Rosalia Dominguez: Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati-like teenager whose golden summer propelled Spain to European & World Cup glory
To be described by Romeu as a player who “fits perfectly” with Barca’s style and is “complete”, while still only 17 years old speaks volumes of how talented Dominguez is. It is, quite honestly, hard not to get carried away when discussing the ability she is simply overflowing with.
The quality of her dribbling stands out immediately. Dominguez has wonderful close control, great skill and agility that makes her elusive to defenders, especially when combined with her confidence in running at opponents. She keeps her head up the whole time, too, which helps her make good decisions when it comes to releasing the ball.
It’s also worth noting that while she has the ability to go on mazy runs and take on several players, the teenager has the intelligence to engage well in a short passing game and, despite still being so young, is not overly-prone to keeping hold of the ball for longer than she should. That is vital for the way Spain and Barcelona play.
When she does release the ball, she can be dangerous in a variety of ways. Dominguez picks out team-mates well with crosses, has a developing eye for a through ball and possesses real goal threat, too, from close or long range. Or she can play a simple pass if nothing is on. Her decision-making is impressive given her age and will still improve.
Then there is Dominguez’s out-of-possession work. Sometimes this can be a real area for improvement among young forwards, but not here. The Spaniard presses well, works hard and tracks back with real vigour, all of which is a nod to the humility she possesses, something that becomes even more apparent when she speaks.
