Montse Tomé: “I’m pleased with the team’s spirit”

After the friendly match between Italy and Spain, Montse Tomé and Alba Redondo gave an optimistic assessment of how they saw the team’s performance. “They’re in a good place, eager and ready to secure success. We’ll keep working to see where we can improve, but I’m happy with the team’s positive spirit,” shared the head coach after the draw with the Italians.

Alba Redondo, the scorer who put Spain ahead, felt the same way: “Despite the draws, I’ve seen the team looking solid. We created a lot of chances but perhaps didn’t get our reward in front of goal, with just two goals across two matches. That’s often how it goes early in the season. This is the start of a process that I’m sure will be very exciting and special for everyone. We need to be patient; it’s just the first camp, and we’ll keep improving.”

The draws against Canada and Italy mask two matches in which Montse Tomé’s side dominated, created numerous scoring opportunities, and was the superior team, even if they didn’t fully convert that superiority into goals. Against Italy, the same story: “We tried in every way, looking for that final clear pass to finish with more advantage or accuracy, but the overall feeling from both matches is positive.”

This optimism and patience, echoed by both the coach and the goal-scorer, stem from the work put in everyday during this first camp. This is just the beginning, as Montse Tomé highlighted: “They adapt quickly to what we’re asking of them. They’re intelligent in the game, have a great attitude, and as a team, we’re making progress. They’re improving. In this camp, you could see the team evolving, and it’s clear they’re only going to get stronger.”

Against Canada, Alba Redondo started, and her replacement, Cristina Martín-Prieto, ended up scoring. Against Italy, the roles were reversed. After Martín-Prieto’s start, it was the player from Seville who replaced her and scored against the Italians, expressing her happiness in the Romeo Menti Stadium in Vicenza: “I’m delighted to be able to help the team with goals. If that’s how I can contribute, great; if not, then I’ll focus on the defensive side. I’m proud and happy to wear this shirt and be there for Montse whenever I’m needed.”

This team has deeply instilled strong work ethic, commitment, and drive. That philosophy and essence remain in this Spain side that Montse Tomé is continuing to shape: “We’re working on what defines this team, with and without the ball, focusing on developing the patience to get into position and then, once we’re there, to have a clearer eye for goal. We’re also focusing on being intense in our defensive phases, which served us well today as we didn’t let Italy break out. We’ll keep reinforcing these concepts, keep improving collectively as a team both on and off the pitch. We’re already looking forward to next month.”

Both the head coach and the striker’s positive impressions are perfectly summarised in the words of the Real Madrid forward. The national team is on an upward path with genuinely encouraging signs: “Moving forward, knowing we have a lot to improve on, but staying grounded and aware that we have exciting challenges ahead.”