Ljungberg up for Arsenal challenge
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Article summary
Umeå IK forward Hanna Ljungberg says she is relishing the fight as her side aim to overturn a 1-0 deficit at Arsenal LFC in the second leg of the final.
Article body
It is not often Umeå IK have to come from behind, even at the very highest level. In their previous two-legged UEFA Women's Cup finals in 2003 and 2004, they went into the away return 4-1 and 3-0 up against Fortuna Hjørring and 1. FFC Frankfurt respectively, rendering victory inevitable.
'I love to fight'
On Sunday, in contrast, they travel to Arsenal LFC 1-0 down after a last-minute defeat in their home first leg. And that situation is one the Umeå forward Hanna Ljungberg is relishing. "I love to fight!" the Swedish international told uefa.com. "Sometimes they score before you and you have to fight back, that is good for us. I've longed to play a very important and tough game [having been injured], now we are here and I can't wait for Sunday's game."
Defeat
For much of the first leg it seemed that Umeå would take the lead and hold an advantage at Borehamwood in the return. "We had most of the play in the game, but it is not good that they scored a late goal," said Ljungberg, the UEFA Women's Cup all-time leading scorer. "But we can't do anything about this now, we are 1-0 down and it's only half-time. We have plenty of opportunity to change this."
Arsenal ability
Not that they will underestimate first-time finalists Arsenal, Ljungberg saying: "Arsenal played exactly as I though they would and were as good as I thought. They are a really good team, they have a lot of good players and we have to shape up a little bit as we want to win this final."
Surprised to start
That Ljungberg faced Arsenal at all was something that she could not guarantee all winter as she recovered from a thigh injury that had kept her out for the entire pre-season and restricted her to just two substitute appearances before the first leg. "I didn't expect to start at all as I have not been training," Ljungberg said. "I have been on my own in the gym for five months. You have to do your best and I tried but I didn't score but it was close. But I dreamt about this final all the time at the gym, I can promise you that!"