Saturday, June 16, 2018
ARGENTINA doesn't have a
stand-out rising star, and certainly no one closely resembling the next Messi.
And there's the rub...the sun is setting on La Pulga and his generation, and
they'll have to win with the usual suspects.
Two unproven youngsters I should mention would be Giovani Lo Celso and
Paulo Dybala. At age 24, Dybala is a
mainstay striker for Juventus, scoring 22 goals in 33 matches.
But with Argentina, he has but 8 caps, and his natural position is
occupied by a moored teammate...Leo Messi.
Perhaps he gets at least one substitution opportunity during the World
Cup round robin stage...a small window of time to generate an impact.
Lo Celso, on the other hand, may not even make an appearance.
Only 22 years old, the midfielder notched 4 goals in 32 PSG appearances
this season...this rising talent may have to wait til 2022 to make an impact on
Argentina’s fortunes.
depth of quality
Brazil produces. So, it's no
coincidence the bulk of starters surrounding Neymar are in their primes, aged
mid 20's to late 30's. Players who've proven themselves at the club level are a
who's-who of solid footballers, including Casemiro (Real Madrid), Coutinho
(Liverpool/Barca), Fernandinho (Man City), Firmino (Liverpool), Marcelo (Real
Madrid), Willian (Chelsea), and the list goes on.
So, did Brazil's manager bother nabbing any up-and-coming
youngsters to join this crowded class of established talent?
Yes, but just one, the 21 year-old Gabriel Jesus.
A regularly starter in place of the oft-injured Sergio Aguero at Man
City, Jesus is a quick and capable striker with 13 goals in 19 starts and 10
substitute appearances last season in the EPL.
With almost as many combined goals & assists per minutes played as Aguero,
let’s hope we see him get a start or two during this World Cup.
There will certainly be opponents or game-time situations calling for the
services of Brazil's speediest forward.
COLOMBIA has the only
rising star I’m tracking this World Cup who plays
defense. Davinson
Sanchez is a high-paid recent signing of Tottenham (EPL).
Aged just 22, he’ll be part of a fortified Colombia back line.
Although not in the most glorious position, Sanchez is a key component to
protecting the South American hopeful’s chances.
EGYPT:
This country’s team may not spark initial interest, but if you’ve
followed the EPL or European Championships, then you’ve probably heard of
Mohamed Salah. Regardless, Egypt’s
games are a MUST watch! Coming off a
shoulder injury after netting a near-record 32 goals in the EPL this season, I
expect to see Mohammed Salah start or sub against Russia and Saudi Arabia.
He is the closest thing to “the next
Messi” I have seen, able to change direction on a dime, keeps the ball glued to
his feet, executes set pieces superbly, finishes easy opportunities, and always
ends up in the right place at the right time during broken plays to score
improbable goals. He’s a humble
competitor leading an underdog everyone wants to root for…and I predict he will
lead them to the knockout stage, second in Group A behind Uruguay.
FRANCE is a team loaded
with young talent. By now, most of you
are familiar with Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezman, Raphael Varane, and Blaise
Matuidi. The new name that will match if
not outshine the luster of that list is rising star striker Kylian Mbappé.
The second youngest player in the entire
tournament, the 19 year-old has already made an impact at his club team Paris
St. Germain (PSG), helping them win the French Ligue 1 this past season.
Expect Mbappé to notch a few goals
linking up with wingman Griezman with assists from Pogba.
GERMANY lost some key
veterans, and with them a lot of on-the-field leadership since winning the last
World Cup. While much of that
championship team’s core remains, a few newbies have been added to this squad.
One player who wasn’t included as a mere back-up, 22 year-old Timo Werner
(Leipzig) is a legit starting forward.
He’s the fastest-paced striker on the roster, and with 8 goals in just 14
caps for Germany, watch for him to combine with Thomas Mueller as the
highest-scoring duo in the World Cup.
Werner might be the top rising star of the 2018 tournament.
PORTUGAL.
Portuguese football is synonymous with Ronaldo.
But who are the teammates he needs to finally hoist the World Cup Trophy?
Some of them are established veterans
Pepe, Bruno Alves, and Joao Moutinho. Yet
there are two emerging stars who already proved to be the difference makers in
Portugal's first World Cup match against arch rival Spain - William Carvalho and
Bernardo Silva.
The former, who goes simply by "William", was a beast.
He won every aerial challenge that came
his way, securing more possession for Portugal. William
was also instrumental in ball distribution and defensive duties.
Currently playing at Sporting Lisbon,
he'll surely get picked up by a bigger-ticket European club looking for a
bruising midfielder reminiscent of Yaya Touré. In
a complimentary role, the 23 year-old Bernardo Silva adds an extra dimension of
offense to Portugal’s traditional defend-and-counter style.
The fact that Silva recently landed a big
role - occasional starter and regular sub in midfield at Manchester City under
Pep Guardiola - says a lot about his talent and potential growth.
After their effort against Spain, I may have to take back
what I said about Portugal being a Pretender more than Contender.
The level of aggression and attack mode
Portugal employed compared to the Euro 2016 will make them more entertaining to
watch and a lot more dangerous with the likes of William and Silva supporting
the GOAT CR7.
URUGUAY have a more
formidable team than in 2014, thanks to a new style and refreshed attacking
talent in the midfield. Newbies Federico
Valverde (Deportivo La Coruña on loan from Real Madrid), Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus),
and Matías Vecino (Internazionale) join the brightest of the group, Nahitan
Nández. The 22 year-old star at Boca
Juniors will have the eyes of many European club scouts on him in Russia.
Nández will be the catalyst enabling Luis
Suarez to notch a bundle of goals in the 2018 World Cup.
In the first game against Egypt, Nandez
and Bentancur were most impressive for Uruguay.
-Mexico:
Hirving Lozano (Forward, Age 23)
-Poland: Piotr
Zielinski (Midfielder, Age 24)
-Senegal: Keita
Balde (Forward, Age 23)
-Serbia: Luka Jovic
(Forward, Age 20)
-Switzerland: Breel
Embolo (Forward, Age 21)
---
Next Issue of FFB: FALLEN STARS. I'll mention some previous rising stars that were mysteriously (or otherwise) left off their countries’ World Cup Rosters in 2018.
Eric
Next Issue of FFB: FALLEN STARS. I'll mention some previous rising stars that were mysteriously (or otherwise) left off their countries’ World Cup Rosters in 2018.
Eric
© 1998-2018 HWCI Productions
© 2012-2018 Foster's Football Brew
HWCI circa 1990
© 2012-2018 Foster's Football Brew
HWCI circa 1990
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