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Ones to watch
The World Cup always throws up some relatively unknown superstars and Italian clubs are usually pretty quick off the mark to snap up the best. Steve Wilson picks out the ones to watch |
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GROUP A
Per Mertesacker – Germany & Hannover 96
Unfortunately for all young, talented German defenders there is one name that always comes up as a comparison – Franz Beckenbauer. Attempting to match up against the man generally regarded as the best defender the game has ever seen is bound to place a heavy burden on the shoulders of any player. But, nonetheless, that is the task facing Germany’s latest defensive find.
Hailed for his intelligent reading of the game, at just shy of two metres tall his height will be a major plus point for Germany’s defence at set-pieces in the World Cup. Despite suffering a slight dip in form during the 2005-06 season, he is still seen as the future of the national side’s back line and has won praise from Coach Jurgen Klinsmann – who handed him his international debut against Iran in 2004.
The 21-year-old Hannover 96 centre-back will no doubt be on the move after this summer’s tournament, with Beckenbauer’s old club, Bayern Munich, the first in the line to secure his signature. However, should Mertesacker wish to side-step further parallels to ‘Der Kaiser’ he could head for the San Siro.
Milan are in desperate need of a youthful, ball-playing defender to fill Jaap Stam’s vacancy, and rumours are already circulating that a pre-contract agreement has been struck with the tall German. However Bundesliga side Werder Bremen are also keeping tabs, while the player himself has stated a desire to join international teammate Jens Lehmann at Arsenal.
GROUP B
Markus Rosenberg – Sweden & Ajax Amsterdam
Any player making the switch from Malmo to Ajax Amsterdam is inevitably going to be likened to the more famous man to travel that path – Zlatan Ibrahimovic. “Zlatan spoke very highly of Ajax,” Rosenberg explained shortly after his switch to the Dutch side last summer. “He told me that the team is well organised and that the atmosphere within the club is very positive.” Such a glowing report from a countryman who found so much success at the famous Amsterdam side surely helped the 23-year-old make up his mind.
With his quick feet and composed finishing in front of goal, the similarity to the Juventus striker’s career path is almost uncanny. However, Rosenberg has surpassed the debut season achievements of his international teammate after hitting 12 League goals in his first campaign at the Amsterdam ArenA – double the tally achieved by Ibrahimovic in his first year.
Unsurprisingly, that form earned Rosenberg a call-up to the Swedish national side for the World Cup. Having made a goalscoring debut in January 2005 against South Korea he had been overlooked in the qualifying campaign, but thanks to his domestic form will now be vying for a place in Lars Lagerback’s plans for the Swedish attack.
With three goals from his eight caps so far, if he can take his chances in Germany there is every possibility he could end up prising apart the Ibrahimovic and Henrik Larsson partnership that has served Sweden so well. And if he can manage that, expect the big names on the peninsula to start calculating how much it would cost to free him from his four-year deal at Ajax.
GROUP C
Bakary Kone – Ivory Coast & Nice
While Italian eyes may be on Didier Drogba – who has already intimated that he would like a switch to Milan – Didier Zokora and Yaya Toure when the Ivory Coast kick-off at the World Cup, it may well be the diminutive striker Bakary Kone (pictured) who ends up being the one who impresses most. Built like the legendary Gianfranco Zola, Kone’s lively play as a wide attacker lit up the Ivory Coast’s matches at the African Cup of Nations in January and if he can put in a repeat performance this summer he could be the biggest winner in ‘Les Elephants’ squad.
After missing a penalty in the crucial shoot-out with Egypt in the ACON Final, he will have more desire to repay his countrymen this summer than most and that added incentive will be crucial to the Ivory Coast’s bid to escape Group C. Mainly used as a substitute by Henri Michel’s side, the thought of having to face him in the closing stages on tired legs must be giving Argentine, Dutch and Serb defenders nightmares.
Found playing on the streets by ASEC Abidjan’s academy founder Jean-Marc Guillou, Kone has dazzled all those who have seen him on his rise to the French top-flight with Nice. “I was passing through his district, when some kids stopped me. They kept saying, ‘We’ve got Pele living here, you've got to take a look at him’. Then Kone came along. He was slightly built but I never doubted for one moment that he was a real find,” recalls Guillou. It is a sentiment that Serie A scouts may be repeating if Kone can replicate the trickery and skills he has already displayed in Ligue 1 this past season on the fields of Germany.
GROUP D
Jose Fonseca – Mexico & Cruz Azul
No Mexican has ever played in Serie A before. That may change if Jose Fonseca keeps up the form he showed in helping Mexico qualify for the World Cup Finals. The 26-year-old striker hit 10 goals in qualifying, an impressive statistic on its own, but even better when considering they came in just 11 appearances. With an overall tally of 19 goals from 28 caps, Fonseca is already closing in on a place in Mexico’s all-time top 10 leading scorers.
His move to Cruz Azul in 2005 was one of the biggest transfers in Mexican history but a positive showing at the World Cup will surely lead to a switch to the European game. Such a move would be the culmination of a long, hard road for the player nicknamed ‘Kikin’. After grinding out performances in the lower Leagues of Mexican football he was finally given a chance at UNAM Pumas by Hugo Sanchez, Mexico’s most famous player and the one – to date – who has made the biggest impact in Europe.
His form soon earned him the aforementioned switch to Cruz Azul where he has continued his upward trajectory. Currently the hottest property in Mexican football, his popularity stems not just from his ability, but his off field dedication to training and interacting with his adoring fans.
However, Mexico’s public may have to bid farewell to Fonseca if he fulfils his ambition of moving to a European club. “One of my goals is to give it a go in Europe. I’m working towards that every day, and God willing my chance will arrive. If opportunity knocks for me one day, then I'll be ready,” he declared prior to the World Cup. If he can give the Mexican fans a parting gift of a successful campaign this summer he will surely leave with their blessing, and if Serie A is lucky it may be to a club on the peninsula.
GROUP E
Clint Dempsey – USA & New England Revolution
New England Revolution midfielder Clint Dempsey will be thankful just to be in the USA’s squad for the World Cup Finals. The 23-year-old was left out of Bruce Arena’s party for the high-profile friendly with Germany earlier this year when his club suspended him after a punch-up with his team captain. In the end this blot on his copybook didn’t count against him when the final decision came, Arena wisely choosing not to deprive himself of a potential match winner over a training ground spat.
A busy, attacking midfielder with good technical ability and confidence when taking on defenders, Dempsey played mainly as a substitute for the USA side during the qualifying campaign. He will be keen to break into the starting line-up in Germany, with thoughts of being the next export from the States to make a move to the European game likely to be at the forefront of his mind.
Dempsey may just be the kind of player to make it somewhere like Italy or Spain. Unlike a lot of the North American players he models himself more on the flair players of South America rather than the hard-grafting European style. “Diego Maradona and Carlos Valderrama were two players who influenced me. They played the game well, and they played with the South American style. When I was growing up, that was something that interested me. I really liked how they changed the games, how they were such an impact for their team,” enthused the Texan. If he can calm the hot-headed Latin temperament and instead hone the ball skills and individuality of his heroes then he could be a summer gamble worth taking for a Serie A outfit.
GROUP F
Mark Milligan – Australia & Sydney FC
One of the shock selections in Guus Hiddink’s World Cup squad, the 20-year-old Sydney FC player came from out of nowhere to be drafted into the Socceroos selection. His versatility and experience beyond his years have won him his place, as well as a few words in Hiddink’s ear from assistants Johan Neeskens and Graham Arnold. The duo travelled to Vietnam to watch Milligan perform for the Australian Under-20 side and what they saw was impressive enough to lead to glowing reports making their way back to the Aussie camp.
The chance to shine in the Australian starting line-up is certainly there for Milligan as the squad contains just five recognised defenders. Such a call, should it come, will hold no fear after his exploits at two World Youth Championships and at last December’s World Club Championship.
A League winner with Sydney FC, the pressures of the big games are nothing new and with capabilities as a centre-back or right-back, the chances of Milligan seeing some match action in Germany must be considerable.
With Hiddink’s record of giving youth a chance the Sydney-native is eager and hopeful of stepping out in the green and gold shirt in Germany. “When you hear that the Socceroos Coach is pushing young players, it’s great for all of us. Just the fact that he knows who you are, just being thought of, is enough for me at the moment, but if there is a spot up for grabs, I’m hoping I’ve done enough,” he stated. With Parma duo Vince Grella and Mark Bresciano already showing Italians the quality to be found ‘down under’, there is every chance that grabbing a spot in the Aussie line-up in Germany will be the first step towards a permanent spell in Europe for Milligan.
GROUP G
Franck Ribery – France & Marseille
Replacing Zinedine Zidane sounds like an impossible task. However, if the reaction to Franck Ribery’s debut in a France shirt is anything to go by then Les Bleus have already found their man. In two cameo appearances in pre-World Cup friendlies against Mexico and Denmark he has been the clear fan favourite, with his name being chanted long before he made it on to the pitch. Once on the field his thrilling skills soon banished any concerns over the impending retirement of Zidane, and while there have been calls from some quarters for the Marseille man to go on and replace Zizou in France’s starting line-up in Germany, the smart money is on him being Raymond Domenech’s super sub.
Facially scarred after a car crash when he was just two-years-old, Ribery has the appearance of a James Bond arch-villain, but he looks set to be the key spark in revitalising a France side that had looked to be going into the Finals under a cloud. With Domenech’s spat with Robert Pires, Zidane’s retirement and the exclusion of Ludovic Giuly over-shadowing recent months, it has been a breath of fresh air to see the focus in the French camp take a positive turn following Ribery’s introduction.
Praise has come from no less than Thierry Henry, surely the man who will benefit most from Ribery’s creative play just behind the main strikers. “Once he was on the pitch, we all immediately started looking for him,” explained the one-time Juventus man after the friendly with Denmark. “His game is very simple. He always moves the ball forward and is also clever enough to retain it for a bit when necessary. Having him on the team is a real bonus.”
Ribery has already attracted interest from Henry’s club Arsenal, and while perennial French champions Lyon will be his likely destination after the World Cup, there will no doubt be interested parties at the major Italian sides if his spectacular rise continues at Germany ’06.
GROUP H
Yasser Al-Qahtani – Saudi Arabia & Al-Hilal
The chances of seeing Yasser Al-Qahtani joining a Serie A side have to be fairly slim, given that only two Saudi Arabian players have ever been allowed to venture outside the borders of the Kingdom to play the game. However, if there is one player with the skills and ability to take the brave step then Al-Qahtani may be the one. The barriers imposed by the Saudi FA on players moving abroad are no longer in place, but still few Saudi players have the desire to take their talents abroad.
Nicknamed ‘Al-Gannas’ after his machine gun style celebrations, the 23-year-old striker scored several vital goals on the road to Germany and, as the apparent heir to Sami Al-Jaber’s throne as the Saudi’s star man, hopes will be resting on his young shoulders this summer. A big move from his former club Al-Qadissiya to Al-Hilal, the club he supported as a boy, has seen him link-up with Al-Jaber at club level and that will help their partnership for the national side – who will be keen to banish memories of their woeful performance in Japan and South Korea four years ago. On that occasion The Sons Of The Desert couldn’t even get on the scoresheet, and that must be the main objective for Al-Qahtani and his teammates this time around.
With pace and dribbling skills the key aspects of his game, Coach Manuel Paqueta has been putting him through rigorous training to improve his aerial ability ahead of the Finals in a bid to improve his all-round game and make him an even deadlier opponent. Described as the Alberto Gilardino of Saudi Arabian football, it would be a delight to see his domestic game tested at a higher level. With the prior experiences of Libya’s Saadi Al-Gheddafi showing that Italian clubs have already made attempts to bring in players from untapped areas there is just a possibility that Al-Qahtani could be given the opportunity to switch to Serie A – if he is willing to accept the offer.
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