Midfield – The Double-Pivot
The midfield line has been bolstered by the summer acquisitions of Maite Oroz and Teresa Abelleira, the only incoming midfielders. Although they lack a bit of depth in the midfield, with just five pure midfielders, they can manage the rotation and find out a suitable duo for the role of double-pivot in the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Last season, David Aznar deployed a 4-4-2 formation with Thaisa Moreno, Malena Ortiz, and Aurélie Kaci pulling the strings in the middle of the pitch. While Thaisa and Aurélie are seasoned customers, the likes of Malena Ortiz, Teresa Abelleira, and Maite Oroz will have a chance to nail down a permanent starting spot in the line-up. Here are the two midfielders that I believe would make the strongest midfield for Real Madrid Femenino.
Thaisa Moreno
Thaisa Moreno is a defensive midfielder who can also score some lovely golazos, much similar to her Brazilian counterpart Casemiro, who is also a Real Madrid player. Making her debut for the Brazil national women’s team in 2013, she has been a regular fixture for the Seleção Femenina, making as many as 86 appearances and still going strong at the age of 32.
One could call Thaisa a late bloomer since she didn’t play her first official professional senior football match until 2011, when she was 23. However, she would go on to make her international debut for Brazil two years later, in 2013, and has been one of their most crucial players ever since.
She has also plied her trade in Brazil, Sweden, Iceland, USA, and Italy before making the switch to CD Tacon ahead of the 2019-20 season.
Thaisa is a strong personality, a real leader on the pitch. She will be a consistent presence in the team’s starting XI. Expect her to produce some inspiring performances!
Maite Oroz
The former Athletic Club Femenino player is one of the best young midfielders in the world. I had written a piece on Maite Oroz, the first article on Real Madrid Femenino, where I described her abilities and where she could play. In my opinion, she will be a perfect fit as a double-pivot alongside Thaisa Moreno, where she will be the most adventurous player of the two.
She is highly creative. Her dribbling is phenomenal and she can score goals too. Although she will be playing a bit deeper, she will be given the license to roam and orchestrate the attacks in tandem with Kosovare Asllani and the wide players. Maite is a player with one of the highest ceilings in the squad.