After writing about Diego Cascón and his crazy story (here), I thought it might be worth a look at the other ten players who started in the Alcorcónazo.
It’s a great quiz question: which lawyer has scored against Real Madrid, twice in the same match, whilst playing for a third tier team on a wage of less than 40,000 euros a year?
Hint: this player has scored six goals past Real Madrid, yet has never played a game in La Liga. Poetically enough, he is a Real Madrid youth graduate.
Answer? Borja Pérez.
In the 2003-04 Copa del Rey, Segunda outfit Leganés were up against Real Madrid in the round of 32. At the Butarque, Real Madrid were cruising - 2-0 up thanks to goals from Beckham and Raúl.
In ten minutes, they were 3-2 down from two Borja Pérez goals and a Pavón own goal.
In the 88th minute, midfielder Solari scored to equalize, and Raúl scored a 110th minute extra time goal to send Madrid through.
Four years later, Segunda B outfit Alicante were up against Real Madrid in the Round of 32 - this time, it was a two legged affair.
But that didn't stop Alicante from trying - in the first leg, Borja scored in the 60th minute which Real Madrid responded to courtesy of a 87th minute Balboa goal. In the reverse fixture, at the Santiago Bernabéu, fans watched Borja score again in the 65th minute to cancel out Arjen Robben's 31st minute strike, but Alicante hearts were broken when Guti scored in the last minute of the game.
Alicante later won promotion to the Segunda that season.
Two years later, 3,000 spectators in Alcorcón's Estadio Santo Domingo greeted Real Madrid.
And the rest is history.
Alcorcón’s midfield, who nobody knew about, suddenly looked better than internationally capped players. Ernesto Gómez and Fernando Béjar, the interiors, ran like dogs, chasing the ball and hassling the opposition at every opportunity. Rubén Sanz, on the tip of the midfield diamond, was neat and tidy in possession, keeping the play ticking and the ball flowing in the final third. And donning the number 10 shirt, Sergio Mora, sitting in the base of midfield in a regista role, became central to every play.
So what happened to the midfield diamond?
Ernesto Gómez and Fernando Béjar both played just one season - that one - before moving on. Fernando Béjar played the rest of his career in the Segunda B and the Tercera. In contrast, Ernesto went on to help Gualadajara win promotion to the Segunda, and helped them stay there too - he would later play bit part roles at Segunda outfits Recreativo and Lugo.
After relegation from the Segunda B with Valladolid B in 2000, Rubén Sanz joined Langreo in the Tercera, with whom he achieved successive promotion and relegation to and from the Segunda B in 2002 and 2003 respectively. With nowhere to go, Sanz joined Alcorcón in 2003.
He is the Alcorcón player with the most appearances - he has 432 competitive appearances for the club. And it's not even close - in second is Nagore with a 184 and in third is Sergio Mora with 180. All three started that historic game.
He played for the club till 2016, helping the club reach the Segunda and challenge for La Liga promotion in 2013. His departure for Fuenlabrada for this season has helped the Segunda B outfit challenge for promotion, and has seen Alcorcón struggle to survive.
Finally, we address the most underrated pass master, the organiser who deserves the most credit for keeping an international midfield at bay. A Rayo youth graduate, Sergio Mora joined the club in 2009, staying till 2015. He would go on to help Alavés win promotion to La Liga, and after six months at UCAM Murcia is an undisputed started for Getafe.
There are other stories to.
Center-back Íñigo López reached La Liga just two seasons after his spell at Alcorcón. Segunda outfit Granada signed him in 2010, and he helped them win promotion to La Liga. He played two La Liga seasons with Granada, one with Celta Vigo and another with Córdoba, which ended in relegation.
He now plays at Huesca, joined by Nagore, the right back turned center-back who made his La Liga debut aged 33 with Levante but only mustered 188 minutes in the league.
Rubén Sanz is currently joined by another Rubén - Rubén Anuarbe - the left-back who has been playing at Fuenlabrada since 2012, signed from Alcorcón.
Borja Gómez, the youngest of them all, was actually a back up for Íñigo López at Granada - his two years at Granada lining up perfectly with Borja's. In fact, while Íñigo was helping Granada gain promotion, Borja helped Rayo Vallecano gain promotion to La Liga.
Borja went on to play in Ukraine and various Segunda teams, and the 29-year-old currently plays at Segunda B club Real Murcia, where he is a bit part player.
And that leaves the goalkeeper. After that historic season, 30-year-old Juanma moved abroad, joining a host of compatriots at Aris Thessaloniki FC, with whom he penned a two-year contract. After one unassuming season in Greece, however, he returned to his country, signing for FC Cartagena in the second level. After spells at Ponferradina, Arroyo and Extremadura, he retired at the age of 35.
Follow @Vallecanos1924
It’s a great quiz question: which lawyer has scored against Real Madrid, twice in the same match, whilst playing for a third tier team on a wage of less than 40,000 euros a year?
Hint: this player has scored six goals past Real Madrid, yet has never played a game in La Liga. Poetically enough, he is a Real Madrid youth graduate.
Answer? Borja Pérez.
In the 2003-04 Copa del Rey, Segunda outfit Leganés were up against Real Madrid in the round of 32. At the Butarque, Real Madrid were cruising - 2-0 up thanks to goals from Beckham and Raúl.
In ten minutes, they were 3-2 down from two Borja Pérez goals and a Pavón own goal.
In the 88th minute, midfielder Solari scored to equalize, and Raúl scored a 110th minute extra time goal to send Madrid through.
Four years later, Segunda B outfit Alicante were up against Real Madrid in the Round of 32 - this time, it was a two legged affair.
But that didn't stop Alicante from trying - in the first leg, Borja scored in the 60th minute which Real Madrid responded to courtesy of a 87th minute Balboa goal. In the reverse fixture, at the Santiago Bernabéu, fans watched Borja score again in the 65th minute to cancel out Arjen Robben's 31st minute strike, but Alicante hearts were broken when Guti scored in the last minute of the game.
Alicante later won promotion to the Segunda that season.
Two years later, 3,000 spectators in Alcorcón's Estadio Santo Domingo greeted Real Madrid.
And the rest is history.
Alcorcón’s midfield, who nobody knew about, suddenly looked better than internationally capped players. Ernesto Gómez and Fernando Béjar, the interiors, ran like dogs, chasing the ball and hassling the opposition at every opportunity. Rubén Sanz, on the tip of the midfield diamond, was neat and tidy in possession, keeping the play ticking and the ball flowing in the final third. And donning the number 10 shirt, Sergio Mora, sitting in the base of midfield in a regista role, became central to every play.
So what happened to the midfield diamond?
Ernesto Gómez and Fernando Béjar both played just one season - that one - before moving on. Fernando Béjar played the rest of his career in the Segunda B and the Tercera. In contrast, Ernesto went on to help Gualadajara win promotion to the Segunda, and helped them stay there too - he would later play bit part roles at Segunda outfits Recreativo and Lugo.
After relegation from the Segunda B with Valladolid B in 2000, Rubén Sanz joined Langreo in the Tercera, with whom he achieved successive promotion and relegation to and from the Segunda B in 2002 and 2003 respectively. With nowhere to go, Sanz joined Alcorcón in 2003.
He is the Alcorcón player with the most appearances - he has 432 competitive appearances for the club. And it's not even close - in second is Nagore with a 184 and in third is Sergio Mora with 180. All three started that historic game.
He played for the club till 2016, helping the club reach the Segunda and challenge for La Liga promotion in 2013. His departure for Fuenlabrada for this season has helped the Segunda B outfit challenge for promotion, and has seen Alcorcón struggle to survive.
Finally, we address the most underrated pass master, the organiser who deserves the most credit for keeping an international midfield at bay. A Rayo youth graduate, Sergio Mora joined the club in 2009, staying till 2015. He would go on to help Alavés win promotion to La Liga, and after six months at UCAM Murcia is an undisputed started for Getafe.
There are other stories to.
Center-back Íñigo López reached La Liga just two seasons after his spell at Alcorcón. Segunda outfit Granada signed him in 2010, and he helped them win promotion to La Liga. He played two La Liga seasons with Granada, one with Celta Vigo and another with Córdoba, which ended in relegation.
He now plays at Huesca, joined by Nagore, the right back turned center-back who made his La Liga debut aged 33 with Levante but only mustered 188 minutes in the league.
Rubén Sanz is currently joined by another Rubén - Rubén Anuarbe - the left-back who has been playing at Fuenlabrada since 2012, signed from Alcorcón.
Borja Gómez, the youngest of them all, was actually a back up for Íñigo López at Granada - his two years at Granada lining up perfectly with Borja's. In fact, while Íñigo was helping Granada gain promotion, Borja helped Rayo Vallecano gain promotion to La Liga.
Borja went on to play in Ukraine and various Segunda teams, and the 29-year-old currently plays at Segunda B club Real Murcia, where he is a bit part player.
And that leaves the goalkeeper. After that historic season, 30-year-old Juanma moved abroad, joining a host of compatriots at Aris Thessaloniki FC, with whom he penned a two-year contract. After one unassuming season in Greece, however, he returned to his country, signing for FC Cartagena in the second level. After spells at Ponferradina, Arroyo and Extremadura, he retired at the age of 35.
Follow @Vallecanos1924
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