Gérard Prêcheur: "Our mental strength won us the game"
Paris Saint-Germain’s women’s team head coach Gérard Prêcheur as well as Katarzyna Kiedrzynek spoke about the AMOS Women’s French Cup semi-final win over Liverpool (1-1, 2-1 on penalties) at the Stade Michel Bendichou in Colomiers.
Gérard Prêcheur:
"Our mental strength won us the game, of course, and that's what they [the players] have been showing ever since July. This is a very attentive squad that puts in a lot of effort, both in training and in games. They're feeling confident and fresh, so I'm happy that they got their reward. Even if it's on penalties, it's still good. This was our first 'official' game because this is a tournament with world-class teams in it, so I asked them to add that competitive mindset on top.
"I wanted them to add that winning mentality to the desire to play well that they've had since the start, and that's what they did. We struggled in the second half because I changed the system; even though it was planned, it isn't always easy. Liverpool pressed us, too, and we didn't do our defensive duties for a quarter of an hour before we got back on top. It was satisfactory."
Katarzyna Kiedrzynek:
"We saw how the penalty shootout went. I was lucky enough to choose the right side twice, unfortunately for the Liverpool players. I'm sad for the girls who didn't score, but it's good for the team that I made a few saves. I think that this was a good performance and that it'll give me confidence, as I hadn't played for a while. I'm happy, and I think that this is a good time to enjoy it.
"It's an important win, even though it's in a friendly. We win together, lose together and draw together. It's about the team; we don't play individually. That's why we had those moments of joy after the game, which is normal. I think that we should enjoy it together, as a team."