World Soccer - UK (2022-07)

sixofthebest

Aitana

BONMATI

Spain

DamarisEGURROLA

netherlandS

AnAmerican-born former

Spanishinternational, Egurrola

hasoneofthe most interesting

backstoriesoftheEuros.

The 22 -year-oldwas born in

Orlandowhileherfatherplayed

pelotain theAmericaJaiAlai

leagues,before returningtothe

BasqueCountrywhereshewas

spotted by AthleticBilbao.At 19

shemadeherdebutfor Spain

butonlyplayed a few minutes.

Moves to Everton,thenLyon

followed.Egurrolaalsomadea

changeatinternationallevel,taking

advantageofherDutch mother’s

nationalityto switchtothe

defendingEuropeanchampions.

Thedefensivemidfielderisa

threatatset-pieces,andscored

twiceoff thebenchagainstSouth

AfricaonherdebutinApril.

ObserversofSpainandBarcelona

tendtofocuson thebrilliantAlexia

Putellas,butAitanaBonmatiis an

increasinglyinfluentialfigure.

The 24 -year-oldattacking

midfielderissmallof stature

butfleetoffootandthought.She

often leadsthepressonthoserare

occasionsBarcelonadon’t

havepossessionanddarts

throughdefences,both

withtheball andoffit into

space,whentheydo.

CaptainofSpain’s

Euro-winningU19teamin

2017 , sheisnow a regular

forLaRoja’s seniorside,

andrecentlysigneda new

contractwith Barcatoo,

keepingherattheclub

shejoinedatthe age

of 13 until 2 02 5.

WOLDSOCCE 61

Thisisa hugetournamentfor
theinauguralBallond’OrFeminin
winner(in 2018 ),asitcaps her
returntotheinternationalarena
after a self-imposedfive-yearexile.
Hegerberg,whoturns 2 7 during
thefinals, hasrecentlyreturnedfrom
a 21-monthabsenceduetoanACL
injuryandher form hasbeengood.
Herexilemeansthisisonlyher
third majortournament.At 18 she

AdaHEGERBERG

3 norway

LenaOBERDORF

Germany

Centraldefensive midfieldersare

rarelythe starsoftournaments,

butthereis precedentforLena

Oberdorfbeinga keyfigure this

summer. At themen’s 1996 Euros,

alsoheldinEngland,DieterEilts

wascriticalto Germany’s success.

Therethecomparisonends.

Eiltswasa 31-year-oldjourneyman

andBertiVogts’decisiontoentrust

himwith theimportantrolewas a

surprise.Oberdorf, now20,was

4

(^56)
wasin theteamthatreachedthe
finalofEuro 2013 ,scoringonce.
Twoyearslatershewas nominated
fortheBestYoungPlayerawardat
the 2015 WorldCup,but Norway
wentoutin thelast 1 6.
So,whileshehasbeenoneof
theworld’s dominantclubplayers,
shehas yettomake theimpacton
theinternationalgamehertalent
demands.Thismay be thetime.
sucha tyroshemadehersenior
debutwhilestill at schoolandhad
totakeexamsbetweenmatches
atthe 2 01 9 WorldCup.
Nowafundamentalpartof
Wolfsburg’s successanda fixture
inthe nationalside– whereher
versatilitymeansshesometimes
playsatcentre-back – shewillhave
a bigroletoplayifGermany areto
improveonquarter-finalexitsat the
2017 Eurosand 2019 WorldCup.