Matchday 17 of La Liga was a momentous occasion for Sevilla, marking Jesús Navas’ final home appearance at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán stadium against Celta Vigo. However, the lead-up to the match was fraught with difficulty.
Image from Sevilla FC
A controversial incident reported by cross-town rivals Real :poop: resulted in the suspension of three key players—starting striker Issac Romero, midfielder Juanlu Sanchez, and starting right-back José Ángel Carmona—just hours before kickoff. The Anti-Violence commission issued one-match bans for their involvement with a flag displaying a crossed-out :poop: logo. These suspensions, coupled with injuries to Pedrosa and Ejuke, left Sevilla severely depleted.
The game began poorly for Sevilla, who struggled to generate attacking opportunities. Celta Vigo threatened repeatedly, with Durán hitting the post twice. Sevilla manager Garcia Pimienta’s starting lineup included Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho, who had failed to score in his previous four appearances. Recognizing Iheanacho’s ineffectiveness, Pimienta made a crucial halftime substitution, introducing 22-year-old Álvaro Pascual, a relatively unknown player recently promoted from the B team.
Pascual’s arrival ignited Sevilla’s attack, creating a much-needed spark. His impact contributed to Manu Bueno (another B-team player) scoring the game-winning goal, assisted by Saúl Ñíguez. This begged the question: who was this Pascual?
Álvaro García-Pascual, born in Málaga, Spain, in 2002, followed an unconventional path to La Liga. After playing youth football with local clubs, he moved to the United States, graduating high school in Lake Placid, NY. In 2021, he began his college soccer career at Coastal Carolina University (Wilmington, North Carolina).
Image from Coastal Carolina Athletics
Pascual quickly established himself, earning All-Conference USA second team and All-Freshman Team honors in his first season with six goals in 14 matches. His sophomore year saw him named to the All-Sun Belt Conference first team after scoring 10 goals in 16 matches. In 2023, he transferred to NCAA powerhouse Marshall University, continuing his success with seven goals and four assists in 12 matches.
Image from Marshall University Athletics
In July 2024, Pascual joined Sevilla FC on a free transfer. Initially assigned to the “C” team, he was soon promoted to Sevilla Atlético, where he scored four goals. On December 14th, Pascual achieved a remarkable milestone, making his La Liga debut on the same day that club legend Jesús Navas played his final home game.