Malta national women’s coach Pierre Brincat named the 18-strong squad ahead of this Saturday’s 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifier against Spain which will be played at the Centenary Stadium, Ta’ Qali, kick-off at 17:00.
This will be the first of a number of difficult tests for the Maltese team. In fact, Malta was drawn in a group together with England who are ranked 9th in the world, Spain who are ranked 20th, Austria ranked 38th and Turkey who are ranked 57th. Malta is currently ranked 88th.
The team showed considerable improvement in recent months, placing second in a UEFA Women’s Friendly Tournament which was held in Malta last June. Malta defeated Latvia 4-0 and Luxembourg 1-0, losing 0-1 to Bulgaria. This tournament was one of four tournaments, the team took part in over the past two years since the last UEFA Women’s Championship qualifiers in 2006.
The players selected by Brincat are:
goalkeepers Sharon Costantino (Birkirkara), Michelle Zahra (Birkirkara);
defenders Maria Azzopardi (Hibs), Rebecca Chircop (Mosta), Chantal Fenech (Birkirkara), Natasha Pace (Mosta), Kim Parnis (Birkirkara), Corissa Vella (Sliema Raiders), Charlene Zammit (Hibs);
midfielders Orianna Bedingfield (Melita), Rachael Cuschieri (Birkirkara), Rebecca D’Agostino (Mosta), Yanika Debono (Sta. Venera), Mandy Debono (Hibs), Emma Xuereb (Gozo);
forwards Ylenia Carabott (Sliema Raiders), Dorianne Theuma (Mosta), Gabriella Zahra (Melita).
The Spanish team is made up of: goalkeepers Ainhoa Tirapu de Goñi (Athletic Club), María José Pons Gómez (Espanyol);
defenders Ruth García García (Levante), Sandra Vilanova Tous (Rayo Vallecano), Marta Torrejón Moya (Espanyol), Melisa Nicolau Martin (Rayo Vallecano), Lucía Jiménez Contreras (Atlético de Madrid), Ana María Escribano López (Barcelona), Sonia Vesga Ruiz (Rayo Vallecano);
midfielders Silvia Meseguer Bellido (Espanyol), Ana Romero Moreno (Rayo Vallecano), Lorena Álvarez Osorio (Extremadura), Julia de la Paz Vera Valhondo (Transportes Alcaine), María José Pérez González (Charco del Pino), Sonia Bermúdez Tribano (Rayo Vallecano);
forwards Veronica Boquete Giadans (Espanyol), Raquel Peña Rodríguez (Tacuense), Adriana Martin Santamaria (Rayo Vallecano).