Lavogez: I specialise in the spectacular - U-20 WOMEN'S WORLD CUP
(FIFA.com) 07 Aug 2014
Everyone loves a goal that caps a dazzling dribble, while there is a purist's pleasure in witnessing a beautifully crafted, intricate team effort. But there is also a unique satisfaction in seeing a sweetly struck shot find its mark, and Claire Lavogez treated Montreal to two of those in France's 5-1 win over Costa Rica.
The first - a penalty - was an old-fashioned whack, reminiscent of Charles Aranguiz's memorable spot-kick for Chile against Brazil at the FIFA World Cup. The result, as with the Chilean's, was a ferocious, unstoppable shot into the roof of the net and a keeper who need not have moved.
Lavogez's second was of a different type and a thing of real beauty, with the player waiting for the ball to drop, sizing up her angles and using the instep of her right foot to loop an exquisite volley in off the underside of the crossbar.
Both were goals worthy of gracing any World Cup, and they left France top of Group D - and Lavogez at the summit of the tournament's scoring chart. Not that she expects to stay there. "I don't score too often," she told FIFA.com, smiling as she clutched a well-deserved Live Your Goals player of the match award. "It's just that, when I do, they tend to be spectacular."
Anyone who has followed this creative midfielder's career thus far will attest to that, with a stunning long-range free-kick against Germany at the 2011 UEFA U-17 European Women's Championship the first high-profile demonstration of her talents. The question when witnessing such a natural striker of the ball is always how much of the talent is God-given, and how much comes from hard, diligent hours on the training ground. With Lavogez, both elements come into play.
.I just concentrate on striking the ball well and putting it in the right place. It's that simple.Clair Lavogez on her penalty technique
"At the moment, I think Germany are the strongest," she said. "We'll push them hard, I hope, and you can be sure that we will do our best to win. But I really don't see us as the favourites to win this trophy."
For the moment, Lavogez's focus is not on silverware, but Saturday's top-of-the-table Group D showdown with New Zealand. That will bring Gilles Eyquem's players back to the cavernous dome of Montreal's Olympic Stadium, and extend their stay in a French-speaking province that has become something of a home away from home.
"We really like it here. And with it being French-speaking, it's been very easy for us to communicate with everyone," she explained. "The people here have been very friendly to us and we feel very comfortable here in Montreal. It's a real pleasure to be in this city."
