Winning is never just about certainty. It begins with a wish, a longing spoken aloud but sustained by facts that prove the goal is achievable. The proof in action keeps the momentum going and defines what the team is capable of becoming. This is the foundation on which successful projects are built.
Hercules faces stiff competition and often stumbles, chasing visibility and the chance to climb the standings each weekend. The season is tough, and the squad is crowded with players, yet only two offensive talents have consistently delivered peak performances, showing they can influence games day after day.
9 GOALS
The partnership between Álvarito and Jean Paul has yielded between two and six assists, underscoring that the duo has contributed more than a third of Hercules’ total goals this campaign.
Hercules, a club carrying a long and weighty history, relies on two bold leaders who never back down. Jean Paul and Alvarito pulled the team toward success even when they were not expected to lead. The Madrid winger did not start in the first two weeks of the league, which saw Hercules struggle, and the French forward did not feature until the fourteenth matchday. Their arrival coincided with a shift in Alicante that helped spark a new trend.
So far they have appeared together in eleven matches, with eight wins and three draws from those contests. In those games, their nine goals — six from Alvarito and three from Jean Paul — show that even without always overlapping in attack, they account for more than a third of the team’s scoring. Their contributions have powered the blue and white club to pivotal wins and steady progress.
Following César Moreno’s contract renewal through 2027, Hercules aims to extend both players’ deals as part of a broader effort to stabilize the squad. The club values the French striker, who is still under the age of twenty-three, and both players remain critical fixtures as the team plans for the next professional cycle. The goal is to secure the core of the attack for the long term while bringing in complementary pieces that can elevate the group as a whole.
11 MATCHES
The two forwards have played together from early in the season, but eight of those matches have produced the central partnership that has driven much of the offense.
Alvarito began starting on match day three, while Jean Paul did not start until day fourteen.
Their impact on the team is clear, even when the wages on the books differ from their on-field contributions. While some teammates may earn more, the value of their performances is measured by results. The club trusts that this balance will be maintained as the season unfolds and the squad rests on the shoulders of two players who have become the focal point of the attack.
Walking forward with two young leaders is not inherently good or bad. It is simply a bold reality. Not because of age—Marchamalo-born players sit at twenty-five, and another is twenty-two—but because of how the pair carries the load, how rarely others are able to rise to the same level, and how difficult it is for teammates to echo their impact.
Hope remains that Míchel will push his performance higher, that Harper and Ander Vitoria will provide additional shooting options, and that Sergio Marcos will find full usefulness in the rotation. If those conditions align, Hercules could achieve a top-five finish in the fourth tier of Spanish football. It is a credible objective in a league that values grit and consistency as much as flair and finishing.
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Pedro Rojas
The Valencian midfielder shows moments of quality in glints of composed play and in duels with less congested lines in defense. The Basque forward has yet to find the net, and scoring remains elusive. A significant portion of the squad has not hit peak form since injuries sidelined them months ago. Angel Rodriguez, the trusted midfielder, logged just eleven minutes in a lone pre-season appearance under Escobar, and has since been scarcely visible in match action.
Michel’s form stands out, Ander Vitoria’s production is limited, and Sergio Marcos has not found a regular role off the bench.
Relying on two young talents to shoulder the bulk of responsibility is not ideal, yet it reflects a rare moment of clarity in a season defined by dispersed roles. The pair’s youth is not the core issue; rather, it is the solitude with which they operate and the narrow window through which they can influence games. It makes it harder for others to emerge and match their level.
If Míchel does not raise the team’s overall impact, if Harper and Ander Vitoria do not provide more shooting threat, and if Sergio Marcos cannot contribute more consistently, Hercules will still have achieved a respectable finish by placing fifth out of eighteen teams in the fourth division of Spanish football. The current reality is startling enough without embellishment.