Duisburg too experienced for Arsenal

FCR 2001 Duisburg coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg watched the European titleholders sweep into the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals with a 2-0 win at Arsenal LFC to complete a 4-1 aggregate success, and her mind has already turned to a likely two-legged encounter with German rivals 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam, who defend a 5-0 lead at Røa IL on Wednesday. Recently-appointed Arsenal manager Laura Harvey admitted the loss of experienced players, and the need to turn to recent youth graduates, made it difficult against a team with so many proven internationals.

Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, Duisburg coach
I am happy and proud of our team. In both matches they were the better team and they deserved to reach the semi-finals. Our plan was to score and it worked at the right time. We did not allow our opponents many chances and that is how we wanted to play. We are set to play Potsdam four times in the coming weeks – in the league, in the cup semi-finals and then twice in the Women's Champions League. There will be one German team guaranteed in the final; that's good, and of course we want to be the ones that play there.

Ursula Holl, Duisburg goalkeeper
It was a great performance by our defence – not only our defensive players but the players in front of them. Such a match is a little bit boring for the goalkeeper but it justifies our game plan. Complements to our defensive players for our performance in both matches.

Laura Harvey, Arsenal manager
Quality in possession was the difference between the two teams. When chances are few and far between you have to take them. When chances did come today we couldn't get that final finish. Again, we were disappointing in possession. We gave the ball away cheaply at times, but we had to go for it, we had to win, so it's a fine line between having possession and trying to get in behind a team. We had a game plan, it worked at times, but we needed a bit more quality in possession.

You have to give credit to our kids who have stepped up. There is a big split between the over-30s and the under-20s and it is that gulf in between that we‘ve got to fill. Get the kids to get experience to build on – we ended the game with two 17-year-olds on the pitch which says a lot about our future. When you are playing experienced international players their quality can shine through and over the two legs they deserved to win. You can't buy that experience. [Forward] Danielle Carter was playing against two international Germans with 200 caps between them and she's an under-17 international who's just stepped up to this level.

Faye White, Arsenal captain
It's disappointing because I think we've raised our level. Going forward into league games, we have to expect that level from ourselves. We competed with a very strong team. We have had a lot of changes in the last few weeks, but that is not an excuse. We have to be better technically on the ball and expect more of ourselves, and when chances come, we have to put them away.