world cup scouting 101

So we are almost there. Seasons are winding up towards thrilling ends and managers are releasing (leaking, if you’re Ghana) provisional squads. The 2010 FIFA World Cup is truly upon us now. I dunno where I will be for the period but I know I don’t want to be doing work that will prevent me from taking in this special feast and sharing it with you here. If you know of any firm in the South Africa area offering internships to MBA students for June-July, with flexible schedules, let me in on it!

Today I’m looking at those players who are likely to build their reputations from relative unkowns to stardom at this tournament. Every tournament produces such players. I remember Landon Donovan, Park Ji Sung, Joaquin Sanchez, El Hadji Diouf and Kleberson from Japan/Korea and Antonio Valencia, Philip Lahm, John Mensah, Fabio Grosso, Franck Ribery from Germany four years later. Depending on the depth of your knowledge about the game, you may know these players on my list. If you don’t know much about them, remember their names and the fact that you heard about them here first.

15. Guilermo Ochoa, Goalkeeper, Mexico

14. Nader Belhadj, Defender, Algeria

13. Neven Subotic, Defender, Serbia

12. Davide Santon, Defender, Italy

11. Jerome Boateng, Defender, Germany

10. Nicolas Otamendi, Defender, Argentina

09. Ibrahim Afellay, Midfielder, Netherlands

08. Kwadwo Asamoah, Midfielder, Ghana

07. Nicolas Lodeiro, Midfielder, Uruguay

06. Alexis Sanchez, Attacker, Chile

05. Miralem Sulejmani, Attacker, Serbia

04. Charlie Davis, Attacker, USA

03. Gervinho, Attacker, Cote d’Ivoire

02. Jesus Navas, Attacker, Spain

01. Lee Chung Yong, Attacker, South Korea