Our team made a successful start to the spring season, winning 2–0 away to Viktória FC in the year's first competitive match thanks to goals from Eszter Czinege and Fanni Vachter, thereby securing a place in the last four. After the cup, our girls also started well in the league: in Round 13 of the Simple Women's League they again won by two goals against Kész-St. Mihály-Szeged, before a short break and a 0–0 draw away to PAFC. Head coach Balázs Dörnyei said the pitch conditions in Szombathely made things difficult for both clubs, but his players successfully overcame the challenge.
“Our first cup match was against a second-division team. We had to deal with that fixture through experience and without major difficulties. Against Viktória the task was already a little harder because we were playing a first-division team, but fortunately we handled that quite well too. I don't think there was any doubt from the first minute that we could win the match. The conditions were not easy and both teams struggled with the pitch; perhaps it helped the defending side – in this case Haladás – a little more, but the girls handled it very well. We controlled the match throughout and reached the last four” – our head coach said on the 50th episode of our joint magazine programme with BHSE, 'Csak a Honvéd!'. Our team travel to Diósgyőri VTK in the semi-final, and our coach stressed that the task will not be easy against a side that also possesses great fighting spirit.
“If I base my expectations on our autumn league match in Diósgyőr, I expect a very combative game. DVTK are a team with a good mentality and a lot of fighting spirit; they certainly won't give anything away easily. We also have a debt to repay because we lost the autumn match 3–2. We want to put that right and reach the cup final at the same time.”
According to Fanni Vachter, the draw has a major influence on a team's chances, which is why they want to make the most of having landed on a more favourable side of the bracket this season.
“The draw matters a great deal in the cup as well. I think we have genuinely been fortunate this year and we want to take advantage of being on a relatively more favourable side of the bracket. We have serious ambitions despite the team undergoing major changes in the summer and there also being many departures and arrivals in the winter. Even so, we want to make sure we are there in the final.”
Our player knows the opponents well, having spent most of her career with Diósgyőr. She says the team will do everything possible to win.
“I spent five years in Diósgyőr; you could say I grew up there, so the club will always have a special place in my heart. I think a very tough, physical match awaits us because obviously they will also do everything they can to reach the cup final. At the same time, if we prepare properly, I believe we have a chance of getting there too. It has been nearly five years, perhaps even more than five, since I left, so I handle the situation very differently today. At first I had some difficult moments; it was strange that it wasn't me wearing red but them, but I have moved beyond that now.”
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