Malta seek performance boost

Pierre Brincat's national team will be looking to improve their showing in their first appearance in the UEFA Women's Championship this afternoon when facing Romania in a Group Five match at the Tedesco Stadium (kick-off 3.30 p.m.).

Malta have already faced the eastern Europeans on their debut day, way back on August 10 last year.

Romania won that match 3-0 and are still unbeaten after five matches with a good chance of winning the group and making it to the elite category in women's European football.

Earlier this month, Romania drew 1-1 at home against current group leaders Ireland, who played a game more. Croatia are third, with 10 points, one behind Romania and two adrift of Ireland.

Strangely, Malta's worst performances so far came in home matches against Ireland (0-9) and Croatia (1-4). At least, in our last match against Croatia, Sarah Caruana did manage to open the team's account.

Romania look to be a tougher proposition for the Maltese but since playing the Croats at the Gozo Stadium in November, Brincat had the chance to analyse the situation better and try out new faces as the domestic league competition, which came to a close recently, went along.

Meanwhile, Germany became the first team to qualify for the 2005 Championship, alongside hosts England, after beating Scotland 3-1 last week in a decisive Group Four match.

All winners from Groups One to Four will advance automatically. The remaining three slots will be decided via a play-off system. The four runners-up and the two third-placed teams with the best records go through to those two-legged ties.

The 13 nations in groups five to seven are competing for the chance of promotion to the four-group top tier.

Berta Maria Correia Tavares, of the Portugal FA, will control Malta-Romania today. Malta's Sadia Mizzi is the fourth official.

Malta's remaining matches: vs Ireland (away, 25/6); vs Bosnia (home, 5/9).