Cata Coll arrived for her first Women’s World Cup as Spain’s quantity two goalkeeper having by no means performed a senior worldwide. On Sunday, she is ready to be her nation’s final line of defence within the remaining in opposition to England.
A bench-sitter in La Roja’s three group matches, Coll has been so spectacular since being given her debut in Spain’s final 16 match in opposition to Switzerland that some are speaking about her as a prototype for a brand new breed of ladies goalkeepers.
Goalkeepers in girls’s soccer have been much-maligned through the years and enhancing them is the business of FIFA Senior Football Expert Pascal Zuberbuehler.
The Swiss has seen a lot to love on the World Cup.
More saves, extra keepers coming to assert crosses, in addition to a higher hyperlink between goalkeepers and the line of defense have made it a match to savour for the previous Switzerland custodian.
Few goalkeepers have excited him as a lot as Coll, nevertheless.
“She’s 22-years-old. She made her first appearance in the round of 16 at the Women’s World Cup here in Australia, New Zealand. This is unbelievable,” he informed reporters at a FIFA technical briefing in Sydney this week.
“How she plays is impressive, how she’s involved in the team is impressive, the build up fantastic, under feet, amazing. It’s really great to see how she’s playing out of the back and also to see that she hasn’t really made many saves in these three games so far.”
That Coll has made solely six saves throughout three knockout matches whereas conceding three targets is essential to Zuberbuehler, who views it because the job of the goalkeeper and her defence to stop opponents getting pictures off.
“She’s really a very compact goalkeeper for a young age,” he added. “She plays very high up. She takes risks but she’s so well connected to the team.”
Coll’s consolation on the ball and talent to play so excessive up the pitch might derive from the truth that as a lady rising up in Mallorca she performed as a centre-half.
Sunday will really be her third World Cup remaining as she co-captained the Spain staff that received the under-17 world title in 2018 and misplaced the under-20 remaining to Japan later the identical 12 months.
Coll acquired her likelihood at this World Cup after Misa Rodriguez conceded 4 occasions within the humiliating 4-0 loss to Japan of their remaining group stage match.
Misa Rodriguez of Spain throughout the FIFA Women’s World Cup Group C match in opposition to Japan.
| Photo Credit:
GETTY IMAGES
Misa Rodriguez of Spain throughout the FIFA Women’s World Cup Group C match in opposition to Japan.
| Photo Credit:
GETTY IMAGES
Some of her teammates have admitted that Coll enjoying out from the again sometimes causes them a couple of jitters and Zuberbuehler stated it might be attention-grabbing to see how England reacted to a mode that labored so nicely in opposition to Sweden within the semifinals.
“Sweden attacked Cata Coll, they tried to put pressure on her, but it was for nothing,” he added.
“It’d be interesting to see if England also plays like this. Do they attack her? Because she is fantastic, brilliant, first touch, one touch, two touch, she has always options.”
