped Group G with seven wins and a draw. They did not concede a goal throughout. The campaign included wins of 12-0, 11-0, and 7-0 over Kazakhstan (first scoreline), and North Macedonia (remaining two scorelines). Austria was the only team to prevent France from winning when they earned a 0-0 draw.

Strengths:

Most players have a lot of international experience either with France national team or with their club side. France has several top players capable of outstanding performances and they played more and more like a team over the last few months.

Development Areas:

They need to be more efficient in attack and be able to keep the ball in midfield.

Key Players:

**Above:** Wendie Renard, who remains one of the world’s top defenders. **Photo:** Jean-Pierre Thiesset for *Impetus*.

Wendie Renard who has a lot of experience as centre-back and is devastating in the air, particularly from corners and free-kicks close to the goal. There is also Marie-Antoinette Katoto who was the top scorer with 18 goals in D1 Arkema this season. Selma Bacha has been outstanding. As well as putting in a superb personal display in the Champions League Final, she took the honour of providing the some of the most assists in the competition with nine. This is on top of seven assists this season in D1 Arkema, a competition that she scored also three goals in.

**Above:** Ella Palis in action for Bordeaux against Olympique Lynnais. **Photo:** Jean-Pierre Thiesset for *Impetus*.

One To Watch:

Ella Palis. 23 years old of Bordeaux, with four caps in the midfield. Palis has been selected in almost all the junior national squads and was the captain of France’s U19 team during the U19 Euros in 2018. She has made a lot of progress this year and could be a new key player of France team

Prediction:

France should finish top of Group D as they are facing nations in Italy, Iceland, and Belgium who are below them in the rankings, although it must be said Italy has made a lot of progress in recent years. Personally, I think France could go far in this summer’s tournament and reach the final.

Group Games:

10th July: Italy, 8pm, New York Stadium, Rotherham.

14th July: Belgium, 8pm, New York Stadium, Rotherham.

18th July: Iceland, 8pm, New York Stadium, Rotherham.

Five Star England Destroy Dutch

England 5-1 Netherlands

by Darrell Allen at Elland Road for Impetus (25/6/22).

Above: Beth Mead in celebration mode after scoring against the Netherlands at Elland Road. Photo: Lionesses.

The Lionesses overcame an early setback to come from behind and see off the Netherlands in superb style at Elland Road.

The Dutch took the lead through a beautifully placed header from Lieke Martens but their joy didn’t last long. A Lucy Bronze equaliser before halftime was followed by a second-half brace from Beth Mead and further goals from Ella Toone plus one from Lauren Hemp.

The game was an enjoyable watch throughout as the 19,365 battled the UK-wide travel problems of the week to ensure a fantastic atmosphere for the Euro 2022 warm-up match at the home of Leeds United.

A slow start from England saw them caught out when careless passing allowed the Netherlands to take the lead. A corner from Sherida Spitse found Martens who headed past Mary Earps at the far post.

**Above:** Netherlands joy after Lieke Martens put them ahead at Elland Road. **Photo:** Oranje Leeuwinnen.

This was a contest which saw England wear their new orange away kit and the Netherlands playing in white. Confusion and disappointment didn’t last long as the Elland Road crowd got behind the team in superb style.

Lucy Bronze somehow found the net when her cross evaded Netherlands keeper Sari Van Veenendaal to level the scores. It was one of those that clearly was not meant as a shot on goal, but came at a very welcome time in the game.

The Dutch were given a lifeline when Alex Greenwood brought down Danielle Van de Donk in the area and the penalty was awarded at the conclusion of a VAR review.

Van De Donk was unable to restore the visitors’ lead as her penalty struck the post, in the last of any noteworthy action for the Netherlands.

Lauren Hemp by her own standards had been quiet in the first half but came to life when she ran down the wing and found Beth Mead who got the ball and slid in to finish at the back post. England led within a minute of the penalty miss.

**Above:** Lauren Hemp, who would go on to score a great goal herself, was the provider for Beth Mead’s first goal. **Photo:** Lionesses.

Toone, like Mead also a substitute on the evening was next to find the net when her shot went through the hands of Van Veenendal into the corner in what was a very poor mistake from the Netherlands keeper.

The fourth was quick to follow as Bronze stormed down the right and found Toone who saw her shot hit the post but come back for Lauren Hemp to finish wonderfully with a volley to put the game out of sight.

Mead rounded off the scoring and made it a brace for herself when she finished well from inside the box. Alessia Russo almost added a sixth but her ferocious strike hit the bar.

A further plus point on the evening was the inclusion of Fran Kirby, her first start for many months as she continues her recovery from recent injury and illness setbacks.

A night of so many positives and which ended with a lap of appreciation from the players. With the Euros beginning on 6th July, there is so much anticipation and excitement for the tournament, especially with England on such fine form.

There is one final warm-up match for England with Sarina Weigman’s team visiting Switzerland in Zurich this Thursday at 5.00pm UK time.

**Above:** Rachel Daly and Millie Bright together after the match. **Photo:** Lionesses.

Teams: ENGLAND: Earps, Bronze, Bright, Greenwood, Daly, Williamson, Walsh, Kelly, Kirby, Hemp, England. Substitutes: Stokes, Hampton, Stanway, Toone, Wubben-Moy, Mead, Parris, Russo, Scott, Roebuck, Carter.

Scorers: Bronze 32′, Mead 32′, 90′. Toone 72′, Hemp 74′.

NETHERLANDS: Van Veenendaal, Wilms, Van Der Gragt, Nouwen, Janssen, Groenen, Pelova, Spitse, Roord, Beerensteyn, Martens. Subs: Van Dongen, Miedema, Van De Donk, Jansen, Dijkstra, Van Domselaar, Leuchter, Casparij, Olislagers, Egurrola, Brugts, Lorsheyd.

Scorer: Martens 22′.

Referee: Sandra Braz Bastos.

Attendance: 19,365.

Roberts Reflects And Relishes Opportunities With Wales

Impetus welcomes Martin Townley who will be covering Welsh women’s football at both club and international levels for us. He was in Wales’ media conference yesterday to hear from Rhiannon Roberts ahead of the game against New Zealand in Spain (25/6/22).

Above: Rhiannon Roberts in yesterday’s media conference. Photo: FAW.

After a fantastic season with Liverpool, Rhiannon Roberts is with the Wales national team for a friendly against New Zealand. The match, which will be Wales’s final preparations before the final World Cup Qualifiers in September, will take place on Tuesday 28^th June in Pinatar, Spain.

Roberts was part of the Liverpool team that won the FA Women’s Championship this season and she reflected with the media about what an amazing season it had been.

“Yeah, it was unbelievable. It was a great season, you know, Matt (Beard) came in and he’s brought in good people staff, and players, and we’ve gelled well. It’s just such a cool group of players to be in. I think that’s what got us on the over the line.

“It was just a fantastic season, winning the league obviously, with the players that we’ve got, it’s just brilliant. You know, it’s nice to win the league, but winning with a good group of people as well is even better.”

The training camp and match with New Zealand will be the last camp before Wales head into two vital World Cup qualifying matches against Greece and Slovenia. Winning both would see the Welsh team make the World Cup play-offs for the first time. Roberts believes that this is a great chance for the squad to work on areas they need to improve on.

“It just gives us a chance to improve on certain points that we want to work on. And obviously, get together as a group. Otherwise, it’d be a large gap without seeing everyone.

“I think there’s always excitement for every camp that we come on, to be honest. So, I don’t think that really changes so much. The environment stays the same. And then it’s just the fact of taking one game at a time. And yeah, hopefully we can get to the next level. But yeah, it just one game at a time.”

**Above:** Rhiannon Roberts in action for Liverpool. **Photo:** Liverpool FC Women.

Wales beat New Zealand 1-0 when the sides last met in Cardiff, but the Football Ferns higher ranking will provide a good test for Gemma Grainger’s side.

“It just gives us a chance to prove ourselves against a higher-ranked opponent. And yeah, just work on things that we need to work on. We want to compete against the higher nations. So, it’s just another test for us. And hopefully, we can give them a good run.”

Before the World Cup Qualifiers, the Euros will take place across July, Wales narrowly missed out on a play-off place and Roberts believes it will drive on the Welsh players.

“I think he just gives you an odd drive to go and achieve in the next tournament and better yourself. Just do better than you did in the last game all the time. It’s a tough one obviously to watch. It’s tough, but you know, at the end of the day, there’s nothing you can do about it that, it’s out of your control now. So, our focus is the next one. And hopefully qualifying for a World Cup.”

Roberts is joined in Spain by Helen Ward, and she opened up on how the two have helped each other keep going over the years.

“She has helped me settle in this team so well, we are stuck at the hip a little bit. She’s just a warming person. She’s just a comfortable person to be around. We just help each other mentally. And, yeah, I tried to keep her going for the last couple years, to be honest. I certainly can’t change my roommate; I can’t do it to myself. But yeah, she’s just a great person to be around.

“She’s, like the mother of a group, the person everyone turns to, and everyone goes to and that you can rely on. So, she’s just an all-around great person to be honest.”

Martin Townley‘s writer biography can be seen along with those of our other contributors here: https://impetusfootball.org/about-our-contributors/