Rising Stars

Fanny Cradock

What players have impressed people so far. I'm specifically talking about names that people wouldn't have heard so far - so no Messi and the like - or players who you thought weren't very good but have impressed.

Two players that have caught my eye have been:

1) Keisuke Honda - AM for Japan

2) Fábio Alexandre da Silva Coentrão (yeah, I cut and pasted that) - LWB for Portugal.

I have also generally been impressed by Gonzalo Higuaín - who I have to admit I didn't know a great deal about before but was under the impression that he wasn't much good.

flahavaj

Chico.:)

Peyton Manning

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

I have also generally been impressed by Gonzalo Higuaín - who I have to admit I didn't know a great deal about before but was under the impression that he wasn't much good.

Yup, he's really come from nowhere, especially considering the rubbish season he's had at whoever he plays for. Definitely one to watch for the future. They should probably loan him out for a season or two first.

flahavaj

Archi is in a p*sser of a mood tonight.:pac:

Just so as not to drag this too far off topic, Ramires for Brazil has looked pretty tasty from the glimpses we've seen so far.

Ferris_Bueller

Salcido of Mexico.

Mars Bar

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

What players have impressed people so far. I'm specifically talking about names that people wouldn't have heard so far - so no Messi and the like - or players who you thought weren't very good but have impressed.

Two players that have caught my eye have been:

1) Keisuke Honda - AM for Japan

2) Fábio Alexandre da Silva Coentrão (yeah, I cut and pasted that) - LWB for Portugal.

I have also generally been impressed by Gonzalo Higuaín - who I have to admit I didn't know a great deal about before but was under the impression that he wasn't much good.

Almost 30 goals for Real last season says your impression was wrong!

Turtyturd

Archimedes wrote: »

Yup, he's really come from nowhere, especially considering the rubbish season he's had at whoever he plays for. Definitely one to watch for the future. They should probably loan him out for a season or two first.

Flash in the pan if you ask me, he would never keep that form over an entire season.:D

For me Micheal Bradley looks decent. Never going to be a superstar but could be useful for a team in the premier league.

flahavaj

Ferris_Bueller wrote: »

Salcido of Mexico.

He's been outstanding but isn't he like 30-ish? Hardly an up and comer.

Fanny Cradock

flahavaj wrote: »

Just so as not to drag this too far off topic, Ramires for Brazil has looked pretty tasty from the glimpses we've seen so far.

Actually, there is another one.

GLaDOS

Mesut Özil, key to Germany's play, only 21

FreeOSCAR

Mesut Ozil
Sami Khedira
Luis Suarez
Gregory van der Wiel
Alexis Sanchez
and as mentioned the Portugese LB are all players I didnt know much about before the tournament but have impressed me a lot.

Fanny Cradock

Archimedes wrote: »

Yup, he's really come from nowhere, especially considering the rubbish season he's had at whoever he plays for. Definitely one to watch for the future. They should probably loan him out for a season or two first.

You're funny.

SlickRic

Ramires - Brazil

Ozil - Germany

Coentrao - Portugal

Muslera - Uruguay (yes, he's been at Lazio for two years, but i wasn't hugely aware of him until this tournament.)

fillmore jive

Eljero Elia

Leiva

Ozil all the way . And the left full for Portugal can't think of his name ?

Iang87

ozil and elia i like elia but he just needs to develop a bit of a brain as he's lacking in that department.

Ozil looks like he'd comfortably slot into any team, except england maybe with the whole gerrard lampard issue


still very unsure about the left backs defending ability but going forward he's handy

Luap

Paul McShane would have been all over this thread if Henry didn't handle the ball. :pac:

eagle eye

Paolo da Silva has been a revelation at centre back for Paraguay imo. He is not young and he spent last year in the Premier League but I've been really impressed with him. Super calm, great tackler, great reader of the game.

Carlos Salcido is another guy who is not young but has been very, very impressive.

I didn't really know too much about Juan before this World Cup as I don't watch much Serie A but he has been very impressive although he is surrounded by world class players.

Maxi Pereira has been very impressive also for Uruguay.

Dues Bellator

Maloney_o9 wrote: »

Paul McShane would have been all over this thread if Henry didn't handle the ball. :pac:

Le King

Lionel Messi - Never heard of him before this World Cup. I hear he can score. Hasn't impressed me in front of the goal yet, but he's only 23 and maybe he can score some in the games to come.

Juan Sebastian Veron - Very composed on the ball. Looks promising. He'd fit well into a Manchester United or a Chelsea.

Dues Bellator

nobody has mentioned the mexican forward “Chicharito” otherwise known as Javier Hernandez .

DazMarz

Was very impressed by England's joint top-goal scorer.......Robert Green...:p

But seriously, folks...

Honda for Japan

and

Ozil for Germany

and

Muller for Germany

have been the standouts of young players for me so far in this tourney.

Kiwi_knock

almanu wrote: »

nobody has mentioned the mexican forward “Chicharito” otherwise known as Javier Hernandez .

flahavaj wrote: »

Chico.:)

Second post in the thread.
Have to say he has impressed me as well.

Dos Santos impressed me as well, good enough for a move back to the Premiership

Birsa of Slovenia, had a few good moments

Oat23

I thought Ibrahim Afalley did well in the limited time he has seen on the pitch so far.

I don't think Elia has been given long enough to show the world what he can do. Still going to do great things IMO. Hope he stays at HSV though.

dfx-

Bradley - USA
Enyeama - Nigeria

Fowler87

The Japenese #8 IMO has been impressive, Sanchez and Medel of Chile and Ozil of Germany has been brilliant

Eire-Dearg

Fowler87 wrote: »

The Japenese #8 IMO has been impressive, Sanchez and Medel of Chile and Ozil of Germany has been brilliant

He's overrated, I can't actually believe anyone thinks he's remotely good. I'd rather have nobody instead of him because he's only going to get sent off sooner or later.

LAWL

Iang87

dfx- wrote: »

Bradley - USA
Enyeama - Nigeria

hmmmm enyeama really he had a couple of howlers

sky88

ozil and muller have been very impressive to me seem like great players in the making

judas101

It's Oezil not Ozil

nipps

Javier Hernandez
Luis Suarez
Edinson Cavani
Mesut Ozil
Thomas Muller
Simon Kjaer
Keisuke Honda
Gregory van der Wiel
Eljero Elia
Fabio Coentrao
Alexis Sanchez
Eduardo
Diego Benaglio

thats em all!:)

CSF

I already knew a decent amount about most of the ones previously mentioned in the thread so for me it'd have to be Andre Ayew.

Oat23

judas101 wrote: »

It's Oezil not Ozil

Does it matter?

It's Özil but not everyone has the umlaut on their keyboard.
Ö = Oe.

Why must you be a spell nazi?

CorkMan

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

What players have impressed people so far. I'm specifically talking about names that people wouldn't have heard so far - so no Messi and the like - or players who you thought weren't very good but have impressed.

Two players that have caught my eye have been:

1) Keisuke Honda - AM for Japan

2) Fábio Alexandre da Silva Coentrão (yeah, I cut and pasted that) - LWB for Portugal.

I have also generally been impressed by Gonzalo Higuaín - who I have to admit I didn't know a great deal about before but was under the impression that he wasn't much good.

Yup, he didn't get at one stage 19 goals in 15 games in La Liga last season.

Lukker-

Gyan for Ghana.

Dempsey

Alot of the players mentioned here are well know already and their potential well documented imo

Ozil's stock has probably risen the most so far, Man City failed with a £20M bid before the finals so you can imagine his new price tag.

Honda played very well in the UCL last season so again, him standing out isnt a shock.

Ramires is a player that I feel has slipped under the radar somewhat. Anyone that follows what happens in South America or plays Football Manager would have known about him before he moved to Benfica yet he hasnt grabbed many headlines. He's a cross between Claude Makelele and Michael Essien and I think he'll go for big money either this summer or the next. He's missing the next WC match, expect Brazil to feel that loss and we'll see Juan & Lucio doing alot of last ditch tackling.

flahavaj

Dempsey wrote: »

Ramires is a player that I feel has slipped under the radar somewhat. Anyone that follows what happens in South America or plays Football Manager would have known about him before he moved to Benfica yet he hasnt grabbed many headlines. He's a cross between Claude Makelele and Michael Essien and I think he'll go for big money either this summer or the next. He's missing the next WC match, expect Brazil to feel that loss and we'll see Juan & Lucio doing alot of last ditch tackling.

Leave it out.

HalloweenJack

flahavaj wrote: »

Just so as not to drag this too far off topic, Ramires for Brazil has looked pretty tasty from the glimpses we've seen so far.

He was a beast in the Confederations Cup for them last year.

I liked that guy Honda and also Giovanni dos Santos has impressed a lot any time I've seen him.

Fizman

Ghanas Gyan and Ayew.
Alexis Sanchez and Vidal of Chile has impressed me.
Muller has been probably the biggest revelation (granted he has played in a CL final) seeing as 12 months ago he was in the Bayern reserves. :eek:


I have really liked the look of some Uruguay players who I wasn't too familiar with before. Both full backs (Fucile and Maxi Perreira) have been excellent (particularly Fucile when you consider he is a RB playing LB).

I feel a special mention should go out for Arevalo Rios in midfield though. The 27 year old had only 4 caps coming into this tournament, and played in only one of the qualifiers. He has played every minute of every game (iirc he started the first game due to a problem with some other member of the expected starting team) and had performed exceptionally well when you consider how inexperienced at this level he is.

Warper

Ramires only played the last match because Melo was injured - he is not a first-teamer though is a vital squad member and has had a great season at Benfica.

Back on topic, Coentrao, Kjaer and Gyan have impressed me as I knew little about them.

happydayz182

of the ones that havent been mentioned i thought Weiss and Stoch for slovakia were lively.

T-b0n3

Muller does not look 20! I thought he was a good bit older than that.

Peyton Manning

Jean Beausejour has really impressed me for Chile. Never liked the look of him in any match I had seen him up to this World Cup, when he suddenly came alive. Speaks volumes that he was favoured ahead of Mati Fernandez against Brazil.

dfx-

Iang87 wrote: »

hmmmm enyeama really he had a couple of howlers

He has..but that's always likely to happen to busy African keepers..

For example Kingson in Ghana hasn't made any howlers, but has looked severely dodgy..Enyeama is the opposite.

CorkMan

HalloweenJack wrote: »

He was a beast in the Confederations Cup for them last year.

I liked that guy Honda and also Giovanni dos Santos has impressed a lot any time I've seen him.

He failed to make it at Barca, and then Tottenham bought him and he only scored 3 goals for them in the season. He looks good going forward but his scoring record is crap TBH. He is at Galatasaray ATM and hasn't scored in the 18 games he has played for them.

UnitedIrishman

Ignoring the obvious ones-

Afellay for Holland whenever he has come on has created bags of chances and could have had a couple of goals against Japan.

Bradley for USA - seems full of energy, pity he's lacking that little bit of technical ability.

Jonathan Mensah of Ghana - has been sturdy at the back for a lad that's only 19 and was playing for Free State Stars until recently.

Beausejour and Sanchez of Chile were the two best players for Chile during the WC also.

And was impressed by the goalkeeping of Benaglio of Switzerland.

Luap

Your man Messi doesn't seem that bad of a player.

Epicurus

Fernando Muslera of Uruguay has impressed.
Alexis Sanchez