Hermannstadt’s team is in last place, but he is the most in-form goalkeeper in the Romanian Superliga. That’s what Sofascore statistics say.
Cătălin Căbuz’s average ratings on this platform place him 5th in the overall ranking of all players in the Romanian championship and 1st among goalkeepers. Hermannstadt’s goalkeeper has made 56 saves, made no decisive errors, and had an average of 4 saves per match, which meant 69% of the shots on goal for the Sibiu team, according to Sofascore data.
The logical explanation: “Usually that’s how it happens”
Cătălin Căbuz notices the paradox between his numbers and Hermannstadt’s position in the standings: “Yes, considering the position in the standings, it’s a strange situation. I’m glad to have such good numbers.”
However, the explanation is logical. The goalkeeper of the last-placed team has more shots to save, which helps his personal statistics: “Usually that’s how it happens. I honestly want us to win, not just stand out myself. It’s best to have work in goal, but also a winning team. Yes, as a goalkeeper, you also need to make interventions to gain confidence.”
Cătălin Căbuz shares the experience of a goalkeeper caught between his personal statistics ranking first and the team’s results, showing the bottom of the standings.
The best match this season?
“When we drew 0-0 with Craiova. It was a very good match and gave me confidence.”
Personal reproaches related to this season?
Personally, I don’t reproach myself. We all wanted to be higher, we are disappointed, but we have to bounce back.
Is talent or hard work more important for a goalkeeper?
It’s about both talent and hard work, but also the experience gained over time.
What was missing for you to reach a bigger team or the national team?
I don’t even know what was missing to get there. I continue to do my job and maybe God will reward me in some way. It’s also about luck, about the decisions you make.
A bad career decision you made?
I haven’t made any wrong decisions. I thought carefully each time before making a decision.
The most frustrating moment for a goalkeeper?
The most frustrating moment for a goalkeeper is when you concede a goal and make a mistake. You sit and analyze the situation and realize you could have done better. For a day or two, you think about how you could have avoided it. But you can’t turn back time. It weighs on you; I’m someone who consumes himself. In the evening or the next day, I try to analyze what I did.
A poor match you can’t forget?
I have a match from two seasons ago. A Chindia – Petrolul. I conceded a fairly easy goal, and they beat us 2-1.
Do you hear insults from the stands as a goalkeeper?
You hear a few (laughs). You usually hear them if you have fans behind you in the stands. You can’t miss them (laughs). You can’t say anything back. You have to focus on the game.
The reason Hermannstadt ended up in last place?
We didn’t realize it either. After the initial defeats, we couldn’t recover. There might also be a mental block. But with a victory, we would get out of this situation. It’s a delicate situation, a tough one. It’s difficult for all of us because we had different ambitions, different thoughts at the beginning of the season. But we didn’t succeed, and we are trying to turn the team around, to get out of this bad patch. We need a win to boost morale, to have a different vibe.
- 3 teams in the Romanian Superliga have been faced by Cătălin Căbuz in his career: Viitorul, Chindia, and Hermannstadt
