Eagles girls meet Val d’Europe in international friendly

All smiles after the match

On Thursday, 17th April, an Eagles girls team—comprising mostly of players from our U13 squad—played host to French side Val d’Europe. This was the first of three matches in their Easter tour of Kent. The girls from just east of Paris, along with their friendly coaching team and enthusiastic supporters, were fantastic guests. They impressed both on and off the pitch: showcasing fluency and skill in their play and bringing smiles and warmth throughout their visit.

Eagles captain Amy greets her French counterpart,

From the outset, it was clear that Val d’Europe had some very talented players in their ranks, but the Eagles were far from overawed. While their style of play may have been less polished, the girls in green were strong in the tackle and more than capable of causing the visitors problems.

In fact, it was the Eagles who took the lead. A blocked shot fell kindly to Hannah—one of three U12s in the squad—who coolly finished first-time, leaving the keeper with no chance. Eagles grew in confidence. Niamh was enjoying herself on the right, beating players and delivering a series of dangerous balls into the box, while captain Amy in midfield and central defender Ellena looked calm and assured.

It took a major personnel shift from the French side to change the game’s momentum. Almost immediately after a raft of substitutions, a supremely talented attacking midfielder glided past several challenges before slamming the ball into the net to equalise. Just five minutes later, Val d’Europe were ahead, as an inswinging corner—possibly aided by the wind—looped in at the far post.

At halftime, the Eagles made some changes of their own, including the introduction of another U12 player, Zara, who instantly posed a threat up front. Within five minutes of the restart, she’d levelled the scores, pressing a defender into an error before finishing with real composure.

With the game poised at 2–2, the visitors reshuffled once more and suddenly looked far more dangerous going forward. A well-worked goal restored their lead, and the Eagles were soon rescued by a marginal offside decision as they began to tire. Ellena, however, stood firm at the back, showing superb pace and positional awareness—at times seeming to keep the opposition out single-handedly.

Val d’Europe eventually added a deserved fourth goal in the closing moments to seal the win. After the final whistle, both teams gathered for photos and shared a great spirit of camaraderie—rounding off what was a thoroughly enjoyable and hard-fought match.