Monday 29 June saw the girls play their second game of this year’s Montesilvano Futsal Cup.

After a hard-fought victory in their opening match yesterday, the girls were looking to back that up with another win to maintain their place at the top of the group. However, they knew they would face a tough challenge against another unfamiliar opponent.

Playing on a full-sized international futsal court for the first time was always going to be a difficult task. Combined with the intense heat and the challenge of facing a team they had never played before, the girls knew they would need another strong performance if they were to continue their positive start to the tournament.

First Half:

Half Time: Bootham 4 – 0 Tolna-Mozs (Hungary)

Second Half:

Full Time: Bootham 4 – 1 Tolna-Mozs (Hungary)

Player of the Match:

One of the toughest jobs on the court is playing as the highest player, stopping the opposition’s fix from getting comfortable and controlling the game. It requires constant running, pressing, and hard work, especially in the heat today. Maja did this job brilliantly. She never allowed the opposition time on the ball, chasing and harrying their fixes whenever she was on the court. The goals may get the headlines, but performances like this make them possible. An outstanding game from Maja today — she was superb.

League Table:

Coaches Comments:

We spoke to the girls before the game and reminded them that yesterday’s result would mean very little if they didn’t back it up with another strong performance. The response was outstanding.

We asked them to start fast and look for some early goals, but even we didn’t expect to be 4-0 up at half-time. It was another fantastic team display, with every player contributing and delivering one of their best performances. The result also gave us our biggest ever win on foreign soil.

In the second half, we took our foot off the gas slightly and looked to control the tempo more. It also gave Scarlett the opportunity to spend more time supporting her teammates higher up the court. To say she had an eventful game would be an understatement!!! There were a couple of heart-in-mouth moments, but she showed great character to recover from her mistakes and put things right.

We’re working hard to rotate the squad and ensure everyone gets valuable playing time and the full experience of being here in Italy, so we’ll shuffle the pack again tomorrow and look at a different starting lineup.

At the start of the week, reaching the semi-finals was seen as an incredible achievement for this group. With one game still to play, they’ve already accomplished that goal. Finishing top of the group would be a great bonus, but for now we’ll enjoy tonight, reflect on another excellent performance, and then focus on tomorrow’s challenge.

Coach Chris