Freya Godfrey and Vivienne Lia played a significant role in our 2-1 win over Washington Spirit, as we kicked off our pre-season in style.
Alongside academy centre-back Katie Reid, our two young Gunners were in the starting XI for the clash and shared their reflections on the experience after the full-time whistle.
Here's everything they had to say:
on the victory against Washington Spirit...
FG: Yeah, I think it was really good. It was a great experience. Obviously, got the win, which is always a bonus, and we were working hard in tough conditions out here. But yeah, we enjoyed it, and it was a good experience.
VL: Yeah, 100% it's always a privilege to get minutes with Arsenal and the first team anyway, like these players, they've been great with us, and the staff have really given us the confidence to go out there and play our game. So it was great. It was a great experience.
on how much they enjoyed the game...
VL: It was great. It was really fun. I think Freya and I both enjoyed our games there.
FG: Yeah, it's a great experience. And I feel like opportunities like this, especially in friendly games, pre-season, post-season, you just have to take it, run with it and enjoy it.
on training in the first team environment...
VL: All of the players have been great with us. They really help us out, especially because they know that we're young players and that we're all trying to learn.
FG: I think they're easy to speak to as well. If you've got a question, they're so approachable, they're so friendly. Because obviously a lot of them have probably been in similar positions, so they know what it's like. And yeah, they're really accommodating for us.
on playing in front of our American supporters...
VL: It's amazing. Arsenal fans, they're just everywhere. It's great to have support out here no matter where we go. Even when we went Australia, they were there. Here, they were even louder. So it's always amazing playing in front of our fans.
FG: Yeah, it was incredible. I mean, just looking into the crowd and seeing how many red shirts there - it's an incredible experience. When the goals go in and you hear the cheers, it really gives you a boost.
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