World Cup Players You Should Watch But Aren’t, Yet

One of the beautiful things about this coming month of fun is that it always proves a coming out party for previously lesser known players (see Michael Owen:1998 and Ronaldinho/Miroslav Klose: 2002). Some of these players are bound to become saviors of their nation and then find themselves unable to ever reproduce that form (See Salvatore Schillaci: 1990).

Writing this kind of list for Americans is kind of cheating as the only real limitations are no Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi, or Cristiano Ronaldo; a bit of an exaggeration but you get the point.

It goes in a rough order of most likely to have been heard of, to least likely….

Yoann Gourcuff (France) – A move from AC Milan to Bordeaux prior to the 08/09 season saw this budding French star blossom. He lead them to a French double and was rewarded with the Ligue 1 player of the year title. After suffering through injury in the latter part of this season, he has been playing his way into match shape during France’s warmups.

With probably the biggest positional shoes to fill of anyone in the tournament, Gourcuff steps into a similar attacking midfield role which Zinedine Zidane occupied for the last 3 World Cups. This French team has had difficulty scoring lately, with most of the blame falling on coach Raymond Domenech, but it is those 11 on the field who make the ultimate difference. Whether or not his name appears on the scoresheet, the French attack will run through this 23 year old’s anointed feet.

Robin van Persie (The Netherlands) – Not entirely under the radar as he does play at quite a big club in England.   However, having suffered a brutal ankle injury last fall which ruled him out until mid-April (when Arsenal had settled comfortably into 3rd place) he has fallen out of the public view. His nose for the goal is very sharp, scoring about 41% of the time for the Dutch, and he will likely spearhead their wildly talented attack.

It will be up to others to provide the service, and they all have the the ability to score from 18 yds+, but it will be up to the Arsenal man to poach the goals in the box necessary to keep this team progressing.

Angel Di Maria (Argentina) – Rumor has it that Real Madrid has already offered 40 Million euros for this 22 year old currently playing at Benfica. He is expected to start somewhere along the left side for Argentina and with only 8 senior team caps, his relative inexperience could serve him well.

His worth will not be measured in goals scored but in whether or not he can control his flank, get himself in dangerous positions, and of course combine with whatever elixir of attackers God tells Maradona to go with that morning. His wicked left foot and calm in front of goal should serve him well if he does find himself in position to score.

Milos Krasic (Serbia) – This 25 year old is rumored to be on his way from CSKA Moscow to Juventus this summer, with the Italian giants keen on locking him up before any WC performances increase his fee. He is often deployed wide right or as an attacking midfielder, changing position on the field to keep defenders on their toes.

He gets to top speed ridiculously fast and does a great job at finding others in dangerous places. Krasic was a key to CSKA’s Champions League run this season and will surely be the cog of the Serbian attack.

Luis Alberto Suarez (Uruguay) – 2009/10 saw this 23 year old lead all of Europe with 35 goals and was named the Dutch Footballer of the year for his success with Ajax.  He has obviously been linked with a whole host of clubs but Ajax manager has said he will only leave for one of the very best.

The Uruaguayan striker force he forms with Diego Forlan has to be included among the conversation of tops in South Africa.  With a weak back line, it will be up to these two to outscore their opponents in what is probably the most wide open of all the groups.  Forlan can’t do it on his own and will need Suarez to be both provider and finisher.

Dominic Adiyiah (Ghana) – After emulating the FIFA-U20 World Cup “triple triumph” of Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero last fall, this 20 year old he earned his first senior Black Stars call-up in November (that triple is the award for the tournaments best player, top scorer, and a winner’s medal due to Ghana’s triumph).  His successful year earned him a winter move to Italian giants, AC Milan.  Adiyiah capped all of this with the African Young Football of the Year award.

He will likely come off the bench but he thrives as a poacher and if given the chance, he will surely be keen to make the most of it.

Doumbia Seydou (Ivory Coast) – Probably the biggest wildcard of this group and honestly, a shot in the dark for me. He appears after Didier Drogba’s injury led me to the Ivory Coast team page and then to some Wikipedia research.

Seydou has led the Swiss Super League in scoring for two years in a row now and could be next in an impressive line of Ivorian footballers.  Their group is of course among the hardest, so he will be tested, but a breakout performance could see his start shoot higher than anyone else.  He could also never see the field and make me look real dumb but it’s worth a shot.

Billy Witz at the NYTimes Goal blog with a post in the same mold as this. I made an effort not to overlap at all but have to agree with him on Mesut Ozil and Marek Hamsik specifically.

Look for a US Specific WTWF tomorrow.  This news is too important to pass up though, Jozy Altidore trained at full speed w/the team today and seems to primed for Saturday.

Rather than random WC news today, some South African culture for you…

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WTWF: US v Australia

The US finishes their in-game preparation for the 2010 World Cup tomorrow at 8:30 AM EST time vs Australia in Roodepoort, SA (apparently right here).  ESPN2 for anyone up in time.  Martin Tyler will pair with John Harkes to make his ESPN debut as well.  Hopefully he can control Harkes.

I will get to some things to watch for a little further below but a few other random cup updates first.  Including some major injury news:

Didier Drogba broke his arm in a warmup match today in Sion, Switzerland vs Japan.  (Now it is being reported as a fractured elbow, the news around this has been changing throughout the day)

Another update from the Ivorian FA states that the time frame is still TBD but he has not been ruled out of the tournament.

This is a really unfortunate turn of events as Drogba is in excellent form coming into the tournament and Ivory Coast was a popular underdog pick to make some noise.  They still have quality across the field but the loss of a striker of his quality is a major blow.

The US’s first opponent has also been dealt a serious blow. Captain Rio Ferdinand has been ruled out with a knee injury sustained in practice today.  England isn’t that deep at center back and personally I think this is cause for concern heading into the tournament.  Steven Gerrard has assumed the captaincy role.  While you never like to see anyone injured, this could shift the balance of power in Group C.  Although not everyone agrees.

Andrea Pirlo picked up an ankle knock in Italy’s final friendly vs Mexico and will likely miss all of Italy’s group games.  A major knock to an Italian team with a lot of question marks heading into the tournament.  His experience will be missed but luckily the Italians have drawn a pretty simple group.

Two vastly different but equally brilliant internet finds; The Onion rips into America’s only soccer fan and the Spanish newspaper Marca shows off an awesome World Cup interactive graphic.  The graphic really is the simplest guide for who plays, when they play, and where they play; favorite it.

In US news, Jozy Altidore was held out of training today.  He is still listed as day to day.  I doubt he plays tomorrow but there is no major worry (yet) about his health for June 12th, including from members of the team.

Check out the new SI cover as well…believe in the jinx?

Onto the real purpose of this post…

USA v Australia

Offensively

With Altidore probably sitting out you have to assume that BB will give a chance to some of his other choices.  Robbie Findley could get the start after last weekend’s performance and whether or not he can maintain that level will be interesting.  As stated, his previous USMNT exploits were nothing worthy of note but if he can continue to get the ball in dangerous places and get the ball to dangerous places, he can cement his status as the first choice striking substitute.

Will Bradley give chances to Herculez and/or Buddle?  Herculez impressed against the Czech Republic but didn’t appear vs Turkey.  Buddle is more physical but hasn’t done much to impress in either of the previous warmups.  I think Herculez and his knack for scoring is the more dangerous option and it would be nice to see him get some time on the field in SA prior to the start of the tournament.

If the staff is feeling creative, they could pair Donovan and Dempsey up top to start and see how that works out.  They have shown a tendency to shift players around the field in both previous exhibitions and this is an excellent way to keep the offense fresh and moving with out making any major changes; overall an excellent addition to Bradley’s coaching repertoire.

Midfield

After Jose Torres’s revelation last weekend, BB now has some serious midfield options.  I think he his most effective in the middle of the field rather than on the wings, where Holden and Beasley are more effective.  Bradley Jr and Torres seem to work well together, although there is a slight loss in defensive quality with out Clark or Edu.

Speaking of these two, Clark was fairly underwhelming in the first half vs Turkey and gives the ball away too easily in my opinion.  Maurice Edu, while maybe not quite as physical, is a better with the ball and a steadier presence.  Whether Edu or Clark is BB’s preference tomorrow probably holds the upper hand heading into the melee.

The pairing of either of these two with Bradley is more defensive, while bringing Torres in alongside Bradley represents a more offensive mindset and I think the staff will experiment with both ideas.

The injuries upfront have kind of set off this chain reaction in the midfield, filling it with more uncertainty than in the past.  The depth is there to compensate, it is just up to individual players (Holden, Beasley, Clark, Edu, Torres) to step up and claim the playing time.

If Donovan and Dempsey do in fact start up front, I think you would see one of Clark/Edu/Torres, Bradley Jr, Holden, and Beasley in the midfield.

Defensively

As this is the unit where cohesiveness and understanding is most important, you have to think that BB will go with his preferred lineup to start the game.  It will be an interesting look at the perceived fitness level of all the top choices (from left to right); Bocanegra, Onyewu, Demerit, Cherundolo.

You could say that Spector still has a shot at the RB role but I think Bradley will play it safe and go with the experienced/solid Cherundolo in lieu of the more offensively adept but raw Spector.

How long Onyewu and Bocanegra last will be interesting as neither has yet to play 90 minutes since returning from injury.  Bocanegra looked comfortable last week and Onyewu did improve; it would be incredibly encouraging to see them each last 75+ minutes.  Demerit lasted 90 last weekend and I would imagine he does so again tomorrow.

Overall

Australia is a team that the US should beat.  Being that this is a true warm up game and everyone will be very cautious out there, some tentativeness is expected.  A draw would be nothing to stress about about but if the American’s have trouble getting on the board or holding the ball, then there is some reason to worry.  However, no one should ever confuse pre-tournament form with tournament performance (see Celtics, Boston, 2010 NBA playoffs).

Having played their last two exhibitions against European opponents who are comfortable in possession was good experience for this team and they really seemed to gain an understanding in the 2nd half vs Turkey.  The Australians lack that quality and will be much more likely to sit back, defend solidly, and try to take the chances that come their way.  Therefore, the US should be able to hold possession and dictate this game for long stretches, they have reached that level of play.

Once again, 8:30 AM EST, ESPN2.  Anyone getting up to watch?

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US v Turkey: WTWF*

15 days until the US kicks off their 2010 World Cup campaign in Rustenberg and the team is beginning to take shape. When they take on Turkey at 2 PM Tomorrow afternoon we should get a better gauge of where this team stands.  ESPN2.

A few things to “watch for” (the ‘wf’ of the ‘wtwf’)…

Is Bob Bradley gonna use this as (a) an opportunity to let his preferred 11-14 starters gel or (b) will this be more experimental shuffling to see what his options are? Probably a combination but due to the lack of consistency inherent to any national team, hopefully it skews a little towards (a). Most of this team does have significant time together but to get some consistent time together would be invaluable.

It will be interesting to see what BB does with Jozy Altidore’s partner up top. If it is Clint Dempsey then who fills in on the right side of the midfield, Holden or Torres or Feilhaber. Probably more than one but it would be nice to see one take hold of that spot.

If he wants to get crazy he could go 451 and play one of those three as an attacking midfielder. That could even turn into a 433 with Donovan and Dempsey pushing up the wings if they need to offensive.

Will Ricardo Clark get a look in the midfield after sitting out on Tuesday? Him or Edu is still a major question mark but this weekend should give sme insight into what Bradley and co prefer.

Finally, and probably most pressing is the defensive issue. Will Onyewu play another 65 min and if so, hows his mobility look compared to Tuesday? It would be ideal to see some improvement across the board. Will Bocanegra and Demerit get out there and for long? Their availability and form is a huge determinant in how far this team can really expect to go. Spector sat out in favor of Cherundolo on Tues but this probably means that Spector is the preferred RB. Neither is really a standout although ‘dolo does provide experience. Whoever BB goes with is essentially irrelevant.

Goal.com’s official preview.

Anyone out there in the internets looking for anything tomorrow?? Comment, that would be fun.

*what to watch for

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US v Czech Republic – Preview

The US Men begin their final stage of preparation for the 2010 World Cup this evening against the Czech Republic. Most importantly, you can see the game on ESPN at 8PM EST (30 min of pregame fluff will preceed the actual game).

A few things to look out for as BB has stated he will name his final squad of 23 tomorrow, apparently on the 1PM edition of Sports Center.

Strikers

I still have hope that June 12th will see Clint Dempsey employed up front but my guess is that tonight you see 4 or even 5 different guys get a shot.

Reports out of camp have been very positive with regard to Herculez Gomez who came out of nowhere to lead the Mexican xxxx in goals this past season. Also look for Edwon Buddle to get a chance and probably Eddie Johnson and Brian Ching to get a shot as well.

If healthy I would imagine Ching goes to SA but I think the other three will probably be narrowed down. I doubt Robbie Findlay even makes the roster tonight.

Midfield

Maybe the most solid section of the field for the Americans, a lot depends on where Clint Dempsey is employed.  I think tonight will be more about getting a look at some fringe players and seeing how others react to various roles rather than building an on-field understanding and solidifying tactics though; it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if players like Dempsey and Donovan who are fit and experienced, are left out entirely.

For Bradley to consider employing Dempsey upfront, he will have to be secure with the knowledge that Stuart Holden can adequately fill that right sided midfield role.  Expect him to get a lot of time tonight as he has only about 30 minutes of game time under his belt since that broken bone suffered against the Netherlands in Feb.

Look for Alejandro Bedoya and Sacha Kljestan to get a look as well and see if they can muscle themselves into the final 23.  Robbie Rogers has been a favorite of Bob Bradley’s over the past year and could get a look tonight as well although as I have said before, pure pace is not a reason to include anyone.

The central midfield battle is probably the most interesting one; Michael Bradley’s spot is assured but alongside him it will probably be either Ricardo Clark or Maurice Edu.  I prefer Edu but Clark was a mainstay of the qualifying campaign and will be eager to stake claim to that starting role.

Defense

Historically a very solid place for this team but with rash of injuries over the last 8 months, there are a lot of questions right now.  I would imagine BB and co are eager to see how Onyewu, Bocanegra, and Demerit all hold up under match conditions.  It is doubtful that any play all 90 minutes but this is also a chance for them to work their way into match shape as they have all been dealing with injuries lately.

I think BB will employ Spector on the right side, as that has been his penchant over the last year plus.  Although tonight he might split time with Steve Cherundolo as that role is probably still up for grabs.

On June 12th, I think Onyewu and Demerit will partner in the middle and Bocanegra will take over on the left.  Bradley used this last summer in the Confederations Cup and it really is the most solid defensive lineup he can offer.  You might see him mix it up tonight though and get Bornstein and Clarence Goodson some time as well.  If any of these injuries flare up, they will most likely be the first replacements called.

Final 23

The real reaction to this game will be Mr. Bradley’s decision tomorrow, I will follow up with some reaction to that rather than trying to take a stab at the final 23 sometime prior to 1PM.

Others

Grant Wahl from SI provides his own insight into tonight’s affair and who is fighting for a spot.

Goal.com provides their official preview of tonight’s matchup and a more candid look at “what to watch for.”

(There isn’t much difference between what Mr. Wahl, Goal.com and myself have said…so you don’t really need to read those)

Some good editorial from Goal.com though; reflection on camp from Bedoya and looking ahead from Bradley Jr.

ESPN has announced some of their announcing pairings for the World Cup, courtesy of EPLTalk.com. Personally, the inclusion of John Harkes in the US matches kills me but I love their decision to employ a largely foreign staff.

The head writer at EPLTalk.com seems to think that the US will be victorious on June 12th, a bold if not entirely surprising prediction.  He won’t be only one to say something like this.

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Champions League – Quarterfinal Preview

The first two Champions League quarterfinals this afternoon kick off a blistering 3+ months of soccer across the globe. In short…

Real Madrid leads Spains’s La Liga based solely on goal differential.  They welcome Barcelona to the Bernabeu the weekend of April 10th for what should be the most entertaining domestic league match of the season.

4 time defending Serie A champions Inter Milan saw their lead dwindle to only 1 pt after Luca Toni grabbed a late winner for Roma at the stadio olimpico on Saturday.  AC Milan lurks 2 pts beyond Roma with only 7 matches left for each squad.

Chelsea seem to be dialed into the Premier League race after crashing out of Europe but still cannot seem to shake a Man Utd side leading the league by a single point.  The two sides face off at Old Trafford this Saturday morning at 7:45 AM here in the states (ESPN2).  Arsenal sits 3 pts back of Chelsea as well and have continued to find a way back into the mix after being counted out numerous times this season.

Even the recently Lyon dominated French Ligue 1 (despite last years Bordeaux victory) is incredibly tight at the top this year.  An astounding 6 clubs are within the 3 pts of each other although the Bordeaux must be given the advantage at this point as they are tied at the top but hold 2 games in hand.

All these battles will however have crowned their champions by the time the final two Champions League survivors meet on Saturday, May 22nd at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.  While Real Madrid spent preposterous amounts of money this past summer to ensure they were one of those teams, we all know that didn’t work as hoped.  With the final 8 kicking off in just under 1 hour, lets get into the meat of it (First team listed gets to play the second leg at home…

Bordeaux v Lyon – March 30/April 7

While the French were understandably enthused about being 1 of 2 leagues with 2 teams in the final 8 and were liking their chances of having both in semi finals on the strength of their round of 16 victories, they got drawn together which instead guarantees there will be a French team in the final 4 for the first time in, um, a long time.

Lyon’s victory over Real Madrid is more impressive than Bordeaux’s expected triumph over Olympiacos but Bordeaux does have the confidence that comes with their 1-0 victory in Lyon in mid-December.  Due to the lack of any US coverage of Ligue 1, I am not terribly familiar with either team.  Both have quality throughout the ranks though and a level of familiarity that should result in a very entertaining draw over the course of the two legs.

Manchester United v Bayern Munich – March 30/April 7

In a repeat of the classic 1999 Champions League Final (highlights here and well worth the 5+ min) these two European powerhouses should produce a bruising 180 minutes of soccer.  Manchester United has been in great CL form for over 2 years now and last year saw Bayern get absolutely outclassed by FC Barcelona at this stage.

Mario Gomez’s injury is probably going to make scoring goals more difficult for Bayern but with Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben both healthy and playing well, this is a team that can cause issues for anyone going forward.  Robben on the right should produce an excellent battle with Patrice Evra but Bayern are going to be in trouble if Thomas Muller or Miroslav Klose cannot cause some trouble in the middle.

United comes in with a level of experience in this competition that is unrivaled except in the Camp Nou.  Alex Ferguson will be unafraid to play a defensive style and leave Wayne Rooney upfront all by his lonesome to create and finish chances.  Is there another striker in the world right now who could be counted on to supply all the offense needed at this stage in this competition? Definitely not and thats why United has to be favorites.

CSKA Moscow v Inter Milan – March 31/April 6

As Inter’s multi-year stranglehold on Serie A is slowly weakened they were rewarded with probably the easiest Quarter Final matchup.  They face a CSKA Moscow side which did go to Sevilla and get a win in order secure passage but that could be attributed more to a crumbling Sevilla side than a performance worthy of advancing; it was by all accounts a proper smash and grab job.

Mourinho brought hopes of European success to Inter and he is only now delivering.  They have the class and discipline to advance here and should do so with no problem.  The main obstacle is that the second leg will be played in Moscow and therefore it is very important for Milan to stay tight tomorrow night while also trying to grab at least 1 goal.

FC Barcelona v Arsenal – March 31/April 6

The other premier matchup of this Quarterfinal round pits the two clubs which are probably playing the most attractive soccer in the world right now.  FC Barcelona comes in with the experience but Arsene Wenger will surely have Arsenal believing that they can play with and beat Barcelona over the two legs.  This is so interesting b/c of the striking similarity between these two sides.

I counted Arsenal as ripe for an upset at the hands of Porto after the round of 16 draw as they were having trouble scoring and didn’t seem up for this competition.  After a first leg defeat however and with Nicklas Bendtner coming into form, they soundly smoked Porto and showed the level of class necessary to win this competition.

If Fabregas is healthy and they can use some of their speed on the counter attack, they could cause issues for Barcelona.  However it remains to be seen if they can keep their composure while not maintaining possession for long stretches as they are used to.  Barcelona should be able to win the possession game and Arsenal cannot let this unnerve them, they must take their chances when they come and remain tight in the back.

The concern for Arsenal has to be their lack of results against top quality opponents throughout this season, they must hope not to concede at home and play an opportunistic style which they are not familiar with.  Barcelona has drawn an intriguing opponent here but they should be able to give the Gunners a first hand lesson in beautiful football.

Some various US updates from around the world coming later this week….thanks for reading…

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