Yesterday I wrote an article about David Raya and his contribution to the team this season. After last night’s women’s UCL quarter final against Chelsea, I feel obliged to follow that up with a few well deserved words of praise for our ladies’ goalie Daphne van Domselaar.
The value of a world class goalkeeper can never be overstated
For those that don’t follow the women’s team or missed last night’s match, it was the second leg of the Women’s Champions League quarter final played against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. We held a 3-1 lead from the first leg and for much of last night a solid back line supported by the ever amazing Russo held Sam Kerr et al at bay. With about 10 minutes or so left it was still 0-0 and then Stina had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside. The Chelsea team looked dead on their feet and everything seemed set for us to manage the match to its successful conclusion.
Chelsea players dig deep to find unexepected reserves of strength
What followed next was completely unexpected! Out of seemingly nowhere Chelsea rallied with almost super-human strength. Wave after wave of attaches descended upon our goal and chance after chance was created. We were reduced to taking the ball into the far corner at every opportunity where Taylor Hinds and Lucy Bronze took it upon themselves to kick lumps out of each other in their own very personal battle for supremacy. It seemed only a matter of time before the Blues got one back and as we know, one often leads to two. Five minutes of injury time where then display on the fourth officials board.
One great save, one worldie and total command of the box
Now it was Daphne’s time to shine and boy did she shine! Having had a relatively comfortable evening in regulation time, our Dutch superstar had the most incredible eight (yes eight, not five) minutes of her Arsenal career. Time after time Chelsea pumped the ball into the box and each time she was up to the task. Her confidence was contagious and spread throughout the defence. And then the saves. The first was excellent, but the second was simply out of this world. I can’t even begin to describe it so I recommend that you go hunt it out. Yes Chelsea did finally get one back and the last 120 seconds felt like a lifetime, but we hung on and are in the semis. This was a great team performance, but without the late heroics of our number 1, it would have all ended very differently.