Carlos Soler's Star Is On The Rise Despite Valencia's Inconsistency

The wise man built his house upon the rock, or so the story goes. Sometimes the foundations, however, aren’t necessarily the most important part in constructing something that promises to be present for many years to come.

Valencia have had a mess of a season. Armed with one of the biggest budgets in LaLiga, they have veered from one crisis to the next since August, with their zealous support both backing and heckling them every step of the way. 

One moment, when Los Che get it right, it is as though you are watching the second coming. The next, you are wondering what made you think that there was a chance for their form to take a turn for the better. Fortunately, there have been some bright sparks inside a difficult year.

There is being thrown in at the deep end, but 20-year-old midfielder Carlos Soler has been hurled into the roughest of seas. He was first involved with the first-team squad for European duty under Gary Neville last season, and then named on the bench in LaLiga against Las Palmas by former boss Pako Ayestaran in August.

Ayesteran wasn’t to be the man to give Carlos Soler his debut, however. That responsibility eventually fell to Cesare Prandelli four months later, after many afternoons spent sat among the substitutes. His squad number, 28, meant nothing at the time. Now, it will be set to become one of the more popular shirt sales at the club heading into the summer.

Valencia’s Mestalla is demanding. If mistakes are made, the crowd immediately leaps upon whoever is culpable. Three coaches have left the club in the past year. It is a high-pressure environment not meant for the faint-hearted. If you err, you will be held accountable. 

Theoretically, this shouldn’t make for the most sheltered environment for a young player to take his inaugural, tentative steps in the game, but the young Spaniard has taken to his duties diligently and without complaint.

Deployed in the centre of the park, Carlos Soler has the skill set to play deeper, in more reserved fashion, or further forward. Given license to push in between the lines, or drive vertically with the ball whenever he has the time and space to do so, the 20-year-old pops up in the right areas at the right time.

Three goals in 16 top-flight appearances is quite an achievement for one so young, but it is the attributes that he brings to his team’s build-up play which are the most striking. He has the technical ability to be comfortable in close-quarter areas, and the vision and guile required to be more expansive when the option arises.

Against Celta Vigo on Thursday, the Valencia academy graduate had his watershed moment. Fittingly, it was inside a Mestalla that had a marked change of atmosphere. An atmosphere that he will seek to inspire and replicate in future league campaigns.

As a collective, Voro’s men looked good. Joao Cancelo looks to be a new player since his recent decision to shush his own fans, with Simone Zaza leading the line with sharpness. Fabian Orellana is always a threat in between the lines, with Dani Parejo offering deep-lying quality in midfield.

Despite the copious amounts of experience on the field, a 20-year-old stood out. And in some style. Neat flicks, sharp incisive passes, confidence in one-versus-one situations, all contributions which helped Valencia to look like a side that had a game-plan, that had intent, a drive, a purpose, even a swagger about them. Carlos Soler provides the hope.

With only almost 10 minutes left on the clock, Valencia were leading 2-1. Celta’s key man Iago Aspas picked up the ball and made his way into the penalty area on the left-hand side, before threatening to check inside onto his right foot.

And he waited just a second. A clever second. Enough for Carlos Soler to hurtle through with inexperienced exuberance and clip his shins together. It wasn’t the greatest of touches, but it was clumsy and sufficient, and the referee saw it. There was less uncertainty about Iago Aspas’ finish from the spot, which was thundered into the bottom-right corner to peg Valencia back at 2-2.

Suddenly, the 20-year-old looked his age. After his outstanding showing, the crowd almost didn’t know how to react. Had it been another player with previous, perhaps they would have been less forgiving, but the sounds of negativity were kept to a minimum and the hosts pushed on again.

Enzo Perez rallied the troops with a darting run through the centre of the field with five minutes left on the clock. The Argentine retained his balance for just long enough to stab a searching through ball into the path of Carlos Soler, who quickly took it in his stride.

Opposition goalkeeper Sergio Alvarez had crept slightly off his line, while Facundo Roncaglia saw what was about to unfold and threw himself into a desperate attempt at a sliding challenge on the very edge of the Celta box. 

The ball was sent on its way by a delicate scoop, drawing the perfect trajectory required for it to sail over the goalkeeper and bounce into an unguarded net. The winner, and what a winner it was.

Celta midfielder Nemanja Radoja stood speechless in disbelief. Enzo Perez celebrated like a man who had just witnessed the impossible, but from the player who he had always suspected may have been capable of it.

It is only three points in a long, arduous and ultimately disappointing season for his club, but Carlos Soler will always be able to point back to one finish and explain how it kick-started his career. Among the madness, there is somehow always hope. And fittingly, that is just Valencia.