Sara Monforte underlined the importance of making Athletic Club uncomfortable, by attacking and depriving them of the ball (Saturday, 4pm CET)
Villarreal Women head coach Sara Monforte appeared in front of the media ahead of the match against Athletic Club, corresponding to Matchday 10 of the 2022/23 Finetwork Liga F season. The game will take place on Saturday 26th November, at 4pm CET, at the Mini Estadi at the José Manuel Llaneza Training Ground. Here are the key points she made:
Good form
“The team is on a great run. We weren’t in a great dynamic in terms of results and suddenly you win against Madrid CFF, who are second in the table, in a great match. And then you play the Cup in Barcelona with players who have had less minutes and some players from the B team and they play, probably, one of the most impressive games of the season. This means that the team is at a high level and, moreover, that any player can play. I’ve told them that when you’re at your best, that’s when you have to perform the best. This should help us to play a great game tomorrow against a very difficult opponent like Athletic Club.”
The opposition
“Athletic Club have a great coach in Iraia Iturregi. They also probably have the best youth academy; it is a club that is a mirror in which we could see ourselves reflected. Athletic are a very solid team that are difficult to score against. This season they are a bit more inconsistent than usual, but in the second half of the season they will be towards the top. We have to try to make it difficult for them. They’ll come here to try and win the game, because they’re also coming off the back of losing the derby against Real Sociedad. We have to do our job, compete and try to take positives from it. It’s hard for us to win at the Mini Estadi, but hopefully we can do it tomorrow”.
Keys to the match
“The fact that we are competitive is already a big plus. If we are competitive, we can always get something out of it. We have to be competitive, play the game we’re working on and prevent our opponents from getting the better of us. We have to make them uncomfortable, make them run a lot without the ball and, in our case, try to play more in the opposition half. Athletic Club is a very solid team, but they have struggled in recent games without the ball and have had problems in the box. But, I repeat, they are a team I have a lot of respect for and I admire a lot, especially their coach and their way of doing things. I admire everything that Athletic Club itself is.”
The fans
“The fact that we are competitive is already a big plus. If we are competitive, we can always get something out of it. We have to be competitive, play the game we’re working on and prevent our opponents from getting the better of us. We have to make them uncomfortable, make them run a lot without the ball and, in our case, try to play more in the opposition half. Athletic Club is a very solid team, but they have struggled in recent games without the ball and have had problems in the box. But, I repeat, they are a team I have a lot of respect for and I admire a lot, especially their coach and their way of doing things. I admire everything that Athletic Club itself is.”
Sevilla FC, Copa de la Reina Round of 16 opponents
“Against Sevilla FC, here at home, we probably had the worst performance of the season. We’re looking forward to facing them again so that we can create more problems for them than we did on the day, because they’re a very tough opponent. It’s going to be a great tie, because it’s sure to be hard-fought and competitive. We are very excited about this match, this tie and the Copa de la Reina. This competition has a different flavour and, what’s more, it’s a one-legged tie, which is very nice.”
The academy
“We are at the beginning of something that we believe will give us even more. We’ve been working with the academy for a few seasons now and this season we’ve taken another step forward, because we’re working at a methodological level. Both our assistant head coach, Sergi Campos, and the psychologist, Jahel Molina, are working on methodology at grassroots level and it’s showing. I’m delighted to be able to count on the players from the academy. In fact, the other day I gave them minutes in the Copa de la Reina and they responded. Nerea Sánchez scored a goal and provided an assist. Lucía Romero and Albeta had a great game, and María Romero responded very well when she came on. It’s not that it’s a good moment for the academy, but I believe that the methodology and the youth system of Villarreal has to be, in a few years’ time, one of the best youth teams in women’s football. For my part, I will do everything I can to help the players and, if they deserve it, give them the opportunity to play.”
