Karola Purgats is a versatile and intelligent midfielder capable of operating effectively across multiple roles – from left-sided centre-back in a back-three and a full-back to central and even attacking midfield. Despite being right-footed, she demonstrates remarkable adaptability when deployed on the left side, showing composure, game understanding, and willingness to take initiative in all phases of the game. Her game is built on anticipation, timing, and subtle movement patterns helped by her good agility and footwork.
Standing around 1.63m, Purgats has a compact build that supports agility and low center-of-gravity balance. She can be deceptively physically imposing, using her body intelligently – applying her arms and upper body effectively in duels. Her upper-body strength shows when maintaining stability while jockeying or shielding the ball. Her acceleration and deceleration are well-timed, especially when closing opponents down or moving to intercept. She compensates for slightly above average top-speed with early positioning and sharp movement, though in longer recovery runs she can be beaten. Her endurance appears solid, though some fatigue signs (cramping) have been noted late in few matches.
Purgats’ right foot dominates most of her actions – from passes to shots – with weaker left foot underused, except for receiving the ball or playing simple passes. Purgats possesses a great first touch. She displays composure when pressed, using small shoulder drops, Cruyff turns, and body feints to escape and play forward. Her scanning habits allow for quick turns and positive first touches. Her short and medium-range passes are generally clean and well-weighted – she likes sharp wall passes and quick pass-and-move combinations that keep the rhythm of play. She occasionally attempts diagonal switches, but inconsistency in support foot placement often leads to mishits. Despite this, her vision to spot and attempt progressive options is clear. When carrying the ball, she keeps her head up and maintains clean control at moderate speeds, though her touches can become looser when carrying at max speed. She is smart in picking the right moment for 1v1, trying to first commit defender and then go against their flow. Her progressive carries are often a shot-creating action – ending up with a pass forward into space or feet of her teammates. In advanced zones Purgats has the confidence to finish from range, connecting cleanly with the ball and showing glimpses of shot-placing.
Purgats stands out for her off the ball movement. She is always adjusting her position, seeking new passing angles, and keeps optimal body orientation – both before and after receiving the ball. She can drop deep to receive on the turn between the lines and progress the ball, come closer to teammates in wide regions to combine with them as a wall player, or even make runs in-behind the last line to receive into space. Defensively, Purgats is best described as an aggressive ball-focused player. She reads passing lanes exceptionally well, pouncing after mishit passes and intercepting them, and then immediately moving forward for an attacking transition. She possesses strong fundamentals defending 1v1 and seldom overcommits on challenges, controlling the distance well. She is adept at staying goal-side and uses her arms and legs to take control of defensive duels, timing her tackles effectively when recovering from behind. She stays patient in wide 1v1s, waiting for opponent to take a loose touch to then immediately jump in to recover or clear the ball. She tracks runners diligently. Despite her height she times her leaps optimally and shows bravery in loose ball duels.
Karola Purgats is a tactically flexible and intelligent young player. Her defensive reading, anticipation, and controlled aggression is paired with composure on the ball, press-resistance and ability to carry and pass the ball. Control, pass, move – those are the three fundamental football actions, and she is able to perform them all efficiently. Purgats is more than ready for a move abroad, specifically to a subtop team in a tier-3 league – such as Czechia, Austria, or Poland – or a mid / lower half of the table team in a tier-2.
Target Scouting 