In the first half, Hacken’s young striker Felicia Schroder found the back of the net, scoring the game’s sole goal after a brilliant setup from Monica Jusu Bah, who expertly evaded Hammarby captain Alice Carlsson on her way to assist her teammate.
Two clichés come to mind – “it’s only half-time” and “one hand on the trophy.” Which resonates with you more?
“I’m definitely more of the ‘it’s only half-time’ type! I try not to get ahead of myself. Having played for a long time, I’ve seen how unpredictably football can shift, experiencing both the highs and lows. Today showed us just how formidable Hammarby are—they’re just as hungry for the trophy as we are. So, I wouldn’t say we have one hand on it just yet; I’m looking for a solid 90 minutes in the next match, and then we can talk about having both hands on it!”
Do you think that having a well-known opponent in this crucial final is an advantage over facing an unknown side?
“It definitely creates a unique mental space. Competing in the tournament against teams like Inter, Breidablik, and Frankfurt has been intensive, almost like a mental refresher. You step away from the league and encounter various playing styles and athletes, which alters mental preparation. It’s surreal that Hammarby and we are both in the final, and that this year we’ll meet each other five times! It’s a lot to process, so I’m focusing on taking it one game at a time.”
In those opening 30 minutes, you seemed to exploit their back three. Was that part of your strategy or did the game simply unfold that way?
“Our intent was always to start strong, especially on an away pitch with Hammarby in front of their passionate fans. Their supporters are truly commendable. Regardless of the match dynamics, we aimed to play assertively, whether by winning defensive battles or seizing opportunities to counterattack. The mindset was to effectively respond to whatever challenges they threw at us.”
Hammarby’s aggressive approach in the second half forced your team to play more defensively. Was it more about wanting to maintain your lead rather than pushing for a second goal?
“Absolutely, it’s always a tricky balance. When you sit back, you leave yourself vulnerable to various attacks, which can be quite stressful. While you want to maintain a presence and be a threat, Hammarby was relentless in their pursuit of an equaliser, vital for them given they were at home. It was a blend of trying to secure the victory while regrettably not advancing behind their defence as often as we intended. Sometimes, that’s just how it goes; we’ll delve into the analysis to uncover insights.”
You mention it being only half-time, but surely you must feel optimistic about the return leg?
“I genuinely appreciate that we got the away fixture out of the way first, and getting to play at home next is a significant advantage. I have faith in our squad. We’ve unified as a team, playing solid football and achieving results. It’s great to say that, but I’d never claim it’s a definite win—far from it!”
After a disappointing first-leg defeat, Alice Carlsson had little to say to the media, but the 30-year-old believes that enhancing their clinical edge in front of goal is crucial for reversing the outcome in the second leg on Friday, 1st May.
Your side appeared to be under pressure defensively early in the match; was that where the game shifted?
“We know Hacken’s front players possess incredible speed, so stopping them was essential, yet they are very talented individuals.”
As captain, what did you convey to your team at half-time or during the game? It seemed you tightened things defensively and created some dangerous moments afterwards.
“I just emphasised the need to keep pushing, maintain possession, and apply pressure to them so we could generate chances from that.”
With the final only halfway through, how confident are you that you can turn this around?
“We can certainly take several positive aspects into Friday’s match; even though we didn’t create many chances, we did create some! We simply need to be more clinical in the box next time.”
Compiled by SportArena.au
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