Hearts Women manager Eva Olid has asked her players to enjoy Sunday’s Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park, but also urged them to believe in themselves as they aim to create more history for the club.
Rangers are all that stands in the way of a Scottish Cup triumph for the women in maroon, a side they have already beaten in the league this season and Olid is hopeful her side can take confidence from that match.
Speaking to the media at the pre-match press conference, Olid said:
“It’s always difficult against the top three, but the fact we’ve already won against them this season, that helps a lot in terms of belief for the team. Maybe, if you haven’t won against them before, it can be difficult, as they have a lot of experience.”
“Not just this season, but last season we got two points against Rangers. Out of the top three, Rangers is the team we’ve got more points against, which of course, gives us more belief.
“For us just to get to the final is a massive objective, but now we’re there, we want to win. We’re not here just to play, we will do everything we can to win that game.
“The mental side is the most important thing. You can prepare for a match but if the players don’t believe, you’re not going to get a result, so if we believe, anything can happen.
“The preparation is similar to a league game, but we know that there are more emotions this week. The most important thing is to enjoy it. We know we don’t have the pressure to win this game, just being there is amazing for us, which means we have nothing to lose.
“We can’t lose that moment to enjoy it as then we’re putting pressure on us that isn’t real. We really have to enjoy this.”
The team will make history at the national stadium this Sunday with their presence and Olid admits it’s another stepping stone as the group continues its upward trajectory.
“For us, it’s a big learning experience,” she explained. “We have players who are 16 years old in the squad and they’re going to play in a Scottish Cup Final. For next season, we want to be more ambitious, and this final can help us to get our objectives for next season.”
“A lot of their players will have played in finals before, for many of ours it will be the first time. I’ve had a lot of years in football, the crazy things happen and maybe it would be crazy if we were to win this game, but it can happen.
“Depending on how the game is going, if we keep the match competitive, they will start to feel the pressure.
“It’s my third season here. We started as an amateur team and the progression has been massive. To be able to win a cup this season, that is a massive thing for everybody.
You can watch Eva’s press conference in full on Hearts TV or on the Heart of Midlothian YouTube channel.
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