BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A lithe Joan García springs across the goalmouth and makes another save for Espanyol.
It has become a regular sight in La Liga. But if you haven’t had the chance to see García do his thing, you probably will soon enough at a major European club.
Espanyol is in need of cash, and it is very likely that García will be sold this summer despite having a contract through 2028.
Arsenal was reportedly close to triggering his 30-million-euro ($34 million) buyout clause last August after García helped Spain win Olympic gold. His stock has only risen since thanks to his standout debut season in the topflight. Media speculation now links him to interest from Real Madrid as well as Espanyol’s crosstown rival, Barcelona.
Amid those rumors, García tells The Associated Press that he is focused on ensuring his boyhood club avoids relegation, while recognizing that the future is wide open.
“There was lots of interest last summer, above all from Arsenal, but I stayed here and from then on I have been 100% focused on this campaign,” García said during a recent interview at Espanyol’s training center on the northern outskirts of Barcelona.
“We all know the situation, not just mine, but of the club, and anything can happen. But the future will tell and we will worry about it when the time comes.”
Leading La Liga in saves
The 23-year-old García has been on a stellar trajectory since he became Espanyol’s starter last season in the second division due to the injury of a teammate.
He helped the club win a promotion playoff before tasting Olympic success in Paris. And since then he has emerged as the breakout player in La Liga.
García leads all goalkeepers in the Spanish league with 123 saves, making nearly four a game on average, and is a big reason why his modest club is not mired in a relegation battle. Espanyol is in 13th place and has conceded 41 goals; 11 teams in the 20-team league have conceded more.
García’s gloves have backstopped Espanyol's strong run since the winter break, with just two losses in 14 games this year. That stretch included a massively celebrated 1-0 win over Real Madrid in February, which García says is the highlight of the campaign so far.
García's strengths go beyond making saves. His ability to make long passes to launch counterattacks has been key to Espanyol bettering more talented opponents. Even though he says he still needs to work on his ability to punch away high crosses, he believes that his mental poise gives him an edge.
“I think I am goalkeeper that transmits confidence when it comes to making decisions,” he said. “And through the years I have learned to accept my mistakes and use them to improve. I think that is something that any football player needs, but especially a goalkeeper.”
García's favorite save was a dive to his right and left-handed parry to redirect a blistering strike by Sevilla’s Dodi Lukebakio onto the crossbar in a 1-1 draw. There were also the two penalties he saved against Mallorca, among other outstanding performances.
Coach compares his impact to that of Messi for Barcelona
His reflex swat to push a header onto his bar against Getafe last weekend moved Espanyol coach Manolo González to single out García.
“We have a goalkeeper who decides matches,” González said after García's performance helped preserve a 1-0 win. “This is like when Barça had Messi. (García) is going to be a player known around the world, and I am happy for him both as a professional and for the person he is.”
“I thought he was crazy,” García said, laughing, when asked about the Messi comparison. “But I guess I see what he is getting at. There are moments when I have made plays to help the team, and I am very happy coach is supporting me.”
The brother and veterans who showed him the way
García started playing soccer when he was four years old in his village of Sallent de Llobregat, located an hour north of Barcelona, where he followed in his older brother’s footsteps and became a goalkeeper. He joined Espanyol at age 15 and made his way up through the youth teams.
He said he is proud to be a part of Espanyol, a small club living in the shadow of the globally popular Barcelona. The club with its blue-and-white colors whose fans are known as “parakeets” (pericos) has a long history of great goalkeepers, starting with Ricardo Zamora and including Thomas N’Kono and fellow Cameroon goalie Carlos Kameni. García credited former Real Madrid stopper Diego López with showing him the ropes when he started training with the senior team.
García expressed loyalty to his club whose motto is that its fans belong to a “marvelous minority” in a city and region where being a Barcelona supporter is the norm.
“From the outside, it may look like Espanyol is a small club, but there are lots of Espanyol fans in Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia,” he said. “It is always a source of pride to find another ‘parakeet’ and exchange a greeting because you can feel the warmth.”
A World Cup call-up?
It was a mild surprise that Spain coach Luis de la Fuente did not name García in his March squad list, but García is a strong candidate to be in the European champion’s team for next year’s World Cup.
To do so, he will need to displace either Alejandro Remiro, David Raya or starter Unai Simón.
“I am proud to be considered one of the goalkeepers who have a chance to go to the national team,” García said. “It is the highest honor to play for one’s country at a World Cup. So if I have that chance, I will give it my all to make it happen.”
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Joseph Wilson, The Associated Press
