London 2012, Olympic Soccer: 10 Men and Women to Watch

The Olympic football tournament will be the perfect opportunity to get a glimpse of the upcoming stars. Some of them have already played with the senior squad, others are hoping to earn a spot.

Mexico's Marco Fabián, Spain's Jordi Alba and United States' Alex Morgan are some of the footballers who will seek to grab a medal.

Here's list of 10 players you should keep an eye on. They will definitively set trends and lead the headlines.

Tom Cleverley (Great Britain)

The Manchester United midfielder was sidelined last season due to a string of injuries. However, Tom Cleverly managed to recover and get in shape soon enough to make it to Team GB.

Cleverly knows how to keep the ball and create plays. He's strong, fast and is able to defend and attack.

Diego Polenta (Uruguay)

This 20-year-old centre-back has been part of Italian club Bari since 2011. He left Uruguay at age 16 and started playing for Genoa.

Polenta spent 1,457 minutes on the pitch with the Cockerels last season and made it to his nation’s Under-20 team.

He played the 2011 South American Youth Championship, where he scored twice, displaying amazing dribbling and long-distance shot skills. He then appeared at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Marco Fabián (Mexico)

At age 22, Marco Fabián made a great impression at the 2012 Toulon Tournament. He was the top scorer with seven goals, including a hat trick against Morocco.

Fabián has played for Mexican club Chivas—the same club where Javier Chicharito Hernández made his professional debut—since 2007. His remarkable performance in the French tournament caught the attention of Marseille, Atlético de Madrid and Liverpool.

Number 10 is one of the fastest footballers in the team and he has the ability to shoot with both legs and his head. 

Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland)

You may recognize this kid from the UEFA Champions League—specifically when he played against Manchester United—and the Euro 2012 qualifier. He scored once against England and had a hat trick in front of Bulgary. 

He can play from both sidelines, although he usually comes from the right one. Shaqiri is left-footed and, when it comes to free kicks, he’s the top choice.

His attributes took him from Basel to Bayern Munich, where he will debut next season.

Neymar (Brazil)

The Santos forward will make his first appearance in the Olympics this summer.

The expectations are high as he was the top scorer of the South American Youth Championship, where the Verdeamarela secured a spot for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2012 Olympics.

Neymar has become one of the most famous footballers, despite being 20 years old and not even playing in Europe. The Spanish newspaper Marca has linked him with Barcelona and Real Madrid several times.

He has the speed, strength and technique that characterize Brazilian footballers. He won the Puskás Award for this goal.

Jordi Alba (Spain)

Barcelona signed him from Valencia last month. Jordi Alba, a 23-year-old, is a full-back who knows how to support the offense—especially when coming from the left side.

He showed the world his speed and technique last weekend at the Euro 2012 final when he scored the second goal against Italy.

Alba spent three years with Los Che for a total 109 appearances and 11 goals.

Alex Morgan (USA)

She’s the new face of the USA women’s team offense. Alex Morgan has had a fantastic 2012 season, with 15 appearances and 17 goals on her account.

Morgan has partnered with another superb striker throughout the year—Abby Wambach—to refresh the United States’ offense.

The 23-year-old participated in last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, where she scored twice. In her Olympic debut, she will be a perfect candidate to earn the top scorer honor.

Homare Sawa ( Japan)

She’s the first Japanese player—man or woman—to receive the FIFA Player of the Year award. Homare Sawa’s breakthrough came at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where she received the Golden Ball and the Golden Shoe (5 goals).

Sawa is a fast and strong midfielder who creates plays and distributes the ball accurately. She also supports the strikers and has exquisite technique with both feet.

The 33-year-old plays for INAC Kobe Leonessaof the L.Ligue and is a must-see footballer.

Lotta Schelin (Sweden)

Charlotta Eva Schelin is an aggressive and driven striker who has played for Sweden’s national team since she was 24 years old.

Lotta went through a period of inactivity after the 2004 Olympics due to injuries in her groin and hamstring. However, she recovered in time to play the 2006 Algarve Cup, where Sweden finished third.

She appeared and scored three times at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games. Three years later, she made it to the All-Star team of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Laura Georges (France)

She’s a French centre-back who plays for Lyon. Prior to her 83 appearances with Les Fenottes, Laura Georges was part of Paris Saint-Germain.

Georges tends to help France’s attack when there’s a corner kick, as she has a mean header, despite not being as tall as other of her teammates at 5'8".

Her international experience includes two UEFA Women's Championships—2005 and 2009—and one FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2011.