Today’s standout player from the U21 Euro is Spain’s Raul Moro. A 22 year old winger who plays for Real Valladolid, and came through the Barcelona and Lazio academies; He seriously impressed when given playing time at this tournament. For reasons known only to the Spanish coach, Moro was used as a substitute in the first two matches, then given a start against Italy where he excelled, before coming off the bench again in the quarterfinals vs England that Spain eventually lost.

In a nutshell, Raul Moro is an elite potential chance creator off the wing. The best dribbler of the ball that I saw at this tournament, he averaged 4.24 successful dribbles per 90 (this puts him in the 97th percentile at the U21 Euro), and that is not including all the times he beat a defender with a clever first touch or dummy (these types of plays aren’t counted as “dribbles”). Moro excels at beating his man and getting the ball into the box. Even when the cross doesn’t reach his teammate, it puts pressure on the defence, often winning Spain a corner kick. He often drew multiple defenders to him due to his dribbling ability, freeing up significant space for his teammates. Moro created 4.24 chances per 90, a number that is only in part coincidentally the same as his dribbles per 90. The eye test confirmed, when Moro beats his man with a dribble, he generally creates a chance for his team.

When subbed on for 24 minutes against Slovakia, Moro created 3 chances (more than anyone else in the match), completed 2/2 dribbles, won 3/4 duels, and put incredible pressure on the Slovak defence, eventually leading to a late Spain winner. I was at this match, and the Slovak defence was looking comfortable until Moro came on and changed the match.

In Spain’s second match against Romania, they found themselves down 1-0 at halftime, when Moro was subbed on. He again created 3 chances, beat his man to find space and deliver 6 crosses into the box, and had 3 shots, putting extreme pressure on the Romanian defence. This culminated in Moro assisting the winning goal by Roberto Fernandez in the 88th minute, yet again being a major factor in Spain securing all 3 points. Only with their spot in the knockouts confirmed was Moro given a start against Italy. I was also at this match, and he was incredible. My 6 year old cousin was there with me watching his very first football match, and Raul Moro was pulling off dribbles that he couldn’t believe were possible (I’m not saying Raul Moro is Neymar, but just remember your first time watching Neymar dribble and how that made you feel. That’s the feeling Raul Moro gave to my little cousin, and it was special). Most dribbles completed in the match (5), 2 chances created, and even won the majority of his duels. Moro assisted Spain’s only goal in a 1-1 draw, and while the goalscorer Jesus Rodriguez was given player of the match, anyone in the stadium would tell you that it was Raul Moro.

Regardless of his incredible performance, Moro was yet again put on the bench to start the quarterfinal match against England. In this match, Spain really struggled to transition to offence when they recovered the ball in their own end, with Juanlu Sanchez struggling to provide an effective outlet on the right wing. Raul Moro was given just 33 minutes in this match, coming on with Spain down 2-1. Even in his limited time, he still created the most chances (3) of any player in the match, including those who played a full 90, and yet again provided a bright spark for Spain on the wing. England would eventually win 3-1, ending Spain’s tournament, but Raul Moro’s performance cannot be forgotten. At only 22 years old and recording a goal contribution every 3 matches for the 20th placed team in LaLiga, Raul Moro could be a relatively inexpensive transfer with extremely high upside. It is difficult for attacking players to look good while playing on a relegation-battling team, and yet Moro is having a very respectable season regardless.

He might not be a winger fit for a gegenpressing team, but for a team that needs a winger who can dribble and create chances, I did not see many prospects better than Raul Moro. He reminded fans why they love the game, and still plays without the robotic nature that many modern day players are forced to adopt. I believe Raul Moro could play for a Champions League level side, and is probably best suited for LaLiga or Serie A. I cannot stress enough how much he impacted the match for Spain whenever he was on the pitch at this tournament.

Update: As soon as I finished writing this article, I noticed that there are reports that Ajax have reached an agreement on personal terms with Moro, and are looking to finalize a deal with Real Valladolid. It looks like the Ajax scouts saw what I did, and I look forward to seeing how he performs at Ajax. This could be special.

Raul Moro, One to Watch.