Blues chasing final piece of silverware
THE most important game in City Women’s double-winning season last year was their defeat in the FA Cup.
Nick Cushing’s side had made it to the semi-final of the competition when they took on Chelsea away on a sunny afternoon in April.
Jill Ross gave them the lead in the second half, but the London club equalised late on to force extra, and then stole victory in the 120th minute.
Ending a run of four straight victories, that loss could have taken the wheels off City’s bright start. Instead, they go into this year’s final tomorrow having not lost to English opposition since that day.
Winners of the Women’s Super League and Continental Cup last year, the signing of Carli Lloyd and a run to the Champions League semi-finals in their first stab at the tournament have contributed to a strong start to 2017.
If the Blues can beat Birmingham at Wembley tomorrow and take hold of the last domestic trophy that has eluded them, the significance of that Chelsea defeat will grow again.
“Last year’s defeat has probably been the biggest learning curve of the team’s journey over the three years I’ve had them,” said Cushing.
“We were so desperate to get to the final before the game and we just played really illogical. I was probably a bit emotional and illogical at being desperate to get to Wembley.
“We then went on to win the league, beating Arsenal at Arsenal, Chelsea at Chelsea, Arsenal in the semi-final of the Continental Cup and Birmingham in the final playing a really structured and logical game which we had done in all the other games.
“That was probably our own fault because we were too emotional and didn’t focus on our performance, but since then that’s all we’ve done and all we’ve spoke about.
“Hopefully, in the final we can do what we’ve done recently when we’ve won trophies – to give ourselves every chance to win again.”
A busy week for City has already included games at Reading and Bristol, meaning yesterday was their first day of preparations for the FA Cup final.
The venue adds to the spectacle and Cushing admits it is ‘incredibly exciting’ to be leading a team out at Wembley, but the coach is not planning on making a big deal out of the day to his players.
He said: “When you play Lyon in their stadium and they have 20,000 there, and when you have international players that have played in major tournaments, I just ask them to call on the experience they’ve had. I trust that the players can play the occasion.” Lloyd with the Women’s