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Women’s National Team

Ivana Andrés: "Before the first match I told my teammates to enjoy themselves"

The captain of the Spanish National Team warns of the toughness of Spain's next two opponents in the World Cup: "They are two different types of teams"
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Sun, 23/07/2023 - 11:04

CLICK HERE TO READ ATHENEA DEL CASTILLO´S COMMENTS FROM THE SAME PRESS CONFERENCE

Last Friday she played her first game in a World Cup and she did it wearing the National Team captain’s armband, Ivana Andrés roused her teammates before the match against Costa Rica with her clear message: "I told my teammates that we had to fulfil the dream that we have had since we were little and that we had been working and striving for a long time. I also told them that we should enjoy ourselves while doing it.

The defender believes that in the opener, "we had a lot of chances against Costa Rica, but we had an opponent in front of us who closed down spaces. Looking ahead to the next game, we need to improve our link up play. To create those chances we also have to work hard. We're calm in that respect.

Focusing on the upcoming games against Zambia and Japan, Ivana warns that "we´re going to face 2 different types of opponent. For me, Japan were very good against Zambia and deserved the win more than Zambia. Both teams are going to give us tough games because the Zambian forwards are very direct and could do us a lot of damage on the counter".

Comfortable at the team's base camp in Palmerston North, the Valencian player is taking the opportunity to walk around and play table tennis in her free time during a World Cup that she is enjoying in every way, including the weather: "I was expecting it to be colder and it's not so cold when running. I prefer this temperature for playing. We try to adapt and always train with a smile on our faces", she added.

 

 

 

Mundial Femenino 2023