Embarba and Carvajal or the fantastic ‘Generation of 92’

The Generation of ’92 will always be that of Cobi, that endearing mascot designed by Xavier Mariscal that accompanied the Barcelona Olympic Games. At Real Madrid, many of those players born in that remarkable year belonged to a fruitful batch that has managed to fulfill the dream of reaching the First Division and make a career in the elite. Two of them will meet this Saturday at the Santiago Bernabéu in a game that could give Real Madrid the title. They are Adrián Embarba and Dani Carvajal.

While the right back has been one of the few players who has managed to train in grassroots football and reach the first team regularly (prior loan at Bayer Leverkusen), Embarba lived the other side of the training processes. He entered as a youngster, barely ten years old. Embarba was a skillful winger who used both legs, with a good kick. An electric player who accompanied a generation of which he was also a part Álex Fernández (Cádiz), Álvaro Morata (Juventus) or Pablo Sarabia (Sporting Portugal). Even, over the following years, other 92 players who are in the First Division participated with the white team: Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid), Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds) and Rubén Sobrino (Cádiz), Fran Sol (Tenerife) or Fernando Pacheco (Alavés).

But Embarba ran out of cycle before her peers. As a cadet, he was not included in the plans due to, among other circumstances, his height. The player born in Madrid, although raised in Guadalajara, had to be recycled in other lower level teams such as Getafe, Leganés or RSD Alcalá. Stages that were not enough for him to make the leap to professional football, so he began his career in the mud of Tercera, specifically in Marchamalo until he arrived at Rayo Vallecano. At 29 years old (on Saturday the 7th he will turn 30), he has managed to play 136 games in the First Division and still has a contract with the parakeet team until 2024.

Embarba’s presence at the Bernabéu is unknown. The winger began the course as a fixture on the right wing, but his poor performance took him out of the team in the second round. Embarba is one of the captains of Espanyol, but he has not finished winning the hearts of the fans, whistled in some games. Despite completing an extraordinary season in the Second Division (nine goals and 14 assists), this year the numbers shine because of his absence (only two assists).

For this Saturday’s match, Vicente Moreno has many alternatives. His last outing to the Metropolitano, which ended 2-1 but with a well planted Espanyol and close to adding a point, ended with a change of system (5-4-1). The Valencian coach could repeat or recover his usual 4-3-3. Embarba would have more options to start with the second decision. He raffles off the position with Tonny Vilhena and Javi Puado while in his day he did it with a generation that went far in La Fábrica.