Sara Monforte stressed that they must be ready to compete against FC Barcelona (Saturday, 4:30pm CET)
Villarreal Women head coach Sara Monforte spoke to the media ahead of the match against FC Barcelona (Saturday, 4.30pm).
“We’re excited. We know how difficult the game is. Although you never know. This is football and we have to be ready to play a good game and make things difficult for them. We are coming off the back of a cup defeat, but the team is confident and looking forward to this game. We hope that the stadium will be full and that it will be a celebration of women’s football”, began Sara Monforte.
To surprise Barça, Sara Monforte advocates minimising mistakes and being together between the lines: “We have to be mentally strong. We know we’re going to have to defend for a long time. FC Barcelona won’t give us the ball. We have to avoid mistakes and cut off their associations and be together between the lines. Our objective is to get something tomorrow.”
On the other hand, the head coach reaffirms the good sensations that the team has offered in recent matches, although she recognises that it’s time to make it three in three: “We’re doing well. But we are not satisfied with that. It’s not enough to play well. We want to score. Against Real, the fairest thing would have been to get a point, but football is not about justice, it’s about success. And that’s what we have to achieve. The team will continue to improve and the points will come.”
Monforte also praised the virtues of FC Barcelona, whom he considers to be the best team in the world: “They have a great positional game. They have the best players, but their game plan is the most dangerous thing they have. There are other teams with great players, but they don’t have such an elaborate model. Collective play is the most dangerous thing they have”.
Finally, the Castellón coach pointed out that this is a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of the sport: “We have to see it as an opportunity and a celebration of women’s football. We need as many people as possible to come and watch and cheer us on. It’s the best scenario, but the worst possible rival. FC Barcelona are a great attraction. It’s a great spectacle and I hope we can fill the Mini Estadi every game. We have more and more fans. A lot of people will come to see FC Barcelona, but we are on the way to generating that attraction”.
