Westberg braced for Arsenal
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Article summary
Umeå IK defender Karolina Westberg is more than aware of the threat posed by Arsenal LFC's strike force in the first leg of the final on Saturday.
Article body
Karolina Westberg will be charged with holding the line as Umeå IK take on Arsenal LFC in the first leg of the UEFA Women's Cup final this Saturday, and the Swedish international defender is more than aware of the threat posed by their visitors.
'Physical game'
These clubs may never have met, but Westberg knows all about Arsenal's front players from when her former club Malmö FF took on the Gunners in this competition. "It was a very tight game," Westberg told uefa.com. "They have many quick players, it will be a very physical game."
Fleeting threat
Furthermore Sweden's friendly with Scotland in February gave Westberg a first-hand look at Arsenal's Julie Fleeting. Ths prolific striker is this season's leading goalscorer in the UEFA Women's Cup and, in the absence of the suspended Kelly Smith, the English champions' main danger, especially with the support of wingers Karen Carney and Rachel Yankey. "When Sweden played Scotland she was alone," Westberg said. "If she has good players on the wing, she is a great target player."
Squad changes
In contrast to Arsenal, who are far enough into their domestic season to be just one win from securing another English league title, Umeå only started their campaign last Wednesday as the Swedish championship is played in the summer. "I don't know it makes any difference," Westberg insists, and also argues that her club's squad changes in the summer, with a number of important players leaving, will not be harmful. "We have lost very good players, especially our captain Malin Moström, but we still have very good players. Maybe we won't play exactly the same, but we will be good anyway."
European challenge
So good Umeå have been in Sweden recently that they have only dropped two points in each of their last two seasons and relish the greater challenge of the six-year-old European competition. "Of course it has made a lot of difference for us in Sweden; last year we won the league with too many points," Westberg said. "As a defender I want to play in games where you have to be at your best all the time."
