Local champions, Crusaders Newtownabbey Strikers, play hosts to the former UEFA champions FCR 2001 Duisburg who are the top seeded team.
Scottish champions Glasgow City LFC and Slovakian league winners SK Slovan Bratislava were drawn second and third respectively. This draw sets up a fascinating group for supporters of women’s football and spectators alike.
The FCR 2011 Duisburg line-up includes top international striker Inka Grings who has scored 57 goals for Germany and was last year’s top scorer in the European Championships as well as international goalkeeper Ursula Holl, defenders Linda Bresonik and Annike Krahn, and midfielders Simone Laudehr and Alexandra Popp. Between them, they have amassed over 240 international caps for Germany.
Scottish champions, Glasgow City FCinclude Scottish international defender Rachel Corsie who featured on the scoreboard in their recent win over Bulgaria in the Women’s World Cup qualifiers. Glasgow City manager Peter Caulfield was disappointed with their selection for the UEFA qualifying round given their performances in the UEFA tournament over the past few seasons. Peter added: “In recent seasons we have played many of the top seeded clubs in Europe and have never been out-classed by any of them, in fact we’ve achieved both wins and draws. In November 2008 we lost 1-0 in the last 16 of the competition to Zvezda-2005, from Russia, in a game we dominated, only to see them go all the way to the Champions League final, so we are not far off these top clubs. That said we are left with no choice but to prepare well for the forthcoming qualifying group, at the start of August, and go and win the group no matter who our opponents are.”
Their opponents will of course include hosts Crusaders Newtownabbey Strikers who are currently top of the Davisons Frudles women’s premier league and who themselves feature a host of current and former Northern Ireland internationals such asNicole Connolly, Elaine Roden, Sara Booth, Lynsey Patterson, Angela Platt and Julie Nelson, Danielle McDowell and Helen McKenna. The latter threewere involved in Northern Ireland’s 0 – 0 draw with Serbia at the Coleraine Showgrounds last night.
The group is completed by SK Slovan Bratislava, current leaders of the Slovakian women’s league. They will be more than familiar with Northern Irish football having played Northern Ireland in the World Cup 2006 campaign winning at home 2-0 and losing away to Northern Ireland 2-1.Current Slovakian internationals Mary Korenciova,Lenka Mravikova, Catherine Istokova, Veronika Klechova, Christine Cerovsky, Dominica Skorvankova, Dana Feckova, Helena Schleiferova and Hana Hozankova will surely relish the opportunity to reverse what appears to be their poorer travelling form.
Keep up to date with preparations for the tournament by visiting the IFA website and watch this space for the Strikers’ release of the UEFA Women’s Champions’ League Group 7 fixtures.
