Queralt Casas has taken the measure of Canada. A team against which it was already decisive at the 2018 World Cup and against which it once again played a fundamental role in the last match of the group stage of the Games.
After playing eight minutes against Korea and not jumping onto the pitch against Serbia, the Girona player couldn’t contain the emotion after her good game against the North Americans: “I feel good. It’s hard when you have an important role in your club and it’s complicated when, for example, the other day I didn’t play. Today I was focused, waiting for the opportunity. It’s a team and for me it’s a dream [Ahora voy a llorar] to be here and in what I can, I will help all the time ”.
Casas underlined after the game on the roof of a team which has not yet reached its best version: “I do not know if we are reaching the maximum, but it is obvious that we are recovering from what happened a month ago. It is important to win, but what is important to do so with good feelings. Reaching the quarter-finals is the important thing. Since the Games started, we have changed the way we start the games. We are prepared from 1 minute to 40 ”.
HARDNESS AND DEFENSE
One of the keys to understanding the success of this team is knowing how to adapt to the physical strength of the opponent. Although sometimes it costs a bit of technique as happened in the case of Mondelo. Casas emphasizes the mental strength of this team so as not to lose face in the matches: “We knew it was going to be a difficult match. We met them several times and we knew it was going to be very physical, but I think we were very focused. right from the start. Especially in defense. We were prepared for the blows, but especially in the last two minutes there was too much contact. We were tough and we got away with it. ”
Laura Gil, the team’s defensive bastion (“Defense is my thing. I’m having a good time”), also pointed out the harshness of the game and the rival: “We knew it was going to be tough on the physical plane and in the end there was a little more permissiveness. But in the end everyone is happy. In the end, if we manage to stay focused, we are good at reading these situations. “
As for what happens to them, the Murcian player has no preference over the rival once the USA has been avoided: “We are focused on ourselves and on continuing to grow. Asian teams are more complicated because we are not used to them. but we are not going to choose. We will continue within ourselves and let others be afraid. “
