Renée Slegers says we have to be comfortable coming up against a team we've never faced before in Wednesday's FIFA Women's Champions Cup semi-final.
There's a lot we won't know about Moroccan side AS FAR as this is our first match against them, but our head coach feels we're in a good place to adapt to whatever scenario we face.
"What we have to understand, as a team, is that there will be unknowns," she explained in Tuesday's pre-match press conference. "We have to be comfortable with not knowing certain things, because we've never played against this opponent. We've seen them, you watch the video, but then what is it going to be like to actually play against them? So, that's going to be important for the players.
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"Of course, they have an identity and a style of play. We have an identity and a style of play. How are both teams going to match that against each other? What does that mean for them, that we are a team that likes to be on the ball and likes to dominate possession? They have been doing that in their leagues. How are they going to adjust to that? How are we going to adjust to a new team that we haven't played against with a lot of passion?
"There's athleticism, there's rotations, there's ideas and bravery on the ball. So, it will be, like I said, an unknown. We have to be comfortable not knowing exactly that when the game starts.
"But we are, of course, in a good place as a team. We have been playing a lot of games back-to-back. We got a good result against Chelsea. We've had good performances. So, we're in a good place. So, we have to come here, of course, and present ourselves with a lot of confidence going into this game tomorrow."
Renée was later asked more about her knowledge of AS FAR, and the importance of this competition for countries like Morocco.
"I think it's very good that there is a platform and I understand AS FAR coming here and participating in this tournament, because I think they were probably an unknown name for a lot of people," she said. "So they get the opportunity, get the platform to show themselves globally, which is very good for the growth of the game.
"And I think what's positive, hopefully tomorrow, you see a really good game of football, two teams presenting something really positive, and the game grows. And to be fair, I don't know exactly all the names of the teams in Morocco in the league. I try to keep track of my own league and the closest ones! But it's something positive, I think, that it's happening, and it gives them a great platform. And it's positive that the game is growing in all areas."
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