MADRID, 22 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish women’s soccer team will close this Wednesday (3:30 p.m./Teledeporte) its participation in the Arnold Clark Cup with another demanding duel against Canada, current Olympic champion, and in search of its best sensations.
So far, Spain has shown its competitive leap in this event, but, on the contrary, its devastating game dynamics and results have been slowed down. Two draws, against Germany (1-1) and England (0-0), are his results in this event that is helping him prepare and adapt for this summer’s European Championship, and now he will try to say goodbye with a victory that gives him options also to conquer it.
The team led by Jorge Vilda encountered more problems against the hosts than in their debut against the Germans, where they had an excellent second half. The English team knew how to tie up their movement game, but they were not able to put an end to the undefeated condition of the Spanish, which has already lasted 18 games.
Now, the final exam in this Arnold Clark Cup will be against Canada, number six in the FIFA ranking and current Olympic champion. The Americans are the only ones who have been able to win a game so far, against Germany, 1-0, and with four points after their opening draw with England they lead the table.
The team coached by Bev Priestman has appeared at this event with practically the same block that was crowned last summer in Tokyo and will once again be a challenge, especially physically, for the Spanish team.
Midfielders Jessi Fleming and Ashley Lawrence stand out from their ranks, nominated for the ‘Golden Ball’ that Alexia Putellas won along with veteran Christine Sinclair, her captain and absent from this appointment due to the death of her mother.
In this sense, Vilda must decide if she makes many changes in her eleven. Against England, last Sunday, she made some adjustments, but her midfield did not change where Alexia Putellas, Patri Guijarro and Aitana Bonmatí started in both games, with the Balearic playing everything. Athenea del Castillo improved the attack in the second half with her overflow and could have her starting chance in an eleven where Leila Ouahabi is expected to return to left back.
JORGE VILDA: “THIS DEMAND IS VERY GOOD FOR US”
The Spanish coach recognized in the run-up to the match that taking on the current Olympic champions is going “very well” to prepare for the Euro in the best conditions. “Tomorrow we will not face the best defense in the tournament but one of the strongest defenses in the world,” he recalled.
“Now Spain is playing against the best teams in the world and this competitive stimulus is not the day-to-day of our players. This requirement is very good for us to adapt to the highest level of the Euro,” she valued at a press conference.
The objective is none other than to go out and win, but Vilda recalled that they take the game as “one more lesson”. “You have to be realistic, I am the first who would not change my players for any in the world, but there are teams with a very high level and background and we continue working to be as high as possible,” she said.
And facing the European he does not want to wear the favorite selection label. “I see that we are contenders for the title, that there are seven or eight teams of the highest level and I think it will be the tightest Euro of recent times. And we don’t feel like favourites, we feel like contenders. But if we feel like favorites in anything, it’s illusion” , he nuanced
As for the call, he assured to accept “all the critics”. “I understand that each one has a different list of 23 players in their mind. There are level players right now who could be here and performing against great teams and I know that. That is why it is so difficult,” she argued.
He also celebrated, in this sense, that young people like Athenea del Castillo perform at a high level in the senior team after shining in the U-23. “I love receiving good news like Athenea’s, with the U-23 and she did great things here. She has been an example and a reference”, he dedicated to her.
And he became serious to deny that Mariona Caldentey, injured again, was forced. “I do not share the opinion of having forced Mariona. She had completed her recovery, her eight weeks, she had the medical and sports discharge and the progression to rejoin, with her club she had played two games at a very high level. Here she did extraordinary training sessions. doctors said she was fit and she played, and unfortunately she got injured,” he said.