Who are the unknowns to look out for at this world cup

timetogetfit

We all know about the established stars such as Rooney,Messi and Ronaldo to name a few but who are the unknowns that could shine at this world cup?

fulhamfanincork

Alexis Sanchez of Chile.

A load of the Serbs and Hondurans.

gosplan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mat%C3%ADas_Fern%C3%A1ndez

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humberto_Suazo

both of Chile.

steelcityblues

Existing thread here!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055930248

ShoulderChip

the guy who playes inbehind forlan and suarez for uruguay whats his name led??

Wexler12

English fella Danny Ventre, was playing v UCD on Tues so he might be rested for the USA game

ShoulderChip

ShoulderChip wrote: »

the guy who playes inbehind forlan and suarez for uruguay whats his name led??

already a bit infamous

Dues Bellator

Forlan Forlan Forlan or that new signing for united that plays for mexico only came on at 73mins but well impressed.......oh yeah krasic for serbia ,honda for japan and impeala for south africa .......with a small dash of peinear

Mr Alan

LOL, 'well impressed'. Yea ok.

FatherTed

I can see Jose Francisco Torres starting in midfield for the US alongside Bradley in their next two games. Very composed on the ball.

Peyton Manning

Gary Medel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2uBLetPYNA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FknDCtkzhn8

He's a defensive midfielder for Boca and Chile, but finds himself playing at right back as well. He's made a huge impression on me to the point where everyone I speak to knows how much I practically fawn over him. I've seen an awful lot of him over the past couple of years and I've been so impressed. I can't wait to see him on the biggest stage. He's like a mix of Gennaro Gattuso, Darren Fletcher and Dani Alves. You won't find a more tenacious player in South Africa this summer, the lad has fire running through his veins. The likes of Iniesta and Xavi will hate playing against him, he'll be snapping at their heels for the full 90 minutes, his stamina is incredible. He's also appeared in a crazy advert for gas back in Chile, where he apparently receives advice on gas from a chihuahua. True story. Here's a write up I did of him a couple of months ago.

Name: Gary Alexis Medel Soto

Date of Birth: 03/08/1987

Nationality: Chile

Current Club: Boca Juniors (ARG)

Position(s): CM/DM/DC/DR

At 22 years of age and standing at a meagre 5′ 7″, Gary Medel does not appear to be the most intimidating opponent at first glance. But look into this young man’s eyes and you will see a fiery determination and combative spirit cast in the same die as the great Leonel Sánchez, often regarded as Chile’s most influential player.

Medel epitomizes the warrior-like attitude that saw Sánchez gather a record breaking 84 caps for his country, which is often over-shadowed (albeit justifiably) by his infamous left hook to Italy’s Mario David in the 1962 World Cup – now dubbed the Battle of Santiago – which resulted in the Italian defender being knocked unconscious. He also broke Italian striker Humberto Maschio's nose with another vicious left hook later on in the same match.

Medel has that same steel to his fibre. It is a steel that saw him receive his marching order’s in the fiery cauldron that is El Superclásico – South American football’s fiercest rivalry between Boca and River Plate – just under two weeks ago. But take a closer look at that encounter, and you will see another trait Medel shares with Sánchez, and that is a unique eye for goal. The right back turned defensive midfielder grabbed both of Boca’s goals in the famous victory, the second of which oozed a compuser more akin to that of a striker in the mould of compatriots Marcelo Salas or Ivan Zamarona (see below).

This is not the first time a Medel brace has stolen the show in such a tempestuous affair. In July 2007 while playing for his first club Universidad Católica, Medel wrote himself into the club’s folklore by grabbing both goals in a 2-0 victory over eternal rivals Universidad de Chile. Not happy with two important braces in his career, the young Chilean also helped himself to both goals in Chile’s impressive 2-0 win over Bolivia away in La Paz – a venue that has claimed the scalp of Diego Maradona’s Argentina side following the host’s 6-1 mauling last year. Medel’s first goal in that game – a tremendous overhead kick – can be seen here.

His eye for goal has seen him plunder 7 goals in 25 appearances for Boca this season from a primarily right back role, although Chilean coach Marcelo Bielsa is prone to playing Medel as an anchor man in front of his defense, where he is equally as adept. It is a versatile role for Medel, as he often reverts to his more familiar right back position when his side surrender possession.

Medel is very much an in-your-face style midfielder not too dissimilar to fellow South American Javier Mascherano, and has elements to his game in his versatility and stamina much like Manchester United’s Owen Hargeaves or former France midfielder Claude Makelele. He displays a range of passing skills to go with this, and his aerial abilities are very similar to Wayne Rooney in a way, as even at only 5′ 7″, he has mastered the timing and reach of his leaps to compete with even the tallest of forwards.

Perhaps the best comparison for Medel is AC Milan’s Gennaro Gattuso – so much so in fact that he has become known affectionately as “the Chilean Gattuso”. His other nickname, for the record, is the beautiful “Pitbull”. Chile manager Marcelo Bielsa realises just how key Medel is to his team. A manager with a reputation for putting his trust in youth, Biesla immediately called the tenacious midfielder up to his senior team having witnessed him play a vital role in Chile’s under 23 team finishing as runners-up to Italy in the 2008 Toulon Tournament. This came after Medel had played an ever present role in the under 20′s famous third place finish in the 2007 World Cup.

As Consolation Goal has done it’s best to persuade in our first edition of Scouting Report, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have the potential to cause upsets to fellow group H contender Spain and potential last-16 opponents Brazil. For Medel, such results would not be out of the ordinary, having already received a standing ovation upon his substitution in Chile’s 1-0 victory of Argentina last year.

While the majority of player’s jetting over to South Africa this summer would pray to avoid a confrontation with the likes of Andres Iniesta, Fernando Torres and David Villa, you get the impression that Gary Medel is counting down the days until June 25th and the showdown in Pretoria.

GLaDOS

Robert Gree- Oh wait.

curry-muff

I already put effort into posting on the origional thread:

My Post

Le King

All the USA players, tbf I'd love to be American right now. Ohhhh wait, I am .

CSF

almanu wrote: »

and impeala for south africa .......with a small dash of peinear

These 2 are so unknown that not even the South Africans know who the are.

Johnny Utah

Serbia.