Unitt keeps her cool
by Glenn Lavery
Sunday, 12 September, 2010
Left-back confident England can beat Switzerland in World Cup play-off.
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A veteran of three European Championship campaigns and one World Cup, Rachel Unitt is well versed in dealing with high-pressure games, yet, although she admits England’s looming play-off is up there with some of the most important matches she has been a part of in her ten-year international career, the defender has refused to get overawed by the significance of the next two legs.
The reason for this, Unitt said, is the strength and calibre of Hope Powell’s squad and the confidence these team-mates instil in her. The left-back recognises the threat posed by Switzerland, having played in the 2-2 draw with them in the Cyprus Cup in March, but believes England have enough big game players to cope with whatever Béatrice Von Siebenthal’s side throw at them.
“They’re not a bad side, to be honest,” said Unitt, of Switzerland. “They like to play football and were pretty difficult to break down in Cyprus, though we did have a few chances, we just weren’t clinical enough.
“They’ve got some really good players as well. They are strong at the back and have got Ramona Bachmann up front, who is a quality forward and she will always cause you problems.
“Having said that, though,” she continued, “we didn’t perform too well on the day and we conceded the equaliser late on. We didn’t finish our chances back then, but if we are more clinical this time round, then hopefully we’ll come out on top.
“I don’t feel under too much pressure, though. I’ll just treat it as another game. It might be one of the biggest ties of our careers, but if we can play to our best then I’m quietly confident that we can get the job done.”
You can read more from Rachel in the England v Switzerland matchday programme which will be on sale at the Greenhous Meadow Stadium this evening