Roberto Soldado

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Roberto Soldado
Soldado valencia.jpg
Personal information
Full name Roberto Soldado Rillo
Date of birth 27 May 1985 (1985-05-27) (age 26)
Place of birth Valencia, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current club Valencia
Number 9
Youth career
Don Bosco
2000–2002 Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2002–2006 Real Madrid B 120 (63)
2005–2008 Real Madrid 16 (2)
2006–2007 → Osasuna (loan) 30 (11)
2008–2010 Getafe 60 (29)
2010– Valencia 52 (30)
National team‡
2001 Spain U15 2 (0)
2001–2003 Spain U17 18 (12)
2003 Spain U18 3 (3)
2002–2004 Spain U19 9 (5)
2004–2007 Spain U21 9 (6)
2007- Spain 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22 January 2012.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 April 2010
This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Soldado and the second or maternal family name is Rillo.

Roberto Soldado Rillo (born 27 May 1985) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Valencia CF and the Spanish national football team as a striker.

Contents

[edit] Club career

[edit] Real Madrid

Born in Valencia, joined Real Madrid at the age of 15 from local small club CF Don Bosco. After seasons of prolific goalscoring with the club's B team, he made his first team debut on 23 October 2005, against Valencia CF, playing 18 minutes in a 1–2 home loss. Previously, on 28 September, he had scored an 86th minute winner, after just six minutes on the pitch, in the season's UEFA Champions League contest against Olympiakos FC (2–1 home win),[1] adding a late equalizer against CA Osasuna and another in a 3–2 away success against Racing de Santander, as Real finished second in the league, also netting in the 4–0 Spanish Cup victory against Athletic Bilbao.

In 2005–06, with Castilla, Soldado scored 19 goals in the second division (two penalties) to become joint-second highest goalscorer, alongside Ciudad de Murcia's José Juan Luque, one goal behind Nigerian Ikechukwu Uche, of Recreativo de Huelva.

On 24 July 2006, Soldado officially became the first member of Real Madrid to leave under new manager Fabio Capello and new president Ramón Calderón. Soldado left on a one-season loan to fellow top flight club Osasuna. Set to score goals and return to Real Madrid as a better footballer, Soldado stated: "The idea is to leave and have a good season with a first division team scoring goals, and to develop as a footballer".[2] Osasuna had finished fourth in the previous campaign, to earn themselves a place in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, hence Soldado chose them over a number of other Spanish clubs competing for his presence. "The following year I want to return to the Real first team. I chose Osasuna because it gives me the chance to play in the Champions League", Soldado said to Real Madrid's website after his signing. He would finish 2006–07 with a total of 14 goals, making him Osasuna's highest scorer, with 11 of those coming in the league.

Soldado returned to Real Madrid where, on 11 July 2007, he renewed his contract with the team until 30 June 2012.[3] In a 21 July interview with Spanish newspaper Diario AS, Soldado revealed that he would be wearing number 9 shirt on this new Madrid stint. "During the preseason I'll be number 9, the number I've always dreamed of. When I step onto the pitch at the Bernabéu I'll remember all the hard work it took to get here". However, he would finish the season with just five league appearances (one start, at Deportivo de La Coruña), the second with fewer minutes for the league champions.

[edit] Getafe

In late July 2008, Soldado was sold to Getafe CF for €4 million, signing a four-year deal with the side from the Madrid outskirts,[4] like former Real midfielder Esteban Granero the previous week. He scored his first goal for the club on 19 October 2008, in a 1–2 loss at Málaga CF, adding two in another away defeat, with Osasuna (2–5), two months later.[5] In between, he was sent off in a 0–3 home loss against Valencia, for head-butting Carlos Marchena.[6]

On 25 January 2009, Soldado netted a hat-trick as an early substitute, in a 5–1 home win against Sporting de Gijón.[7] On 22 March, as Getafe struggled in the league, he scored twice to secure another home triumph, 2–1 with Recreativo de Huelva.[8] The following month, Soldado netted the opener against his first professional club, albeit in a 2–3 away defeat.[9]

Soldado started 2009–10 in impressive fashion, scoring three past Racing Santander, in a 4–1 away win.[10] After a long scoring drought, he added three more against newly-promoted Xerez CD, in a 5–1 home triumph.[11]

On 19 December 2009, Soldado took his league tally to ten after scoring twice in a 2–1 win at Sevilla FC; with this achievement, he became Getafe's best ever scorer in the first division, surpassing Manu del Moral and Daniel Güiza;[12] he missed one month of competition due to injury but, in his return to action, scored from a bicycle kick, earning his side a point in the 1–1 home draw against Gijón.[13]

[edit] Valencia

In early June 2010, after a successful year at Getafe - 16 league goals, and the club qualified for the UEFA Europa League - Soldado returned to his hometown and signed for Valencia for €10 million, replacing FC Barcelona-bound David Villa. In his first official game, on 14 September, for the Champions League group stage, he contributed one goal in the Che's 4–0 win at Bursaspor;[14] when the two teams met at the Estadio Mestalla in November, he netted two more, in a 6–1 success.[15]

On 2 April 2011, Soldado scored all of Valencia's goals in a 4–2 away win against former club Getafe.[16] In the next fixture, a local derby against Villarreal CF, he netted two more, in a 5–0 home thrashing,[17] and finished the season as joint-fourth top scorer as his team ranked third and qualified to the Champions League.

In the first game of the 2011–12 season (second round), Soldado scored four goals against Racing Santander - one in his own net - in an eventual 4–3 home win. His last two goals arrived in the final three minutes.[18] In late November 2011, in two home games separated by only five days, he added five more: two in a 2–3 home loss against Real Madrid[19] and three in a 7–0 routing of K.R.C. Genk for the Champions League group stage.[20]

[edit] International career

Soldado represented Spain at all its youth levels, scoring a total of 26 goals.

He was first called-up to the first team for two UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers, against Latvia and Liechtenstein, in June 2007, playing in both;[21] however, he did not make it to the finals in Switzerland and Austria, as the nation emerged victorious.

On 24 February 2012, He was called for the first time by Vicente Del Bosque in order to play friendly game scheduled on 29 February against Venezuela. At this point in the season, Soldado had scored 20 goals, including 12 in La Liga where he was tied with Fernando Llorente for best spanish scorer.

[edit] Club statistics

As of 22 January 2012
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Real Madrid B 2002–03 26 7 — — 26 7
2003–04 31 16 — — 31 16
2004–05 34 21 — — 34 21
2005–06 29 19 — — 29 19
Total 120 63 — — 120 63
Real Madrid 2004–05 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0
2005–06 11 2 4 1 2 1 17 4
Total 11 2 6 1 2 1 19 4
Osasuna 2006–07 30 11 3 1 11 1 44 13
Total 30 11 3 1 11 1 44 13
Real Madrid 2007–08 5 0 2 0 1 0 8 0
Total 5 0 2 0 1 0 8 0
Getafe 2008–09 34 13 0 0 — 34 13
2009–10 26 16 6 4 — 32 20
Total 60 29 6 4 — 66 33
Valencia 2010–11 34 18 3 1 7 6 44 25
2011–12 18 12 5 3 6 5 29 20
Total 52 30 8 4 13 11 73 45
Career totals 279 135 22 9 26 13 326 157

[edit] Honors

Real Madrid
Spain U19
Individual

[edit] References

  1. ^ Madrid's soldier of fortune; UEFA.com, 29 September 2005
  2. ^ Real striker Soldado to join Osasuna; ESPN Soccernet, 24 July 2006
  3. ^ Madrid reward Ramos and Soldado; UEFA.com, 12 July 2007
  4. ^ Soldado set to seal Getafe switch; UEFA.com, 30 July 2008
  5. ^ Osasuna 5-2 Getafe; ESPN Soccernet, 21 December 2008
  6. ^ Getafe 0-3 Valencia; ESPN Soccernet, 9 November 2008
  7. ^ Getafe 5-1 Sporting Gijon; ESPN Soccernet, 25 January 2009
  8. ^ Getafe 2-1 Recreativo Huelva; ESPN Soccernet, 22 March 2009
  9. ^ Real Madrid 3-2 Getafe; ESPN Soccernet, 21 April 2009
  10. ^ Racing Santander 1-4 Getafe; ESPN Soccernet, 30 August 2009
  11. ^ Getafe 5-1 Xerez; ESPN Soccernet, 29 November 2009
  12. ^ Soldado stun Sanchez Pizjuan; ESPN Soccernet, 19 December 2009
  13. ^ Getafe edge closer to European place; ESPN Soccernet, 4 May 2010
  14. ^ Valencia new boys spoil Bursaspor debut; UEFA.com, 14 September 2010
  15. ^ Valencia vanquish Bursaspor to ease through; UEFA.com, 24 November 2010
  16. ^ Soldado strikes rout Getafe; ESPN Soccernet, 2 April 2011
  17. ^ Valencia put five past Villarreal; ESPN Soccernet, 10 April 2011
  18. ^ Soldado late show sinks Santander; ESPN Soccernet, 27 August 2011
  19. ^ Real pass Los Che test; ESPN Soccernet, 19 November 2011
  20. ^ Soldado spearheads Valencia romp; UEFA.com, 23 November 2011
  21. ^ Solid Spain continue to climb; UEFA.com, 2 June 2007

[edit] External links

Valencia CF – current squad
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