Well, I am now back in the UK and the Maccabi adventure is over and I am sorry for not updating the blog sooner.
We lost our bronze medal play off 3-1 against Canada on Tuesday and I can’t really argue with the result. They had improved as the tournament went on and although our players showed even more commitment and energy than ever before, we were once again unable to find proper penetration in the final third.
It’s no secret within our camp that I was bitterly disappointed by the small amount of time I was given on the pitch and my manager and I have had some long and often heated discussions about his decisions on personnel and my reaction to them. We had six matches in 10 days, all played in the relentless and unforgiving heat and humidity of the Israeli summer; three of them played on consecutive days and yet the same eight or nine players got to play most of the time. Since we only managed four goals in those six games (all scored by the same player) and conceded on average the same number (four) in each game, it seemed very unfair on the three or four of us who were not given much pitch time that we were not afforded the opportunity to stake our claim and contribute more to the team. All of us worked and trained tirelessly to play in the Maccabi Games and we each paid around £3,000 to be there. We deserved better and were never really given an explanation as to why we were not given a proper chance.
But there’s nothing I can do about that now. It is what it is. And those that did get to play gave it their absolute all – we could not have done anything more to try and win that bronze throughout the six games. The camaraderie and togetherness of the players was one of the highlights of the trip for me. It was also a pleasure to be part of a football delegation full of great characters and spirit and people who were totally committed to and united in trying to bring success for Great Britain.
The ladies management team could also not have done more in their preparation for the games. Every single training session we had was tremendous fun and I am a better footballer for it. I do feel though, that there are lessons to be learned from some of the things that happened out in Israel and more thought needs to be given to the man-management of the entire squad.
Most of us went along to Kiryat Eliezer on Wednesday night to watch the men’s open final which we lost on penalties against Argentina. The boys soon picked themselves up for an evening out though with their silver medals around their necks and after a night of dancing on tables and chairs at Sleek in Haifa, I eventually trundled off to bed at 4.30am.
Last night we went to the closing ceremony at Latrun. Plenty of dancing and singing on the stage with some serious kit swapping going on between delegates in the stands.
A few hours later, and we were checking in at Ben Gurion airport and on our way home. And that was that. Thank you for reading my blog, your comments have all been welcome and I hope you have enjoyed my posts.
Jude