Montpellier triumphs in a French quarter-final
Two French universities clashed in the quarter-final of the women’s football tournament at FC Kustošija. The University of Montpellier and the University of Caen played defensively in the beginning of the match, without any major chances.
Montpellier won 3-0 thanks to Valerie Gauvin. The girls from the University of Montpellier, who had topped their group in the earlier stage of the tournament, said their previous results motivated them, giving them an additional boost. Valerie Gauvin participated in the second goal as well, assisting Lindsey Thomas for 2-0 in the 30th minute. Although the result suggests it was a one-sided game and a safe win for the French, situation on the pitch was different. The best player in the ranks of the University of Caen, Hilde Van Herwijnen, caused major problems for Montpellier. To her dismay, despite constantly running away from Montpelier fullbacks, the only Caen’s player who was in the mood didn’t receive enough balls, and those which came to her went wide. The feisty Valerie Gauvin was again responsible for the final 3-0 score. Under the guidance of Coach Frederic Dumazerta, the University of Montpellier deservedly won and the audience at the match considered them to be the front-runners for first place.
The match between the Russian and Swiss girls ends with Russian victory
Ural State Mining University won against the University of Lausanne 4-0. The Swiss team tried to score at least one goal, but they failed to do it. Zalliia Gazimova scored two goals in the first half. Yulia Biryukova scored the third in the second half, and Daria Alieva lashed the fourth goal in the 42nd minute. The coach of Switzerland commented:
‘The Russian girls played very well. We had a lot of chances that we didn’t use so we’re a bit frustrated. ‘
The Russian coach Igor Novikov said that this match was very important for them and that the start of the match was especially difficult.
The Spanish triumph over the Austrians in ‘the last minute’
The University of Valencia and the University of Innsbruck met at FC Trnje. The Spanish proved to be worthy opponents, playing firmly from the opening whistle. Despite often playing the ball to the very edges of the pitch, the Austrians managed to turn Valencia’s confidence to their own advantage and use their relaxed defense to ‘sneak’ the ball past the goalkeeper Estruch Blay. Anna Mederle (5) scored for Innsbruck in the last, 25th minute of the first half. Valencia did not need long to make up for their mistake, and a shot by number 10, Alice Moreno Gonzalez, went into the Austrian goal. The score remained unchanged for the rest of the game, and the winner had to be determined in a penalty shoot-out. The Spanish team proved more successful with a 3:0 win. The final result was 4:1 for Valencia. Their coach, Jose Manchera, said he considered them potential tournament winners.
‘We started the game calmly, in the second half we turned it around and scored a goal. I wouldn’t say that scoring the penalties was luck, but more the sheer determination of the girls to win. We will keep on fighting!’
The Norwegian School of Economics came to support the Austrian team for the second time, despite their earlier defeat. Apart from them, the male footballers from the University of Vienna cheered from the stands throughout the game.
Two German teams fight for the semis
The only two German teams at the competition, the University of Marburg and the University of Frankfurt, played against each other.
‘I am sorry we met in the quarter-final, we wanted to meet in the final. At least one German team will be in the semifinals,’ said Marburg player Denise Meinberg.
The first half was even, while Marburg dominated in the second half. Lena Therre scored the leading goal for Marburg in the 40th minute. After almost scoring from a free-kick, the University of Malburg finally scored their second goal in the 44th minute, thanks to Tanja Rocha Ferreira, who got injured almost immediately before the goal-worthy shot. Anna Becker scored for Frankfurt in the 49th minute, making the final minutes of the game very tense. Still, the University of Marburg resisted the pressure from Frankfurt and the score stayed 2:1. Marburg will play against the French Montpellier in the semifinals. The game is scheduled for tonight.
