Read England international and Leeds Carnegie footballer Sue Smith’s latest blog for Sportsister. Here she writes to us from the England training camp in La Manga, Spain.
Snow stops play
The weather has continued to hinder our training and matches. We have only been able to train in the gym or at various indoor facilities and our FA cup game against Watford on Sunday was cancelled due to snow on the pitch so it has to be replayed this Sunday! This isn’t the best preparation considering we have got the league cup final coming up in about three weeks. The venue has eventually been announced it’s at Rochdale on Thursday the 11th Feb so please come and support us against the blue noses. If you are a Leeds ladies armchair supporter then the game will be shown on ESPN.
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Warm weather training……
We are currently training in La Manga if you didn’t already know! I think I put the mockers on the sunshine as its only 4 degrees and raining… and I thought I may have got a sneaky winter tan as well. Just to make you all laugh a little more, we have been beasted, and along with the three sessions a day we have had fitness testing, meetings recovery strategies and weights. All we have seemed to do is sleep in the time off we have been given – but at least I know it’s not the fact that I am 30 as my roomie Jess Clarke is only 21 and is snoring her head off as we speak! The one positive of the week is the fact we will be getting match sharpness which we haven’t been able to get at home so hopefully Sunday in our cup game we will all be flying.
International matches
We played Norway and China on Friday; Hope split the 30 players into two teams and tried to mix the teams so there was some experience with some youthful exuberance. I played in the China game in the morning, it was a tough game as we know China are renowned for playing quick football, they are machines that keep going to the very end and that is exactly what happened. We went 2-0 up and played some nice football but the Chinese never die attitude meant they come back into the game and we ended up drawing 2-2.
The second game was against Norway in the evening and this was a different test for the girls. Norway likes to play long direct football and again that’s exactly what they did. We played well and drew this game 1-1. Overall we were all pleased with the results considering we were beasted throughout the week. To draw two games against two top nations and playing in a team we all were not used to can only be a positive for English football.
Trouble off the field
On a serious note I am still shocked and disgusted at what happened to the Togo national team in Angola this week. I don’t know how these players will ever get over such an ordeal. To be shot at and have to hide under the seats of a coach whilst other members of your team are getting killed and injured is just terrifying and I am sure that it will live with the players for the rest of the lives. It was clear to see the sheer grief and torment that their captain Adebayor had gone through on the news and I think it was the right decision for them to go home. I know the players would want to try and play for the memory of the ones that were killed however the players would be in no state of mind to be able to play.
We returned home on Saturday evening hoping to play our FA cup game on the Sunday, but yet again this was cancelled due to bad weather, so this will now take place this week the 24th January. We are all in preparation phase for our cup final against Everton and my fitness trainer is working hard so that I will peak for this game. Hopefully both teams will get some games in before this, I think it could potentially be a great game to watch and what I am certain of is the fact that it will be very competitive.
Sue Smith, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
