After their draw away to Brøndby IF, VAVEL spoke to Manchester City’s Toni Duggan about the game, her outrageous goal and the aspirations of the club.
The game might not have been either team at their best but Duggan’s second-half wonder-goal was reason enough for anyone to make the trip to Denmark, “I’ve only just watch the video of it, obviously I’m delighted to have scored. The ball came on the inside and I just thought, I’m hitting it and as it was with my weaker foot I’m even happier that I put it away. I’m even happier that we’re through to the quarter finals and it’s just capped off an amazing season with this club.”
The striker remained humble about the goal, very much believing that the win – much like every success of the season – was a team effort, the former Evertonian just happy to help her club in any way she could: “I haven’t scored as much this year but if you look at the season I’ve taken on a different role this year and I’m pleased with the assists I’ve gotten – at the end of the day I’m pleased with the part I’ve played in the team, it doesn’t matter to me who’s putting the ball in the back of the net as long as we’re coming away with the win. And now here we are, WSL champions and in the Champions League quarter-final and I personally feel that I’m in a good position.”
Getting that Champions League feeling
Even playing at the purpose-built CFA in Manchester, top quality stadiums are thin on the ground across WSL and Duggan was glad for the opportunity to play at the Brøndby Stadion, City not ready to end their European flirtation, “It’s always a pleasure to come to places like this, this stadium is amazing and it just hit me earlier coming in that it was a Champions League night and those are the nights, these are the games we want to be playing in. It was a great atmosphere too, Brøndby are a tough team to play against but if you want to be the best they’re the teams you’ve got to play against.”
As the competition whittles down, the Citizens are increasingly more likely to come up against former UWCL winners, but the striker is steadfast in her belief of the squad and their ability to deal with whatever can be thrown at them, no team more or less desirable, “There’s no team that I sit there thinking, 'Oh I wish we get them' or 'I don’t want to get them' – it’s the last eight you’re always going to come up against the top teams but I believe in our ability and we’re looking forward to the draw.”
“I’m looking forward to a break to be honest.” She laughed, a well-deserved winter break after a storming season coming the away of all the Citizens after international duties at the end of the month, “We all know it’s going to be tough next year; it won’t be easy to retain the title and it’s going to be hard in the quarter-final to but we have high, high aims at this club and as players we want to challenge ourselves and we’re looking forward to another exiting year ahead.”