Five Future Superstars from Smaller Football Nations (Sports Miscellaneous)

Member Name: paulie1975

Product:	Sports Miscellaneous
Date:	21/02/09 (63 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Five Players who will have great futures

Disadvantages: Will they make their teams much stronger or will it take more team structure

5 best young footballers from emerging nations:

I've been watching a lot of football recently and am really excited by the way the game is developing worldwide, watching Australian football it is no longer kick and rush, there is subtlety, variation, players are decision makers, its great seeing the game progress, the same can be said watching the Excellent Egyptian team in last years African Nations cup, playing wonderful passing football with strong tactical nous and teamwork.

Russia are an example of another team who from nowhere have really developed a team ethic, filled with individuals but with an incredible collective will to win. My point here is that maybe 10 years ago it would have been possible to know the weaknesses of a team, be it collective naievity, the lack of defensive structure or simply lack of technique but the world game has progressed so much, partially due to money, also due to the export of players around the world and the experiences of players from these nations in larger footballing countries. The world game is getting stronger with wonderful footballing teams such as Spain and Argentina at the top of their games being the best teams.

In watching all of the football, I wanted to talk about 5 players from emerging footballing cultures who I really rate and believe will make a big difference to their domestic games simply through encouraging kids to be like them:

1) Carlos Vela - Mexico - A wonderful young predator, Vela is on the verge of playing more regularly for Arsenal following a loan spell in La Liga last season. Labelled the new Hugo Sanchez by Spanish sports newspaper Marca, Vela is a natural goalscorer, a player with pace, nous and that priceless ability to score from anywhere. Born in 1989 in Cancun, Vela is 20 this year and already has two years playing experience at Salamance and Osusuna on loan in the Spanish league before returning to Arsenal and becoming a regular substitute. With international experience with Mexico already he has a great future for club and country, he will probably be another season before becoming a regular at Arsenal but should from there move onto become one of the most prolific players in the premier league.

2) Jozy Altidore - USA - Born in 1989 in New Jersey, Altidore has surpassed his compatriot, the much hyped Freddie Adu, as the most widely lauded American footballer in Europe. Making 37 appearances with 15 goals between 2006 and 2008 for Red Bull New York, he brought himself to wider attention and was linked with a number of players before eventually signing for Valencia. He has been loaned to Xerex to allow him to understand the nuances and pace of the Spanish league, he is widely lauded as one of the best young strikers to come out of America and already has 2 goals in 7 games for his country.

3) Aaron Ramsey - Wales - Signed from Cardiff, Ramsey delights in the nickname Rambo, he has not played as many games as he would like for Arsenal this season but has scored in the Champions League and proved himself well up to the demands of the Premier League. As with any young player at Arsenal, Ramsey will be given a year to develop and understand the way they play, but he has shown glimpses of being an exceptional talent. John Toshack already appears to be building his team around this young star for Wales and rightly so as his drive, passing and shooting ability will make him the next Welsh superstar, taking over the mantle from previous greats like Hughes, Rush and Giggs.

4) Steven Defour - Belgium - Born in 1988 in Mechelen Belgium, Defour may have come to the attention of English fans in his masterful performance against Everton in the Uefa Cup, he showed himself to be some player with pace, strength and real ability. He is a wonderful passer who brings colleagues into the game at every opportunity. He has international experience already and is designated to be Belgian playmaker for years to come. He won the Belgian player of the year award in 2007 and has come to the attention of many clubs including Arsenal.

5) Daniel Opare - Ghana - Born in 1989 in Accra, Opare is viewed by his employers Real Madrid as a young right back version of their old hero, Roberto Carlos, a wonderfully athletic right back who can hound down the wing, cross like a winger, tackle like a rhino and get up and down the wing all day for fun, he has huge stamina, great pace and power and looks to have everything in his locker to be a great player. He has not played for the full Real Madrid team yet mainly due to the wonderful Sergio Ramos holding the shirt, but Ramos will someday move to Centre half and Opare is expected to grasp his opportunity with both hands.

Summary: Five Future Superstars from Smaller Football Nations