Vidarsdóttir eyes parting gift
Sunday, August 30, 2009
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Striker Margrét Lára Vidarsdóttir believes it is time Lady Luck smiled on Iceland as they look to get their first points on the board in their farewell to UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™.
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Striker Margrét Lára Vidarsdóttir believes it is high time fortune smiled on Iceland as they aim to get their first points on the board in their farewell to UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™ against holders Germany.
Slim margin
The Nordic nation have given a good account of themselves in their two Group B outings to date. But, conceding twice from penalties — with a spot-kick of their own missed by Vidarsdóttir herself — in the 3-1 defeat by France and a narrow 1-0 loss to Norway, in which they came painfully close to equalising on more than one occasion, sealed an early exit from their first major finals.
Disappointing campaign
Vidarsdóttir, who arrived in Finland as the top scorer in qualification with 12 goals, makes no attempt to hide her disappointment at how her side's campaign has unfolded. She is, however, determined to help ensure Iceland give their loyal band of travelling fans something to cheer about against a Germany side that have already firmly anchored their place in the quarter-final as winners of the section.
'Tough game'
"We knew France and Norway were both great teams, but, the thing is, we created quite a few chances against them," the Kristianstads DFF forward said. "We haven't been outplayed, but, sometimes, things haven't quite gone for us. As a striker, maybe things don't go for you; the ball doesn't drop or, sometimes, a couple of centimetres can make all the difference. You can always find an excuse if you want one. But the important thing is to make sure you're doing your job in the team. Perhaps, it's just that little bit of luck that we've been missing. I hope we have it against Germany because this will certainly be a very tough game."
'Great experience'
Having spent three months at Frauen-Bundesliga club FCR 2001 Duisburg in season 2006/07, Vidarsdóttir knows better than most the scale of her side's task on Sunday, even if Germany rest key players. "I played with five members of their current team and they are all fantastic," the 23-year-old said. "They have so many great players and to work there every day was a great experience. I'm grateful to have had the chance and I feel it made me a better player. Hopefully I can show that against Germany."