Atletico Madrid sign Golden Glove winner Sari van Veenendaal
Atletico Madrid have signed one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and Sari van Veenendaal could play a critical role in helping the Red and Whites hold off Barcelona for a second straight Liga Iberdrola title.
Sari van Veenendaal has long been one of the best goalkeepers in women’s football, but she only recently became a household name on the strength of her World Cup performances.
Against Sweden in the semifinals, van Veenendaal was a wall, stopping every shot in sight for 120 minutes to help the Netherlands reach the final. And while her team fell to the USWNT in the final, she solidified her status as the best goalkeeper of the tournament by making some phenomenal saves against the world’s best team. She would later win the official “Golden Glove” award.
During the World Cup, van Veenendaal was a free agent, as she opted to leave Arsenal upon the expiration of her contract, seeking a new challenge. Van Veenendaal waited until after the World Cup to make a decision, wanting to focus on her duties with the Netherlands.
In July, van Veenendaal has made her decision, as Atletico Madrid have officially announced her signing. She joins long-time Atleti standout Lola Gallardo as the Red and Whites’ goalkeepers, strengthening a side that won the Liga Iberdrola title last season.
Defending the title will be difficult, since second-place Barcelona have only gotten stronger by acquiring former Atleti player and the league’s top goal-scorer Jenni Hermoso. CD Tacon (soon to be Real Madrid) are also an emerging threat, having just signed one of the best midfielder’s in the world in Kosovare Asllani as their first big-ticket signing.
Atletico Madrid don’t just have designs on winning the title in an increasingly competitive — and financially strong — Spanish top flight. Since Barcelona made it all the way to the Champions League last season to face world giants Lyon, Atletico undoubtedly have similar aspirations in 2019-2020 at the European level.
Van Veenendaal is an elite goalkeeper with plenty of experience, as she was a standout for the FA WSL champions, Arsenal, last season. The Gunners are a perennial powerhouse, so van Veenendaal has experience playing for the best of the best both internationally and at the club level.
Next. Real Madrid's first Galactica is Kosovare Asllani. dark
At 29, van Veenendaal is in the prime of her career and will have several years of elite shot-stopping ahead of her. Since Gallardo is 26, Atletico Madrid look set at the goalkeeper position for the foreseeable future. It will be exciting to see who wins in a heated competition between the two star keepers, but both women should receive significant playing time in all competitions.