Umeå IK (0) v (1) Arsenal
UEFA Women's Cup Final, Second Leg
Sunday, April 29, 2007, 12pm
Borehamwood FC, Meadow Park.

11 November 2006
VIDEO: Arsenal 3-0 Brondby
Watch the goals and interviews as Arsenal win through to the final of the UEFA Women's Cup.
Faye White has praised Arsenal's UEFA Cup Final opponents Umea ahead of Sunday’s second leg at Boreham Wood FC.

Alex Scott’s stunning late winner may give the Gunners a 1-0 advantage going into the tie but White, who made the bench for the first leg despite having missed the entire season with a serious knee ligament injury, was impressed by what she saw from the Swedish champions.

Indeed, the 29-year-old Arsenal and England captain admits she would relish playing such distinguished opposition week in, week out.

“You can see the difference in some of their players like Elaine and Marta and Lise Klaveness,” White told Arsenal.com. “I thought their strength on the ball, aggressiveness in tackles, their fitness, everything about them, was a step up, and that’s what you want to be up against every time in a game.

“Winning is not a certainty. Not with what I saw of Umea’s ability. That’s just being appreciative of good footballers and a good team.”

That said White has called on her team-mates to produce another outstanding performance on Sunday and prove once more they too deserve recognition as one of Europe’s elite sides.

“Umea will be disappointed because they were seen as favourites,” she said. “But that’s more credit to our girls for going out there, not being intimidated by them, not over-respecting them, but believing they were good enough and that they should be on the same platform. And we should be because women’s football in England is improving and the girls work hard.

“There’s a good spirit in the team, we believe we should be up there with the best in Europe and the girls are proving it. It’s really encouraging.”

Whether White will play a part on Sunday is uncertain. Having already endured watching Arsenal capture the Premiership and League Cup from the sidelines the Club captain spoke candidly about her chances.

“If I’m part of the squad then that’s all I can hope for,” she said. “When you’ve had an injury like this you don’t want to rush it back. You have to be 100 per cent fit to play in a game like this.”