The national women’s football coach, Montse Tomé, made it clear on Friday that there is «no extraneous reason» for forward Jenni Hermoso not being included in the latest call-ups, emphasizing that the Madrid native is «an important player» and that the door is not closed for her.
«There is no extraneous reason because that’s been the recent speculation. We value Jenni, we know she is working to join the national team, she is a player with experience and history in the team. Both her and Misa (Rodríguez) are in the preliminary list, they are performing well, and the evaluation they have received is very positive,» said Tomé in a press conference at the ABANCA Balaídos Stadium in Vigo after announcing the squad for the double clash with Portugal in the Nations League.
In this regard, she made it clear that the Tigres forward can certainly make a comeback. «Jenni is an important player. Her performance on the field has evolved in the last month, and I know and have heard that she is eager to continue working to join the national team,» she warned.
«I have said this many times, there is no closed door for any player. Our job is to choose the best based on what we have discussed and what we need from them, and not everyone can be selected. We choose 23 players, and right now we have a preliminary list of 71 players who are performing well in their teams,» she concluded.
Regarding the return of Esther González, the coach from Oviedo mentioned that they know her «very well.» «I know her especially, and last year she had a great season. This year we had the opportunity to see her because they had a training camp in Marbella, and part of my coaching staff went there to watch her live,» she noted, highlighting her ability to be close to the goal and to link up well with the team.
«Eunate Astralaga has been with us since she was 16, and I have known her since that age. She had a great U-19 European Championship and is a U-17 World Champion. We feel she has a natural talent for that position, and what she has been doing in her recent games with Eibar is also remarkable,» she added about the young goalkeeper from SD Eibar, the other major addition to her squad.
Tomé believes she has a group that combines «youth with great talent, experienced players, with a lot of ambition» for the «two important matches» against Portugal, a very competitive team that has improved a lot in recent years and has been evolving despite having the same coach for a long time.
«We know them very well, although personally I have never faced them as a coach or as an assistant. Their team is a mix of players from different leagues, although they will not have Kika (Nazareth). Also, Jessica Silva plays in the United States, although I don’t think she will be able to join. We expect a competitive match that will demand the best from us,» she emphasized.
In this regard, when asked if the world champions had figured out Spain’s style in recent games, she cautioned that «at the European level, all teams have a very high level.» «In each game, Spain has been very successful, and there have been moments where the opponent knew how to play against them. I think each game is different, and now a different team is coming,» she said.
«The Belgium game was a great comeback, and the England game is one where if you look at the statistics or data and compare it to the World Cup final, we almost matched the possession, and in the last one, we had 20 attacks compared to nine in the World Cup, so we had more verticality but didn’t win. We have to keep working with humility and capacity because we have a lot of competitiveness,» she added.
She also expressed that she is not concerned about the workload of some internationals in March. «They are the ones who suffer, but the positive aspect is that we have seen many players from our team competing in the European context, which is very important for us and provides us with a lot of information. It is not something that worries me, but it is something we have to address. Our goal is to have them ready on Friday,» said the coach, pleased that the F League is «improving in the competitiveness of certain matches» after Real Madrid’s victory over FC Barcelona.
Tomé also confirmed the possibility of Edna Imade, the Nigerian forward from Granada, joining the national team if she obtains citizenship. «We value her positively. She is a player who has evolved, especially this year, has a significant scoring percentage, is young, and has actions that we see in terms of space and power in the area that we value. At this time, she is not a player we can count on, but we do value her,» she emphasized.
Finally, when asked about the serious knee injuries suffered by Tere Abelleira (Real Madrid) and Paula González ‘Pauleta’ (ABANCA Deportivo), she explained that for top-level footballers, it is a setback in their career. «During that time, your mind can wonder how you will recover, it is another test within high-level sports, they have to think about what it will leave them, what lessons they will learn,» she opined.
FUENTE