“Zambia’s forwards are very vertical,” warns the Spanish defense
MADRID, 23 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish international soccer player Ivana Andrés affirmed this Sunday that keeping “a clean sheet is the most important thing” during the World Cup that is taking place in Australia and New Zealand, and that “then the goals will come” against Zambia on matchday 2 or against any other opponent.
“Since the last World Cup until now, the whole team has placed an emphasis on a physical and defensive level. In the end, games are won from a clean sheet, we all defend and we all attack. It takes a lot of time, a lot of work and a lot of effort so that, starting from the defense, the team is built. And from the striker to the goalkeeper, we all attack and we all defend. A clean sheet is the most important thing, then the goals will come”, he commented at a press conference.
“It’s true that we had many chances, I think that’s also something in our favor, creating chances,” added Andrés about the successful debut against Costa Rica (3-0). “But we had an opponent in front of us that was very close, it was difficult to get past that wall. Maybe for the next game we have to make an impact. But I think the team did a very good job to have those chances, I think we have to create them and we created them”, reiterated the defense of the Spanish team.
In this sense, Andrés specified that “it would be more worrisome not to create them and not reach that final stage well.” “We are calm, logically for the next game we have to train him, we have to continue creating those connections. And it is true that the Costa Rican goalkeeper was also very good and made many saves for us,” he recalled.
“Any midfielder we have has a great shot and it’s true that we lacked the other day, yes we should have shot a little more from outside the area. But any of our midfield players, who tend to be the ones who work more in that area, have a great shot from there”, declared the Real Madrid central defender.
Andrés also valued Japan’s 0-5 against their next rival, Zambia. “Japan was very good, I think they read the game very well. They didn’t let Zambia make practically a counter, which in the end is a bit of what they experience, from that speed, from that counter. The Japanese were very attentive and Zambia was practically cancelled, but I think it was more a merit of Japan than a demerit of Zambia,” he said.
“They are two antagonistic rivals. Each one has its totally opposite virtues and defects, and they are going to be tough matches. We knew that we would have to play our game with each one, but with certain different nuances,” Andrés warned about his next opponents in Group C of this World Cup.
“Zambia’s forwards are very upright, very fast. I think you have to keep your vigilance very controlled because in the end we play most of it in the opposite half and in any loss they can do us a lot of damage on the counter. One of the two central defenders has to be on top and the other with help and coverage, and for the whole team to run to the back. Lots of help, and in the melee also be very strong because they are fast, but they are also strong”, she concluded.