It’s fair to say that when you draw one of the highest seeded teams in any draw, it’s enough to keep you up at night.
That’s the task facing Cardiff City, as they prepare to face Dutch champions FC Twente in the UEFA Women’s Champions League on Wednesday. The only higher seeded team than Twente in the drew were Benfica; a fact that shows just how strong the team from Enschede are.
City midfielder Kerry Walklett admits the challenge facing the Bluebirds is an almighty one, but fixtures like this are the reason she joined the club.
Bluebirds in Europe
“We’ve played a lot of higher quality teams than us in preseason, because we know what a monumental task we’ve got on our hands. We’re prepared for spending quite a lot of time without the ball, but it’s certainly an exciting prospect. In these tournaments, you have to play the best teams at some point, so why not the first game!
“We’re aware of the challenge in front of us. They’re a phenomenal side, and we recognise it’s a big ask and we’ve got a lot to do. We’ve been preparing all pre-season for this game. We’ve looked at different shapes, different systems, but we’re ready to go out there and do our absolute best.”
While Twente go into the tie as firm favourites, especially as they have just come off the back of a 6-1 win over Ajax in the Dutch Supercup, City have plenty of qualities themselves.
Iain Darbyshire’s side are coming off the back of their first ever treble winning season, and their last competitive game was a 2-0 win over Wrexham in the Bute Energy Welsh Cup final. Walklett believes the success of the last campaign can certainly help them come Wednesday night.
“Last season gives us confidence, but we’ve put that behind us now. As soon as you’re back in preseason and there are new faces around and some have left, it’s almost like a bit of a reset.
“We’re grafting hard again and we’re certainly not getting complacent after what happened last year. We’re very focused on what we want to achieve, and the first step of that is the Champions League.”
The challenge of facing a team containing Dutch internationals Daniëlle de Jong and Kayleigh van Dooren, along with Cymru number one Olivia Clark, would be enough to scare many a player, but not Walklett.
The former West Bromwich Albion midfielder is part of the England Futsal team, and she will head off to the Futsal World Cup next month. The close control of futsal has certainly helped Walklett in the 11-a-side game, and she explained just what it’s like to represent your country.
“I’m quite a small player, so the short and sharp technical side of the game I love. People I knew played futsal, and one of them asked if I wanted to come along, and I just love it. It’s a fast-paced game, really tests your control, and you work from there. I’ve only been properly playing for about three or four years, but it’s really taken off with things like the England Women’s team.
“It’s a real honour representing my country. We’re going out to the Futsal World Cup in October and flying out to play in Moldova, so doing that off the back of this Champions League run means it’s a really exciting few months for me. To be selected to represent your country is a privilege, particularly in a sport I find so exciting.”
Walklett’s international pedigree will certainly aid City’s cause, but the task in front of them still remains a difficult one.
The playmaker knows they go in as underdogs but stressed the need for City to be confident and enjoy the moment, because who knows what could happen.
“The realistic goal for us is to just give the best account of ourselves. Of course we want to win every game, but the minimum standard for us is to get one win out of these two games. It’s important for us to recognise as well that when we come back, we’re jumping straight into league action.
“Over this pre-season we’re really hitting those high standards, so for us, we want to go out and give a good account of ourselves, and make sure we’re ready for the league when we come back. But more importantly we want to enjoy it, because for some of us, this might be our only chance to play in the Champions League.”
