Ospina vows to put Colombian scorpion kick in cold storage
DAVID OSPINA was only seven when he witnessed the Colombian nicknamed El Loco wow the world during a friendly with England at Wembley.
A cross-cum-shot by Jamie Redknapp should have resulted in a straightforward catch. Instead, Rene Higuita cleared with a scorpion kick on his own line, turning into an instant legend.
When Arsenal’s own Colombian stands between the sticks in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley today, he will not try anything half as silly. Ospina knows better.
Manager Arsene Wenger would not allow anything so outrageous anyway, though the Frenchman fears individuality is something that is now lost in football.
When Antonin Panenka chipped the ball down the centre of the goal to score the winning penalty of the Euro 1976 final for Czechoslovakia, for example, it was iconic. These days, players are too petrified to try anything out of the ordinary, according to Wenger.
‘Higuita, of course, the crazy keeper,’ the 68-year-old said ahead of tackling Manchester City today. ‘I wouldn’t really be happy, no [if Ospina gave it a go].
‘I think that shows as well that football has changed. These kind of characters have disappeared from the game. With the importance of every result, there is less room for this kind of improvisation and more individual responsibility on the players.
‘It is like some people have given their name to some technical movements that you would not dare to think about the possibility today. Like a Panenka in a European Championship final, these kind of things, you don’t see them anymore because of the risk. The balance between creativity and the risk has become in favour of “let’s be cool”.
‘The press conferences are an example of that as well. You can be less free in your talk than you were 20 years ago.’ Asked about Higuita, Ospina added: ‘For us Colombians, Higuita is a really important figure. He did so much for the national team and the country.’
And that scorpion kick? ‘Of course, I watched it on the television. We were all delighted and talked about it a lot. It was great he did it at Wembley, too.’
This is the one English trophy that has eluded Wenger, who has taken home three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups in his 22 years at Arsenal. He oversaw losses in the 2007 and 2011 finals of this competition to Chelsea and Birmingham respectively.
According to Shkodran Mustafi, one way to avoid a third defeat in a final will be to put the shackles on City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.‘It will be very important to try to stop his qualities because players like him can make things happen,’ said Mustafi.
Standing between De Bruyne and the back of the net is not a ‘crazy Colombian’ but a sensible one who Wenger is hoping does his job to the letter. Then, maybe, the Carabao Cup will finally be his.