Ninety minutes separate the Spanish women’s team from the new title. With a very improved version, but he received a draw from Germany that allowed him to go to the Metropolitano with the final tie in search of his second Nations League title. It will also be the second … For Maria Mendes (Oviedo, 24 years old), she is excited at the prospect of winning a title again with Spain, satisfied to see how the gap between Real Madrid and Barcelona is shrinking over time, and saddened by the impending closure that Levante, the club where she made the big leap, seems to be facing.
-They are immersed in a new final, the fourth in three years, a few months after the European Cup. Does one get used to playing finals?
-You don’t get used to it, you always respect any team, but you are proud of the responsibility of defending the title and knowing that we have a very important match on Tuesday that can give you another title.
– What does it mean to play on a stage like the Metropolitano?
-It will be a very beautiful scenario, in which the national team has never played before. The federation has done a great job, and I think there will be record attendance. Spaniards are increasingly participating in the Spanish women’s national team. For us, this is a source of pride and gives us an extra advantage on the pitch.
-The Euro final was a difficult result for you. Is it a fork that can be removed?
-Yes, absolutely. In every final, in every match, you know you can win or lose. Yes, it is true that as it turns out, it hurt us a lot, and in the end you will lose euros. But we have another match against them in the group stage of the World Cup qualifiers and we will prepare to perform better and be able to win.
-After that defeat, a change came to the national team bench. What do you think of Sonia Bermudez’s arrival?
-good. Well, there’s little we can say as players. We adapt to any changes that may occur, as long as they are for the better. We think about football. When Sonia joined, the results were very good, we are growing more and more, forming a group with new things and we are very happy.
-How did the lineup change with Bermudez?
-Everyone has his points, but it is true that we are a team that has been working together for a long time. The more freedom and the more we can have fun…that’s what they did, give continuity to that with the nuances that every coach and every coaching staff has.
-There was also a change on the bench in Madrid. How did you see it and how do you rate the season so far?
-We are in a good moment, and we are approaching the greats. In the Champions League we are in a very good position, we now have two matches remaining in the group stage, but we have seven points and with the win I think we are already at the top of the table. In the league we are also in a very good position. We are growing a lot at the tactical level, at the game level, we trust all the players, all the staff. We are having fun, that is the most important thing, and we dream of getting the title in the short term.
-Madrid arrived in good condition, but lost in El Clásico. Is the difference bigger again?
-For me, this is not what we saw last year or in the other classics. The result seems very huge to me compared to what we can see on the field. In the end, football is measured by goals and we didn’t score any, but we had so many clear chances compared to other years that we could have done much more damage. The game was very open until we missed the penalty kick. We couldn’t convert the chances, but they were created, a lot of damage was done to Barcelona and it doesn’t seem to me that there is as big a gap as there would have been in other years. We will continue to work so that this does not happen again, and we take advantage of the opportunities that we have, since we have access to their area, which in other years was very difficult, because they can get it and the gap is getting smaller and smaller.
-Does Madrid lack the ambition to be able to get close to Barcelona?
-I don’t know if this feeling is ambition or not. But the last time we played each other was last year, when we beat them, and this time, I think the mentality of the team is different. In the end, you have to go out on your own and play against Barcelona just as you go out and play against Arsenal in the Champions League. It’s a match, 90 minutes in which anything can happen, you’re not afraid of the opponent, you have the ability or the responsibility to be able to play the ball, to be able to attack in the opponent’s area. You’re not as afraid of them, let alone as you were years ago. When you get rid of the weight of playing face-to-face, I think that’s when things emerge and flow. Obviously you can’t be happy when you lose, but I think things are getting better and better, the gap is getting smaller and smaller and we are getting closer.
-How did your family accept your desire to play football?
-Completely naturally. My parents wanted me to be happy, and if my happiness is playing football, then do what I want. They have always supported me and the truth is I can be proud of that. There are other colleagues who did not have it so easy because of their environment, but for me it was very easy, they always respected me.
-The club where she made a big leap in her career is considering selling the women’s team due to the financial difficulties the club is going through. What do you think?
-It makes me very sad. Before I was there, Levante Women was a historic team. It is sad that this has been undone in such a short time, abandoned due to economic circumstances. But well, we as players or as a women’s section can’t do much in that sense because you depend on the club. But it’s sad because so many things have been achieved and so great strides have been made for the women’s team to now be relegated in such a short time.