Yverdon Sport is gaining momentum. For its second season in Women’s League B, the Northern Vaudois club sits at the top of the standings as mid-season approaches. Arnaud Vialatte’s squad has set itself the objective for this exercise of finishing among the first two to reach the promotion barrier in the Women’s Super League. To succeed in its mission, YS can count on its three Neuchâtel players. Carina Da Costa Vilela (7 successes), Ilona Guede Redondo (6) and Tanja Bodenmann (4) are the team’s three top scorers since the start of the year.
A realism that escaped them last season and which can explain YS’s non-participation in the jump-off. “During the second round of the last exercise, we sometimes lacked a lot of precision and concentration in front of the goals while in this first part of the championship, we played at goal level,” explains offensive midfielder Ilona Guede Redondo.
Good fit in Cup
After two defeats in the league, Yverdon Sport was able to raise its head in style on Sunday in the Swiss Cup against Thun. The team from the spa town beat the Bernese 5-1 after extra time and qualified for the quarter-finals. It is the second Super League team, after Rapperswil, which fails against Arnaud Vialatte’s team. “We approach matches with a lot of calm and serenity. We know our role and we tell ourselves that we have nothing to lose,” says Ilona Guede Redondo to explain the success of her team in this competition.
A stimulating environment and play time
Having passed through Young Boys, Servette and Spain, the 20-year-old Chaux-de-Fonnière landed in Yverdon in January 2024. She came there looking for playing time and a certain stability. The playmaker particularly enjoyed meeting up with her childhood friend Carina Da Costa Vilela and formed a strong bond with fellow Neuchâtel native Tanja Bodenmann. Author of six goals already this season, Ilona Guede Redondo did not need much time to adapt to League B. “We play a more direct game there than what I have seen elsewhere, particularly in Women’s Super League. The teams project themselves quickly forward while sometimes lacking calm,” she analyzes.
Yverdon Sport will play its last match before the break in League B against Lugano next Saturday. /dpi
Swiss
