Attacker played a depth role with Angels.
Stefany Ferrer Van Ginkel was in some ways the exact kind of player many folks hoped Angel City FC would sign in 2022. Born in Brazil, raised in Barcelona, Van Ginkel was already familiar with the American game after playing NCAA soccer at West Virginia, and began her post-collegiate pro career with one of the grandes of the nascent Liga MX Feminil, Tigres UANL.
That pedigree is a marketer and soccer club’s dream, and as a youngster, Ferrer has tantalizing potential as a foundational piece for a team.
Having said all that…Ferrer didn’t end up playing much at all for Angel City in 2022. With the team needing goals at times, that lack of playing time became increasingly puzzling.
Here are Ferrer’s competitive stats in 2022:
Perhaps what made Ferrer’s lack of playing time in competitive action rather odd was when she was given a run out, including the friendly Angel City played against Tigres, where she set up the winning goal for the Angels. In that game, Ferrer not only started but showed considerable flair, hitting tricks and flicks to wow the fans and actually creating chances from a spot on the field ACFC hadn’t gotten much from in the season (you can see some of the highlights in this video).
In contrast, Ferrer only came off the bench four times, her longest stint in competitive action being just 11 minutes, which happened twice. For some reason, three of the four games were against the Portland Thorns, although I think that’s likely a coincidence. But in the games that counted, her influence wasn’t significant, compared to the free, flowing play we saw from the friendlies.
Ferrer’s announced deal with Angel City was for a year, “with an option to extend.” We’ll see what happens, but based on the lack of playing time, I would not be surprised if she departs. She’s just turned 24 this week, and it’s entirely possible her game may be better suited in a different league. It’s also possible she’ll get a look at another NWSL club, and maybe showcase her game more elsewhere. It happens, but given the tantalizing small glimpses we got to see of Ferrer’s potential on the field, it feels like she maybe should have gotten more of a shake, but in 2022 anyway, it wasn’t meant to be. We’ll see what the future brings for Ferrer Van Ginkel moving forward.
What do you think? Leave a comment below.