Eliza Turner: “Part of such an incredible, historic club…” | OneFootball

“Being part of such an incredible club, with so much history and such a great culture, is very important,” says Eliza Turner, an American who has fallen for FC Porto, a club that “is driving women’s sport forward” and has been trying to “do something very special in women’s football.”

At the age of 23, she admits she is a fan of “Victor Froholdt’s style of play” and says she has already learned “a lot about off-the-ball positioning” since arriving in Porto. She also acknowledges that she has become “a player more focused on the physical side of the game” and, determined to “improve in the final third,” relies on the help of a coach who “gives good advice” to learn “to make better decisions about when to shoot and cross.”

In an interview with the newspaper O Jogo, Eliza Turner does not hide her admiration for “a sport made up of ups and downs” and assures that “it is in the low moments that you grow individually and as a team.” “The fact that we work as a group and are able to solve problems all together is what I love,” the midfielder confided, for whom the “team culture” in the dressing room is “one of the biggest reasons” for FC Porto’s success in the women’s Second Division.

Passion for the beautiful game“I started playing when I was four. My dad was a coach and also played, so football has always been a big part of my life. I love football and seeing how the sport is made up of ups and downs.”

Ups and downs“I think it’s in the low moments that we grow individually and as a team. If we work with our teammates and coaches, we can overcome the low moments and move on to the high ones.”

Unity is strength“The fact that we work as a team and are able to solve problems all together is what I love.”

“Victor Froholdt. Being at the same club as him and being able to watch him play from so close is incredible, I really appreciate his style of play. He works very well defensively, wins a lot of duels and gives a lot to the team. In the women’s game, I really like Rose Lavelle and Sam Coffey.”

Adapting to the Club“It’s been going really well. I’m far from my family, but I have a great support network. I’ve started taking Portuguese lessons and I can already say a few things. I’ve also already seen several parts of the city and I love it.”

The famous francesinhas“I still haven’t tried one, but I’ve already been told I have to try it at the end of the season.”

Working with Daniel Chaves“It has been great. I think the coach has built a really good team culture and we trust him a lot tactically and technically. The coaches work really well together and with us. That is part of our identity and one of the reasons for our success.”

The coach’s advice“He gives really good advice and, during the game, gives us plenty of instructions. He is constantly changing things, telling us where we can move and making small adjustments that make a big difference.”

Cultural differences“I think one of the biggest differences between football in Portugal and in the United States is the tactical off-the-ball movement. I’m still learning. I’m playing in a new position and the coach has already taught me a lot about off-the-ball positioning and how to create space for myself and my teammates.”

Self-portrait“In Portugal I’ve become a player more focused on the physical side, on winning duels and on bringing the ball out of midfield, keeping possession and moving forward. Now I want to improve my decisions in the final third and I’m working on that—deciding when to shoot, when to cross, and understanding how to improve that final part.”

Won over by FC Porto“As soon as I heard about the opportunity, the culture and the history the Club was trying to build, it was a pretty easy choice. What FC Porto is trying to do in women’s football is something very special. Starting in the Third Division and being in the Second one year later… I believe FC Porto is driving women’s sport forward. Being part of such an incredible club, with so much history and such a great culture of giving everything and doing anything for FC Porto, is really important to me.”

On the road to Jamor“After the first leg of the semi-finals, we were very excited. We always believed we could reach the final, but it was simply an incredible moment. We are really focused game by game. Obviously the final is very exciting, but it’s still a few weeks away, so we are really focused on the day to day and on improving in every training session. We want to focus on one game at a time.”

The decisive match“I always believed it was possible. Throughout the whole game, I always had the feeling that if we kept doing what we had trained and what we were already doing, we would come out on top. It was only a matter of time. So when Lily Bryant scored the goal, it was an incredible feeling. We just needed to keep pressing and stay together until the end. Unity was very important.”

Still about the first leg in Guimarães“I think in that game we learned a lot about ourselves as a team and realized that we can overcome any obstacle as long as we stay positive and united. Being 2-0 down at half-time is never easy, and coming back so late in the game taught us a lot about ourselves. We learned that we can overcome a lot.”

The clássico in the final“Of course, deep down, we think about the final, but I think we have to focus on our main goal, which is promotion. So we really do need to think one game at a time. We have one game a week and we have to focus on each one. We are expecting a difficult match and we are very excited, but for now we are going to stay focused on the day to day.”

Key to success“I think it is our mentality of going into every game thinking that we have to give everything. Every game matters as much as the previous one and the next one, and we have to think about one challenge at a time. If we think too far ahead, it is hard to give everything in each match. When we step onto the pitch, it doesn’t matter whether we think we are the better team or the underdog—if we approach every game the same way, trust that we have trained well and focus on our identity, then we will be successful, just as we have been.”

With promotion in sight“I believe we are on the right track.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.