BIRMINGHAM City Ladies’ captain Karen Carney travelled to Cardiff this week with the England Squad as they faced Wales in a crucial World Cup qualifier (played Thursday, August 20) with a point needed to make the finals in Canada next summer. The Blues have not played since mid-July but still top the FA Women’s Super League with two games in hand over their nearest rivals Chelsea and Liverpool. Liverpool beat Chelsea two weeks ago which leaves the latter level on 17 points with BCLFC and on Sunday the two teams meet in a top-of-the-table clash in the capital.
Juggling Blues and England
IT’S is a massive game but there is more pressure on Chelsea than us. What we want is a clean sheet and a result. However, It has been difficult to train with the youths being away in the U20s World Cup in Canada [Aoife Mannion, Meaghan Sargeant, Abbey-Leigh Stringer, Jess Carter and Melissa Lawley] and now the seniors in the World Cup qualifier with myself, Jade Moore, who has unfortunately had to pull out as she is suffering from an ankle injury, and Jo Potter.
We just need one point but going into the game we know wales will bank up and try and shut us out. In the reverse match we only beat them 2-0 and they were difficult to break down.
We have had some really good performances and in the friendly win over Sweden [England won 4-0 and Carney got a brace] every player had a good game and that game has given us a lot of confidence.
It was a great result and probably our best performance in an England shirt.
Blues and the title
If we get the clean sheet then we’ve done it – we are not thinking about the title because anything could happen. We can easily mess it up as we did in the first year.
We need to concentrate on each game
We will all be back and train together on Saturday – what we need is to have a good session and now where we are technically and tactically.
Now we are the top team teams want to beat us and knock us off the top and prove a point.
After the Chelsea game we have Bristol in Midweek – they’re all really tough but we will take the games as they come. The reason for this is the chance will have gone if we look too far ahead.
The players are fit and raring to go and I am too I am really excited about getting back to the league football after such a long break and to get some more points on the board.
We are in a great position and we can’t let up and we can’t write anyone off below us.
Blues in U19s World Cup
I watched the U19s World cup and I thought the Blues girls done well.
It is tournament football and it is really hard because if you get of to a bad start and are on the back foot it’s difficult to make up the ground and get back into it.
To play in such a huge competition as a teenager will have been a massive learning curve for them and will benefit the club.
They have played against the best new talent in the world and
All of them are important players for us so we also glad to have them back.
Blues shortlisted for award
It’s really great to hear that we’ve been shortlisted for Club of the year at the Birmingham Sports Awards for this award and I think its something we deserve and hopefully we’ll win it it will be a fantastic achievement.
I’m sure they’ll be plenty of other competition but that’s awesome for us.
