Jorge Vilda analyzes Sweden test: “We’re ready”

Jorge Vilda joined Jenni Hermoso in Monday’s press conference to look ahead to tomorrow’s World Cup semi-final clash with Sweden - by far the biggest and most important game that Spain’s women’s national team and their coach have ever played, and it coincides with a national bank holiday back home in Spain, which means millions will be glued to their television sets for the 10 a.m. kick-off.

Sweden: “Their strengths are obvious. Physically they are a force, they have shown how dangerous they are from set-pieces throughout the World Cup and as a team, they are very strong going forward. But we are Spain and we have to stick to our own plans and focus on that. We know what we have to do. I am pretty sure that we are going to see Sweden show their best side tomorrow and so we will have to be at our best too. Small details will be very important as will handling moments of the game mentally. My team has been able to bounce back from adversity, here and in the past. That’s why I think we’re ready.”

Spain’s success in New Zealand: “The national team is all about this group of players. They give everything they have in every training session. They work together, united as one, as a team. During the past two months, apart from the good atmosphere within the group, there is camaraderie. We haven’t really been able to get a full idea about how the public’s reaction back home in Spain but we have received lots messages - from the Royal Family, clubs, institutions... I gauge how we are doing by the number of messages I receive after the game, I have so many unanswered WhatsApps. Women’s football is experiencing an explosion, in Spain we are experiencing it without having yet won anything at senior level”.

Nerves: “We have a staff to take care of that, a psychologist. He tells us it’s good to cry, which is why Jenni and I didn’t stop the other day. It’s actually a good sign to be feeling anxious about a new challenge 48 hours before the game”.

Previous meetings: “It’s true, Spain have never beaten Sweden but that’s just an extra motivation for us. It is a unique opportunity. They may feel more under pressure to beat us. But have no fear, we can look them straight in the eye.”

Alexia: “We are very happy with her level, but she only recently come back after a long, 9-10-month recovery process. It’s very positive how she is evolving. Alexia is prepared for everything”.

Support: “I’d like to highlight the support we have received from our president, without him we would not be here. He showed bravery. He backed my coaching staff and me. In the group there is a lot of union and good vibes. Professionalism and ambition. A year ago I trusted this team, even though we lost against England, who went on to become [European] champions. The same thing happened to me against the United States in the World Cup. After that match we continued working”.

Quarter finals: “None of the players gave up from start to finish. They showed that we can score a goal at any moment. People love watching Jenni when she’s on the ball. We’re going into this game with a lot of confidence”.

Penalties : “Yes, we have been practicing them. We have our own methods but we’re not going to reveal it. We’ve been working on all of those things for the last two months. But it’s impossible to reproduce a penalty shootout on the training pitch. We can only make sure that we are prepared and keep in mind that we could be faced with a similar situation to what happened in the Australia-France match, which went to 10 penalties”.

Ona Batlle: “She is a very versatile player, in the past she played on the left. At Man United she was used on the right. Wherever she plays, she’s a safe bet.”