Álvaro Morata

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Álvaro Morata
Alvaro Moratatraining with Real Madrid in LA.png
Morata training with Real Madrid in Los Angeles
Personal information
Full name Álvaro Borja Morata Martín
Date of birth (1992-10-23) October 23, 1992 (age 20)
Place of birth Madrid, Spain
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current club Real Madrid
Number 29
Youth career
2005–2007 Atlético Madrid
2007–2008 Getafe
2008–2010 Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2010– Real Madrid B 78 (39)
2011– Real Madrid 11 (2)
National team‡
2009 Spain U17 6 (2)
2010 Spain U18 2 (3)
2010–2012 Spain U19 13 (11)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:32, 24 March 2013 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 8 July 2012
This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Morata and the second or maternal family name is Martín.

Álvaro Borja Morata Martín (born 23 October 1992 in Madrid) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a striker.

Contents

[edit] Club career

Morata signed for local and national giants Real Madrid in 2008 from neighbouring Getafe CF, finishing his formation two years later but starting appearing for Real Madrid C still as a junior.[1] In July 2010, after a successful season with the Juvenil A where he won two youth titles and scored 34 goals,[2] he was promoted to the B-team; later that month, first team coach José Mourinho took the player alongside four teammates to a preseason tour in United States.[3]

On 15 August 2010 Morata made his debut with Castilla in a friendly match with AD Alcorcón, scoring the only goal of the game.[4] His third division debut came on the 29th in a 3–2 win against Coruxo FC,[5] and he netted his first official goal in a 1–1 draw against RSD Alcalá, on 31 October.

On 12 December 2010 Morata made his debut for the first team, when he was brought on as a substitute for Ángel di María in the 88th minute of a 3–1 La Liga win at Real Zaragoza.[6] Ten days later he made his debut in the Copa del Rey, also coming from the bench in the last minutes. In January 2011, after Gonzalo Higuaín's injury, Spanish media appointed him to be his replacement in the main squad. However, Mourinho discarded this option saying that "he's not prepared to be in the starting lineup of Real Madrid. He needs to grow up and finish his formation with Castilla";[7] in this period of time Morata scored five goals in four matches with the reserves,[8] while Emmanuel Adebayor was being signed to fit the missing striker in the first team.

On 13 February 2011 Morata scored the first hat-trick of his career, in a 7–1 victory against Deportivo de La Coruña B.[9] He finished his first season as a senior with 14 league goals (squad best alongside Joselu), but Castilla failed to promote in the playoffs.

Morata scored his first official goal with Real's main squad on 11 November 2012, entering the field in the 83rd minute of an away fixture against Levante UD and netting the 2–1 winner after just 60 seconds.[10] In his first-ever official start, at home against Rayo Vallecano on 17 February of the following year, he scored the opener after just three minutes, but was removed from the pitch before the half-hour mark to make room for Raúl Albiol after Sergio Ramos was sent off (2–0 home success).[11]

On 2 March 2013 Morata played the full 90 minutes in El Clásico against FC Barcelona, providing the assist as Karim Benzema scored the opener in an eventual 2–1 home win. He also had a couple of chances to net himself during the match.[12]

[edit] International career

Morata was called by the Spanish under-17 team for the 2009 FIFA World Cup in Nigeria, playing four matches and scoring two goals for the third-placed team.[13] Subsequently, he represented the under-19s at the Japan International Tournament,[14] helping the national team finish second after the hosts.[15]

Morata was selected by Spain to the squad that appeared in the 2011 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship in Romania, helping the national team win the tournament with six goals, the highest in the competition.[16]

[edit] Playing style

Good in the air and at holding up the ball, with clinical finishing ability and excellent movement, Morata drew comparisons to legendary Spaniard and former Real Madrid talisman Fernando Morientes due to his style.[17]

[edit] Honours

[edit] Club

Real Madrid
Real Madrid Castilla

[edit] Country

Spain U19
Spain U17

[edit] Individual

[edit] Club statistics

As of 24 March 2013
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Real Madrid Castilla 2010–11 28 15 — — 28 15
2011–12 37 17 — — 37 17
2012–13 13 7 — — 13 7
Total 78 39 — — 78 39
Real Madrid 2010–11 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0
2011–12 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2012–13 9 2 2 0 1 0 12 2
Total 11 2 3 0 1 0 15 2
Career totals 89 41 3 0 1 0 93 41

[edit] References

  1. ^ Un año inolvidable para Morata (An unforgettable year for Morata); Real Madrid's website, 7 December 2009 (Spanish)
  2. ^ Una generación para la historia (A generation to make history); Marca, 26 June 2010 (Spanish)
  3. ^ At the gates of the first team; Real Madrid's website, 30 July 2010
  4. ^ El Alcorcón cae ante un buen Real Madrid Castilla (Alcorcón loses against a good Real Madrid Castilla); Marca, 15 August 2010 (Spanish)
  5. ^ 3–2: Primeros tres puntos para el Castilla (3–2: First three points for Castilla); Real Madrid's website, 29 August 2010 (Spanish)
  6. ^ Madrid claim Zaragoza triumph; ESPN Soccernet, 12 December 2010
  7. ^ "No tengo esperanzas de que se fiche un delantero" ("I have no hopes about signing a new striker"); Diario AS, 15 January 2011 (Spanish)
  8. ^ Especial Real Madrid: Estas son las joyas de La Fábrica que persigue la Premier (Real Madrid special: These are the jewels of "La Fábrica" chased by the Premier League); Goal.com, 5 February 2011 (Spanish)
  9. ^ Morata hace un 'hat trick' en el 7-1 del Castilla (Morata does a hat trick in Castilla's 7-1); Marca, 13 February 2011 (Spanish)
  10. ^ Morata earns Madrid the win; ESPN Soccernet, 11 November 2012
  11. ^ Real claim derby spoils; ESPN FC, 17 February 2013
  12. ^ Ramos heads late winner; ESPN FC, 2 March 2013
  13. ^ Álvaro Morata – FIFA competition record
  14. ^ Convocatoria Torneo Internacional de Japón Sub-19 (Japan U19 International Tournament callup); Royal Spanish Football Federation, 7 August 2010 (Spanish)
  15. ^ La Sub-19 gana y se adjudica el segundo puesto (U19 win and finish second); Royal Spanish Football Federation, 24 August 2010 (Spanish)
  16. ^ Spain's Morata takes U19 scoring plaudits UEFA.com, 1 August 2011
  17. ^ Morata, el recogepelotas atlético que admiraba a Raúl (Morata, the ball boy who admired Raúl); El País, 13 December 2010 (Spanish)

[edit] External links

Real Madrid C.F. – current squad
Golden player
Top goalscorer
1 honour shared as players are twins and UEFA did not want to differentiate.
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