West Ham United Women’s newly signed defender Estelle Cascarino is eager to continue her strong start as the Hammers return to Barclays Women’s Super League action this Sunday against Leicester City.
The France international joined the Club on loan from Juventus on 8 January and made her debut in the FA Cup fourth-round tie at Newcastle United last Friday, impressing as West Ham ran out 3-0 winners.
Cascarino played a key role in keeping a clean sheet, while also helping her team build attacks from the back.
After Viviane Asseyi and Riko Ueki put the Hammers two goals up, it was Cascarino’s long pass to Leila Wandeler that sparked the move for the third, which ultimately saw Asseyi set up Sarah Brasero to seal the victory.
Reflecting on her first start, Cascarino praised her side’s organisation and defensive communication.
“We were really happy with the result because the most important thing was to win, and that’s what we did,” she said. “We scored three goals and they didn’t score, so it was the perfect way to win the game.
“In my opinion we played well against a good team.
“It wasn’t perfect, but I tried to give my best in the game, so I was happy [with my performance].
She added: “It was our first game together (in a defence with Eva Nyström, Verena Hanshaw and Yu Endo), but I thought we spoke well to each other.
“Communication is important in defence and we were organised. Minute after minute, we were more organised and that’s good for the future.”
Despite only joining the Club a little over two weeks ago, Cascarino feels at home in east London.
“Honestly, I feel really comfortable in this group. Everyone’s nice with me, we laugh a lot, I like the jokes. I’m really happy to be here and it’s a nice group to be a part of. Vivi is crazy! And I’m crazy too, so it’s nice to be able to play with her again as well.
“We want to play well, but the main objective is to get three points. That’s what we want to do and I hope we will.
“I can’t wait to start playing in the league, it’s different to the cup. I will give my best, and the most important thing is to get the three points.
“The biggest message [from Guarino] is to be compact and play together. It’s the most important thing – to be organised, be free to play and to be yourself.
“If we do this, we can win. She’s spoken with me a lot. We’ve spoken about tactics. For both of us, it’s a different league to be in, so we have to adapt.”
The French player’s confident start and determination to integrate quickly into the West Ham backline will be key as the Hammers aim to build momentum in the WSL this season.
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