Top 20 Unheralded Players to Watch out for at FIFA World Cup
Here are the top 20 unheralded players to watch out for at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
An unheralded footballer is a person who is either a role player or does not have star status among casual football fans.
The 20 unheralded players were ordered subjectively projecting how well they would perform at the World Cup.
20. Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Iran), NEC RF, Age: 20
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Iran'sย Alireza Jahanbakhsh has mainly been a super-sub forย NEC sinceย 11 of his 20ย Eredivisie appearances have been off the bench.
Though, he has displayed his raw talent when given an opportunity to impress.ย
Duringย NEC's 3-2 win over AZ, Jahanbakhshย started as a right forward in a 4-3-3 withย Michael Higdon playing the No. 9 role andย Soren Rieks as a left forward.ย
Jahanbakhsh scored a brace and created NEC right-backย Marnick Vermijl's goal.ย
AZ left-backย Ridgeciano Haps had a hapless game againstย Jahanbakhsh while AZ left-sided centre-backย Jan Wuytens also struggled against the Iranian international.ย
19. Alejandro Bedoya (United States), Nantes CAM/RW/RB, Age: 26
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Want a player to root for? Why not go forย Alejandro Bedoya from the United States.ย
While his numbers for Nantes are unimpressive (three goals in 23 Ligue 1 games),ย he is not afraid to take command and create his own shot.
Another positive is that he is versatile and willing to put the team ahead of his needs (has filled in at right-back).ย
Withย Nantes centre-forwardย Filip Djordjevic being scouted extensively by clubs from Europe's elite leagues (has signed a pre-contract with Lazio, per Sky Sports),ย Bedoya is at least on the radar.ย
He has had a modest career (Orebro, Rangers and Helsingborgs), so if he does overachieve at the FIFA World Cup, he could secure a career payday.ย
The only barrier to that idea is thatย Nantes have been handed a 16-month transfer ban, per SkySports, so it is unlikely that the French club would relinquish such an invaluable member of the squad in Bedoya.ย ย
18. Mathew Ryan (Australia), Club Brugge GK, Age: 21
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By the time Australian goalkeeperย Mathew Ryan retires, he could be the Socceroos' greatest ever No. 1.
Two years ago, former Manchester United keeperย Mark Bosnich was already ordainingย Ryan, then withย Central Coast Mariners, as a world-class goalkeeping prospect.ย
"For me, for a goalkeeper, the No. 1 thing is domination of the box. He [Ryan]ย does that, that really sorts out the men from the boys,"ย Bosnich said, perย Matchday Saturday (h/tย David Weiner at Fox Sports).ย "His technical ability is fantastic."
Withย Mitchell Langerak (Borussia Dortmund) andย Brad Jones (Liverpool) being reserves at club level, the regular repsย Ryan receives at Club Bruggeย willย separateย him from the pack.ย
Australia are in a group containing reigning FIFA World Cup champions Spain, World Cup finalists the Netherlands and a strongย Chilean team that stood toe-to-toe with Germany in a recent friendly.ย
What does this mean?
Ryan will be picking the ball out of his net quite frequently, but he will be given the chance to make save after save.ย
17. Javier Aquino (Mexico), Villarreal RW , Age: 24
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Mexico'sย Javier Aquino is explosive, he is a threat and he tracks back, so you would think he'd be a regular under manager Miguel Herrera.
That has not been the case.
Though,ย Aquino's form withย Villarreal (62 tackles, three assists, 25 key passes [pass that leads to a shot] and 30 dribbles in 23 La Liga games) should justify a place inย Herrera's FIFA World Cup squad.
Aquino could be lethal as an impact sub.ย
16. Park Joo-Ho (South Korea), Mainz LB/LW/CM, Age: 27
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South Korean utility playerย Park Joo-Ho is tactically adaptable as he can play left-back, as a left winger or a central midfielder.ย
He is tireless, technically shrewd and has become an unsung hero for Mainz managerย Thomas Tuchel.
In Mainz'sย 1-1 draw againstย Hertha Berlin, Park made three tackles and nine clearances, while also forming a good attacking partnership withย Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
15. Sejad Salihovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Hoffenheim LB/LW/DM, Age: 29
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Bosnia and Herzegovina'sย Sejad Salihovic can play in a multitude of positions.ย
Shouldย Bosnia end up being in a penalty shoot-out at the FIFA World Cup, trustย Salihovic to step up andย coolly slot home his spot-kick.ย
In theย Bundesliga this season, seven of his eight goals have come via penalties (the exception being a free-kick againstย Hertha Berlin).
14. Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon), Lorient CF, Age: 22
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Four years ago, thenย Cameroon managerย Paul Le Guen saw something special in Vincent Aboubakar.
He was 18 years of age at the time yet it did notย dissuadeย Le Guen from giving the teenager a run againstย Denmark and the Netherlands.ย
Aboubakar wasย a clear example of a diamond in the rough atย Valenciennes: nine Ligue 1 goals in three Ligue 1 campaigns.ย
Since joiningย Lorient,ย Aboubakar has displayed his strength, his ability to poach goals and a very direct style of playing football.
These are factors in his superlative season:ย 12 goals and five assists in 28 league games.ย
13. Kenneth Omeruo (Nigeria), Chelsea CB/RB, Age: 20
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When you watch Nigerian defender Kenneth Omeruo play, his playing style is seasoned, whereas his compatriotย Efe Ambrose plays like a nervous schoolboy.ย
Ambrose is 25 years of age whileย Omeruo is 20.ย
You presumeย Omeruo's calmness coupled with his physical tangibles were reasons why Chelsea pulled the trigger and signed the Nigerian.ย
Coincidentally, Michael Emenalo, Chelsea's technical director, is also Nigerian, so he would have broken the ice in the initial transfer conversations withย Omeruo, who was on the books of Standard Liege.
"[I]ย got a call that Chelsea were interested. Emenalo was the one that called,"ย Omeruo said, per Henry Winter at the Telegraph. "Iย couldn'tย believe it. Chelsea! I watched Chelsea growing up. I liked [John Obi] Mikelย and I used to hear about Celestine Babayaro."
12. Faouzi Ghoulam (Algeria), Napoli LB, Age: 23
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Algeria'sย Faouzi Ghoulam is looking likeย the most dependable left-back atย Napoli.ย
He has upped his defensive productivity, making 0.4 more tackles (2.5) for Napoliย than he did atย Saint-Etienne (2.1).
Offensively atย Saint-Etienne,ย he consistently made in-roads against opposing teams.
Even after moving toย Napoli during the January transfer window, heย stillย has more Ligue 1 assists (four)ย thanย Lille's Ivory Coast internationalย Salomon Kalou (three).
11. Adam Lallana (England), Southampton RAM/CAM/LAM, Age: 25
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If England managerย Roy Hodgson wants to overachieve at the FIFA World Cup, he needs to makeย Southampton'sย Adam Lallana the star of the team.ย
Amid the constant failings for England from ยฃ300,000-a-week Manchester United deep-lying forwardย Wayne Rooney (has never scored a World Cup goal), a modest and humbleย Lallana could emerge as England's most valuable player at the World Cup.ย
Lallana has a turn of pace to get away from defenders, he is skillful, he has vision and he is a game-changer.ย
Without him, England would not have beatenย Denmark 1-0.ย
10. Alessio Cerci (Italy), Torino CF/RW, Age: 26
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Italy'sย Alessio Cerci is elite in a free-roaming central role.ย
He is not exactly a No. 9, nor is he a No. 10, but playing predominantly in a forward role forย Torino which has resulted in 11 goals and eight assists in 27 Serie A games.ย
Yes, he is still a threat off the dribble out wide, but if Italy need a game-winning moment, chuckย Cerci up front and see what he can do.ย
He is a trump card for Italy.ย
9. Majeed Waris (Ghana), Spartak Moscow CF, Age: 22
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There is no way Ghana can ignoreย Majeed Waris' form on loan atย Valenciennes.ย
He has scored five goals and created another three in his first nine Ligue 1 games.ย
His playing rights are owned byย Spartak Moscow, so the Russian club will either start him next season or sell him to the highest bidder.ย
Waris can play up front as a centre-forward or as an inverted right-footed winger on the left flank.
8. Marcelo Diaz (Chile), Basel CM, Age: 27
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It is odd thatย Marcelo Diaz's understudy,ย Felipe Gutierrez, plays in a stronger league viaย Eredivisie clubย Twente, whileย Diaz is withย Swiss Super League clubย Basel.
According to the UEFA coefficients, theย Eredivisie is theย eighthย best league in Europe, whereas the Swiss Super League is the 13th.ย
Point being: How is a midfield maestro likeย Diaz not playing in La Liga or Serie A?
He has elite positional ability, he dictates the tempo of play and has high football IQ.
There are fitness concerns with him: He had a broken rib last November, per UEFA.com, and he is currently out with aย muscle tear, perย Angus McNeice at the Santiago Times.ย
7. Serge Aurier (Ivory Coast), Toulouse CB/RWB, Age: 21
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Ivory Coast'sย Serge Aurier has already demonstrated versatility, having the X-Factor and world-class upside.ย
He can play at centre-back, right wing-back or right-back and has the tools to move into midfield.ย
His X-Factor is productivity in the attacking half (four goals and six assists in Ligue 1 for Toulouse this season) despite his main job of trying to stop opposing teams from scoring.ย
At 21 years of age, he will only continue to get better hence why he has world-class upside.ย
6. Keylor Navas (Costa Rica), Levante GK, Age: 27
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Costa Rican goalkeeperย Keylor Navas is having a world-class season.ย
He leads La Liga in saves made (109), per Fox Soccer, and made four saves in a 1-1 draw againstย Barcelona.ย
He deniedย Real Sociedad seven times in a 0-0 draw.
Costa Rica are in the same group asย England, Italy and Uruguay, so he could end up being the hero like compatriotย Luis Gabelo Conejo was at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, per FIFA.com.
5. Hiroshi Kiyotake (Japan), Nurnberg CAM, Age: 24
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Josip Drmic is the consistent targetย Hiroshi Kiyotake has atย Nurnberg.
The Japanese international still averages more key passes per game (a pass that leads to a shot; 2.1) thanย Borussia Dortmund's Armenian internationalย Henrikh Mkhitaryan (1.8).
Kiyotake has a knack of opening up defences and while has yet to dominate for Japan, he could emerge as a surprise star at the FIFA World Cup.ย
4. Daley Blind (Netherlands), Ajax CM/LB, Age: 24
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Daley Blind has gone from an easy target for disgruntled Ajax fans believing he was only in the team due to his father (Danny Blind, a five-time Eredivisie winner with Ajax) to one of the most complete footballers in the Netherlands.ย
He is a high quality left-back, who has now become a wonderful orchestrator of play in midfield.ย
With Roma'sย Kevin Strootman set to miss the FIFA World Cup after aย cruciate ligament injury, per BBC Sport, Netherlands managerย Louis van Gaal should consider playingย Blind in midfield.
3. Fernandinho (Brazil), Manchester City CM, Age: 28
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Fernandinho may not have the superstar reputation ofย Neymar or aย widely recognised name like Hulk, but the Manchester City central midfielder is one of the best players in his position.ย
His defensive contributions, his team-first persona and his box-to-box running means he is an ideal partner forย Yaya Toure at City.ย
Fernandinho's world-class form will put him in good stead for Brazil.ย
If Brazil want to win the FIFA World Cup,ย Fernandinho must start every game.ย
2. Juan Cuadrado (Colombia), Fiorentina RWB/LF/RF, Age: 25
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Colombia's Juan Cuadrado is a one-man counterattack forย Fiorentina.
He is an instant impact type of footballer and is so lethal going forward that he has been tried in a wide forward role forย Fiorentina.ย
He could be a worldwide revelation if he emulates his lung-bursting runs in Serie A at the FIFA World Cup forย Colombia.
1. Josip Drmic (Switzerland), Nurnberg CF/RW, Age: 21
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In the Bundesliga forย Nurnberg, Josip Drmicย has scored five goals and created two assists in a five-game stretchย and previously scored four goals in a six-game stretch.ย
Australia scored three pastย Ecuador in a 4-3 friendly defeat.ย
Which team doesย Switzerland face first?ย Ecuador, so if Drmic has a great game, it could precipitate an epic run at the FIFA World Cup.ย
Drmic has scored 11 times in league play for 14th-placedย Nurnberg, so if he has a great World Cup, expect him to be the subject of several summer transfer window bids from Europe's major clubs.ย
Statistics viaย WhoScored
