“A very special team”: United Women star opens up on secret to side’s success after huge CL win

Manchester United Women have had few players as transformative as Jess Park. Outstanding signing The England international was signed from Manchester City in the summer and it appears to have been a masterstroke. She has looked at home from day one in a red shirt and was phenomenal once again for her side in the 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid, which booked United’s place in the quarter-final against Bayern Munich. Park scored an incredible long-distance strike to give United a 2-0 lead on the night and a 5-0 cushion on aggregate just before half-time at the Progress with Unity Stadium. Post-match comments After the game, Park opened up on her experiences of the match to the club’s official website. Park praised the professionalism of the side to get the job done with little fuss, stating, “yeah, for sure. We prepped right and stayed focused throughout the game to get the job done — and that’s what we did.” She also beamed about how this young side are making history as they face Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, saying, “for sure. The girls are making history. It’s a really special team and I’m enjoying every moment of it.” Describing her stunning strike, she claimed, “yeah, me and Hinny (Miyazawa) spoke about it on the training field. When she got the ball, I was thinking, ‘I hope she passes this because I’m going to have a pop.’ She did, I took a touch to set it up, and yeah — good finish.” Asked about her celebration, she stated, “yeah! We had a little inside joke planned. When she scored and then I scored, we looked at each other like, ‘What do we do now?’ But yeah — just a little inside thing.” Chelsea task United’s work is not done, though, as they face Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday before the international break at the end of February. Commenting on the upcoming match, she said, “Yeah, for sure (it’s a big game). We review this, focus, and go again straight ahead.” Maya Le Tissier United’s captain Maya Le Tissier also spoke about the match. She revealed how happy she was with her side for showing the hunger to win the match despite having a comfortable 3-0 lead from the first leg. The England international added, “it’s a very special night for the whole team, the fans and the staff. I’m very proud of the team.” Le Tissier also explained how they were not surprised that Atletico came out of the gate rapidly, but explained that meant United could then be dangerous on the counter. She elaborated, “their strengths turned into our strengths. When we win the ball and get it to our goalscorers, we’re dangerous. It was a massive team effort. Of course they were going to come out fighting at 3–0 down — any team would. But we were ready for that and stepped above it.” Praise for goalscorers She took time to credit two summer signings, Park and Swede Julia Zigiotti, the two goalscorers on the night. Le Tissier explained, “they’ve both been on fire all season — fantastic signings for the club. Every player who came in today made an impact. We’ve got a few injuries at the minute, but the whole team has pulled together. We’ve got each other’s backs whenever someone needs to step in.” Finally, the captain praised the fans for another fine effort in showing their support for the team. Describing the role of the supporters, she said, “amazing. Even away at Atleti it felt like a home game — they were louder than their fans! We can always rely on them to push us through, especially when we’re tired and digging deep for wins. That one was for them tonight.” Jess Park stats vs Atletico Madrid Goals1 Assists0 Key passes1 Crosses (accurate)1 (0) Accurate passes25/28 (89%) Passes in opposition half (acc.)19/20 (95%) Passes in own half (acc.)6/8 (75%) Long balls (accurate)1/2 (50%) Total shots2 Shots on target1 Hit woodwork1 Shots blocked0 Touches43 Unsuccessful touches2 Dribbles (successful)6 (2) Was fouled1 Possession lost12 Total carrying distance249.9 m Carries20 Progressive carries4 Total progression110.7 m Progressive carrying distance123.2 m Longest progressive carry35.5 m Def. contributions0 Tackles (won)0 (0) Interceptions0 Clearances0 Blocked shots0 Recoveries1 Ground duels (won)9 (3) Dribbled past1 Source: Sofascore Featured image Matt McNulty via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.