To mark our 100th post here at womans soccer insider we bring you the Q&A of former Chelsea and Arsenal player Anita Asante. Anita a confident and assured player in both defence and midfield has now switched her attensions to WPS and the New Jersey outfit Sky Blue FC. Find out how she is coping with the differences between the English league and WPS.
1.Congratulations on your 1st win against Chicago Red Stars. Describe how you and your teamates felt after the game.
I think we felt relief and more importantly that all the hard work we and the staff have put in may be starting to pay off! But we were really pleased because we thought we played well!
2. You have played every game so far. How has it been adapting to a different type of game and tactics than you are used to?
The first couple of friendly games took some adjusting to because some of the teams play really high pressure and base a lot of their strategy on athleticism, but on the most part it has been a variation of learning new things and adding the experience I have to execute the strategy in a way that will hopefully make our team successful and play good football that spectators will always associate with Sky Blue FC.
3. How does the pace and skill of the WPS compare with the English game?
There are a lot of technical players in the English game that benefit from playing within a culture of football that has long lasting tradition and huge fan bases, regular coverage and accessibility. However, playing in WPS has provided a platform for the very elite to display their talent with players from all over the world...so of course the standard is extremely high. The pace of the games are intense but because they are highly competitive and players are mentally and physically astute.
4. Sky Blue have some pretty good defenders at the back. What has it been like to play with the like of Christie Rampone and Jenni Branam?
Honestly they are both real leaders on and off the pitch. I have enjoyed training and playing with both of them because they lead by example and I know they have my back. Christie is an exceptional player and I feel lucky to be playing alongside someone who is supportive and so experienced and positive all the time. Branam being a keeper is crazy just for being a keeper but we love her because she is a brilliant goal keeper and a commanding figure especially when we most need it!
5. The squad seems to have a lot of personalities on it. Do you do a lot of activities together on your days off?
Well most of the team lives in the same apartment complex so we often hang out together and play cards, watch a movie or just chill the usual...but because we mostly are together we have so much fun!
6. Who has been the toughest forward you have come up against so far in the WPS?
The toughest forward I have come up against is Marta because she always springs up no matter her presence in the game and makes something happen!
7. How have you improved your game in the short time you have been playing in the WPS?
I feel I have improved my game by being more vocal and adding a bit more of that controlled aggression that traditional British defenders are known for.
8 . Do you think there will be more English players looking to play in the WPS in the future?
Most definitely, we as a nation are continually improving and our recent international records and success is starting to show! If the opportunities are presented there will always be more potential for English players to take it up!
9. What are England’s chances at Euro 2009?
I am confident that we have a good chance of having a successful tournament as does every team! We will take it game by game accept the challenges and have the mentality that we are there to compete and nothing is beyond our grasp!
10. Finally…What is it truly like to now be a professional footballer?
To truly be a professional footballer is to accept pressure enjoy competition within training and match environments and strive to win and be better always!
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Post a Comment