Àngels Monfort’s side have been finding the back of the next for fun in the Segunda Regional Valenta league
Villarreal’s Women’s D team have had a fantastic start to the season in their senior non-league debuts. The team is largely made up of players in the ‘cadete’ age group (U16s and U15s), although there are three from the ‘juvenil’ age group ‘U19 to U17’.
The Yellows decided to incorporate this generation of players in senior competitions after their impressive performances in the ‘Infantil-Cadete’ league in previous seasons. The women’s fourth team continue to shine on pitches across the province.
“We come into this season in a season where the players were facing opponents of their own age. Now in Segunda Regional, the quality of the teams isn’t too different from those in our previous league, but of course the experience, the slyness and the physical strength of the senior players you’re facing means that your competitive level grows,” underlines Àngels Monfort.
The Yellos have won their first three games, against CD El Fadrí, CF Quart de les Valls and CD Drac de Castelló. Villarreal D are top of the table and a candidate for promotion. Their next game is sure to be even tougher though. The Yellows will come up against CD San Lorenzo, a club with a historical women’s team, who have also won their opening three games at the start of this season.
The team’s present is bright, but they also have a hopeful future on and off the pitch: “In an academy like Villarreal’s, there are always players who stand out and they have a bright future ahead of them. But in the formative stage of their careers, more than scoring a lot of goals or not, we have to focus on how we get the results. The coaches are focused on helping them create a base from where they can learn and develop as footballers and as people. Scoring lots of goals is pointless if you don’t learn anything,” the Yellows coach underlined.
Seeing the first team in the top flight is extra motivation for the players in the academy: “Having a first team in the top flight, and having players in it who have come through the academy, from various age groups, that’s something that really motivates them. Knowing that there will be opportunities is crucial for them to believe in themselves and give their all,” confesses Monfort, who sees the excitement of the players at potentially reaching the top level in their faces every day. After the recent success of the Yellows, women’s football at the club has only grown: “This has started to grow and there’s no reason why it should stop. In a few years, women’s football has taken a massive step forward, although there’s still a long way to go. I’m sure that some players from this generation will have the opportunity to live from football if it is their dream,” she added.
All of these successes are even more important for the club, given that they happen under the academy of the Yellows Academy, which is paying off both for young boys and girls: “I think that when someone hears the name ‘Villarreal’, the first thing they think of is a team that likes to have the ball, a creative team and a quality team. Having a common methodology between our teams to facilitate our players’ transitions between them, as they are the most important people here.” Villarreal Women were promoted to the top flight last season, and now go head-to-head with the biggest sides in Spanish football with a lot of homegrown talent. Now, with the creation of the D team, women’s football at Villarrael has taken another step forward.
