2010 FIFA World Cup: Names You Will Hear in South Africa

Everyone is making their World Cup predictions right now as the biggest tournament in the world is gearing up to kick off on June 11^th , and you’re aware of the usual suspects: Messi, Ronaldo, Rooney, among many others. But some players will be out to make an international name for themselves, and here are the five most likely.

Wesley Sneijder, the Netherlands

Sneidjer flourished after moving from Real Madrid to Inter Milan, and he was the attacking mind behind Inter’s historic treble this season. Sneijder will probably play the same role for the Dutch, and he’s out to build on his performance at Euro 2008, when he was named in the team of the tournament. If you haven’t heard Sneijder’s name before, you will this month.

Bastian Schweinsteiger, Germany

Schweinsteiger should be the Germans’ main man from the first 2010 World Cup contest , as captain Michael Ballack will miss the tournament due to an ankle injury, and Christian Traesch is also out. That means Schweinsteiger will pull the strings from midfield, and even though he’s usually a winger, he played a more central role with Bayern Munich as the season wore on. Schweinsteiger was the Man of the Match in Germany’s third-place win over Portugal in 2006.

Nani, Portugal

Nani stepped into the role left by countryman Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Manchester United for Real Madrid, and Nani quickly became one of United’s best players.  He looked a lot like Ronaldo as he progressed, and there is now an end product to all of his tricks and feints.

He’s even a better shooter than Ronaldo was at this stage in his career, and with Nani and Ronaldo rampaging up the wings for Portugal, soccer betting players should keep an eye on this team.

Humberto Suazo, Chile

Suazo was one of the best strikers in the qualification stages, firing Chile to a second-place finish behind Brazil in South America. He’s dangerous because he doesn’t care how he scores a goal, or with what part of his body: as long as the ball crosses the goal line, Suazo is happy. 

He’s had problems with discipline in his career, which has kept Europe’s biggest teams from going after him (Suazo plays for Real Zaragoza in Spain), but if he knocks in goals in South Africa, he should expect a few suitors.

Milan Jovanovic, Serbia

Jovanovic has also had a great qualification campaign, leading Serbia in goals scored on their way to South Africa. He’s a versatile player who is a striker for Standard Liege in the Belgian league, but he plays on the left for his country and he can cut inside from that position. Serbia doesn’t have much in the way of goalscorers, so Jovanovic is going to have to continue his good form if Serbia has a chance of overcoming the sports betting odds.