Damaris Egurrola Scout Report At Lyon Féminin 2020/2021: How Will Former Everton Midfielder Fit In? – Player Analysis

The future of several Olympique Lyon Féminin stars is up in the air with less than six months left on their contracts.

Amandine Henry, Saki Kumagai, Sakina Karchaoui and Eugénie Le Sommer are just a few names that could walk away from Lyon this summer.

This means that the French giants needed to start future-proofing their squad by bringing in reinforcements in case their players don’t re-sign.

After signing the American sensation Catarina Macario, they turned their attention to signing a defensive midfielder.

The midfielder they chose is Damaris Egurrola of Everton Women.

The Spanish defensive midfielder was a surprise target, but one that makes sense given her abilities and play style.

This Damaris Egurrola scout report will detail Egurrola’s attributes and why they’re a good fit for Lyon’s tactics.

She moves to France just six months after relocating to Everton from Spain, and given the intense competition for players that will ensue this summer, it is a welcome move.

Damaris Egurrola Player Profile

Damaris Egurrola is a talented and versatile 21-year-old central defensive midfielder who moved from Athletic Bilbao to Everton in the summer of 2020 before her move to Lyon.

Egurrola’s playing style is more defensive than attacking, with her main priority being to protect the back four and provide them with a solid base.

Capable of playing as a central defender as well, Egurrola seems reminiscent of Saki Kumagai, who is arguably the best defensive-minded midfielder in the world.

The 21-year-old is excellent positionally, and her ability to defend through interceptions and tackles by making early moves across is what makes her such a good midfielder.

She is more of an anchorman, which means she is almost a fifth defender at times, and the position she occupies prevents teams from getting in behind as much.

This allows the more creative players the freedom and space to express themselves.

She isn’t one to move away from her defensive third, much preferring her midfield partner(s) to be more attacking.

Decent in possession, Egurrola can recycle possession efficiently, which makes her a very useful ball carrier that fits Lyon’s needs.

Damaris Egurrola Defensive Qualities 

The midfield pivot is one of the most critical roles at Lyon, given the significant influence and impact they have on the teams play.

The midfielders are required to be fluid in their movement but positionally disciplined to effectively defend and transition from defence to attack.

There are two types of midfielders that are used, one being the protector, whilst the other is the more progressive, attack-minded midfielder.

Lyon’s first choice in this position is usually Kumagai and Henry, who are the perfect mould for this double-pivot.

Kumagai is the more defensive player, who will screen the back four and cover positions vacated by the full-backs, becoming a third centre-back in certain situations.

Egurrola is also an adept ball player and passer when needed, and has utilised her long passing capabilities to play with the quick forward players.

At Lyon, you need to be versatile whilst still being a specialist in your given position and role.

In Egurrola, Jean-Luc Vasseur has bought a young player who is a specialist in her position but still has room to grow given her age.

The Kumagai role is the one Damaris Egurrola will be taking up with the rest of this analysis, set to explain how she can. 

The primary attribute that she needs and possesses is her positional awareness in defence.

Egurrola is athletic, which allows her to move across the pitch with ease, enabling her to cover her defensive area effectively. 

Damaris Egurrola Heat Map

If we look at the heat map above, we can see that most of her activity is just in front of the defenders.

One notable feature of the heat map is her movement in the 18-yard box, which means she regularly tracks back and defends the area from wide crosses.