There is nothing quite like a last-minute winner in football, sparking joy and despair in the same moment – there was plenty of the former present at Son Moix on Saturday, as Vedat Muriqi fired a stoppage time penalty into the top corner. Yet the neutral no doubt had a pang of sympathy for the losing side, Espanyol, and more specifically, goalkeeper Joan Garcia.
One or two eyebrows were raised last season when Fernando Pacheco, who not long ago was in contention for a Spain call-up, was replaced by Joan Garcia in goal. The hulking 23-year-old wasted little time in demonstrating why during the run-in though, and as Los Pericos made their way back up to La Liga through the play-offs, they conceded just once in four games against two of Segunda’s best sides.
A little less than a year on, and it is Garcia that is in contention for La Roja. Those who frequent Crypto casino sites are probably more confident in their money than Espanyol fans gambling on their side staying up, but Garcia has become the primary reason for their faith. Not often, if ever, do fans tune into games to watch a goalkeeper, but Garcia’s exhibitions have become thrilling to watch.
Against Mallorca, Garcia halted Muriqi’s first penalty, and then again stopped Abdon Prats in stoppage time, only for a retake to be ordered due to his foot leaving the goal-line by the most minute of distances. It will have been little consolation in defeat, but the main talking point surrounding Luis de la Fuente’s Spain squad has been Garcia’s absence, with several leading pundits in Spain calling him the best in La Liga.
Barcelona have been credited with interest in Garcia, while Arsenal also made a bid to sign him last summer. They will be grateful that he has a €30m release clause in his deal, because Los Pericos would be demanding closer to double that were it not there this summer.
Espanyol have the joint-second best defence in the bottom half of La Liga, the key in their survival bid which includes their two top scorers managing just 11 goals between them. Imposing for his size, reassuring for his sticky hands, some of his stops this season have been Courtois-esque, defying that same size to reach shots low down. Garcia’s breakout year has made goalkeeping an enjoyable watch for the neutral, which is no small feat – but nothing on what helping to save Espanyol would mean.
