Casey Stoney believes that winning the Cyprus Cup has given her team a great confidence boost before the oncoming Euro Cup which is just a couple of months away. She spoke to BBC and said that she believes that England has one of the strongest teams in the tournament and is surely going to be one of the favourites to win the prestigious Euro Cup this summer.
She equated that the last time England won the Cyprus Cup, they went on to reach the finals of the Euro Cup and this year’s victory indicates that they are in a better position than what they were four years ago.
Many thought that the finals between England and Canada would be a replay of their encounter in the recently concluded Olympics but England made it a point to ‘right a few wrongs’ as captain Stoney puts it. But surprisingly, this victory did not provide them with a sense of revenge, instead according to Stoney, it hurt more to think that if they could defeat them now, then why couldn’t they do so back at the Olympics. But such is the mystery of competitive football.
Stoney believes that they were almost bullied by Canada at the Olympics which resulted in their loss but in the finals of the Cyprus Cup, the team was better prepared to handle the physicality of the Canadian counterpart. She singled out the youngsters for her praise, notably Arsenal midfielder Jordan Nobbs and Toni Duggan from Everton. She believed that the youngsters showed great courage on the field which helped England ease to a victory in the finals. She also praised Rachel Yankey for her miraculous goal which helped England clinch the finals in their favour. She put the question of her age to rest as she expressed her faith in Yankey’s experience and skills.
Over the years Kelly Smith has been considered to be the best striker in the world and England have been accused of being over reliant on the prolific striker. But they were without Smith in the finals and the fact that they could achieve a victory without her contribution goes on to prove that England is not a single player team. Captain Stoney expressed her satisfaction over the fact that the entire squad was used and contributed significantly in the team’s success in the Cyprus Cup. She express and reiterated her faith and trust in the entire team. What remains to be seen is whether England can continue on their winning run and achieve success at the very important European Championship Cup this summer.
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