Hungary Women aim to put difficulties aside

The coronavirus pandemic has rewritten the women's national team's schedule several times, and indeed its squads. The latest squad for this European Championship qualifying match against Iceland has been subject to 13 changes by head coach since it was originally announced, youth-team members generally coming in as replacements or providing support.

The playing group gathered in Telki on Sunday, and on Monday held its official training session at the Szusza Ferenc Stadion, where the M4 Sport-televised fixture against Iceland takes place from 15:30 on Tuesday.

“We’ve been working together since Wednesday and, from the first moment, our job has been to get everything out of the squad despite the difficult circumstances, and to prepare the young players who have joined the first team for the first time to see what awaits them when playing with adults. They didn’t disappoint and have worked very well in the last few days. I'm very confident that we will be able to finetune our ideas with the final squad in the final training session, because we're expecting a very difficult match against a very difficult opponent", Markó commented ahead of the game. "I take my hat off to every player, coach, parent and everyone involved in the sport. This is a terribly difficult situation. Our year started very well during the preparation period, but then the qualifiers had to be postponed due to the virus and we've had to cope with very difficult conditions ever since the restart".

In the middle of last week, Iceland defeated Slovakia 3-1 in a difficult match and thus secured second place in the group, and with it a European Championship place.

“There was no question that Slovakia made things hard for Iceland, just as we did when we held them for more than an hour. In Slovakia, Iceland had a hard time turning the match their way, but that’s what top teams are better at, being physically stronger and grinding their opponents down, eventually forcing them to make a mistake once they’re tired," Markó concluded.

Hungary's squad to take on Iceland:

Goalkeepers:
Réka Szőcs (MTK Hungária FC)
Fruzsina Schildkraut (DVTK)
Evelin Erős (Kelen SC)

Defenders:
Henrietta Balogh (Haladás-Viktória FC)
Evelin Mosdóczi (FTC-Telekom)
Ninetta Jánosi (Haladás-Viktória FC)
Anna Csiki (Gothenburg FC)
Hanna Németh (Indiana University Athletics)
Fanni Nagy (DVTK)
Barbara Szemán-Tóth (MTK Hungária FC)
Boglárka Horti (Haladás-Viktória FC)
Anita Pinczi (MTK Hungária FC)
Kinga Boros (DVTK)

Midfielders:
Petra Kocsán (MTK Hungária TC)
Blanka Bokor (MTK Hungária FC)
Emőke Pápai (MTK Hungária FC)
Csilla Savanya (St. Mihály SE)
Sára Pusztai (FTC-Telekom)
Fanni Vachter (DVTK)
Diána Csányi (MTK Hungária FC)
Loretta Németh (MTK Hungária FC)

Forwards:
Bernadett Zagor (SKN St. Pölten)
Fanni Vágó (FTC-Telekom)
Zoé Magyarics (Clube de Albergaria)
Virág Nagy (FTC-Telekom)