10 Players To Watch For At The FIFA U-20 World Cup
Angel Correa of Argentina (Getty Images)
The thing about the Under-20 World Cup, is that by that age the lads have all got professional contracts. Maybe it’s with their local club, maybe with one of the biggest clubs in the world. We don’t know where these promising careers will end up but they’re already well on the way to wherever that is.
The 2013 edition featured names such as Paul Pogba, Harry Kane, Ross Barkley, Kurt Zouma and Juan Quintero. Guys now playing regularly for club and country, some of the most sought after young players in the world. Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, John Obi Mikel, Giovani dos Santos and Sergio Aguero have all starred at previous events. 694 U20 World Cup alumnae have gone on to play at the senior FIFA World Cup. This could be the launching pad from which a great career emerges, or maybe the stage that confirms the crowning of a future superstar.
Here are 10 players who could set the tournament alight over the coming weeks:
Angel Correa – Argentina
Position: Forward
Club: Atletico Madrid
Long bound for special things on the football pitch, Correa has had to overcome more than most prodigies. Just as he was about to confirm a move from Argentina to Atletico Madrid (coached by Argentine legend Diego Simeone – whose son Giovanni is also in the U20 team), it was discovered that he had a benign tumour on his heart that would require surgery. But after seven months of recovery and rehabilitation, he finally got his transfer.
Those in the know at Atletico have compared him to former Atletico forward Sergio Aguero, with his stocky build, his deceptive pace, the way he glides past defenders and his emphatic finishing. Correa can turn on a dime and made a name for himself in Argentina by making defenders look silly. He has the potential to dominate a game and could lead Argentina to a record 7th U20 world title.
Emerson Hyndman – USA
Position: Central Midfield
Club: Fulham FC
The captain of the American side and a player with great pedigree in Stateside, with his grandfather a much respected coach at college and MLS level and his father a former youth international as well. The 19 year old Texan has been an auspicious talent from a young age, moving to England to join the Fulham academy at 15, and was already a regular for the Championship side before a broken collarbone in January set him back. Hyndman was a major part in the Fulham side that made a run all the way to the F.A. Youth Cup Final against Chelsea in 2013/14 (winning the first leg 3-2 but losing 7-6 on aggregate) and made his senior international debut aged just 18.
He’s a small player, but one who can read a game very well from the base of midfield, is strong and skilful on the ball and works as hard as anybody else off the field too.
Gedion Zelalem – USA
Position: Midfield
Club: Arsenal FC
Another yank? Well, just. Zelalem is a supremely well rated lad in the Arsenal youth system, with comparisons to Cesc Fabregas. He was born in Germany to Ethopian parents, but lived for six years in America before moving to London for the Gunners, and was only cleared to play for America less than a month ago. Zelalem has played twice for Arsenal’s senior team, once in the F.A. Cup and once in the Champions League group stages. The dude is still just 18, yet he is mature beyond his years and surely one of the most complete players to feature at this tournament. In the words of one of his old coaches: “He dribbles like Iniesta and he passes like Xavi”. He’s also the first player to represent Arsenal not to be born when Arsene Wenger first took charge of the side.
Julian Brandt – Germany
Position: Attacking Midfield/Winger
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
There’s been no shortage of prodigious German footballers emerging over the last decade or so, and this German side to visit New Zealand will be no different. All but one of their players is based in Germany and the quality they have to choose from is so immense that they could afford to leave behind 20 year old Davie Selke, who scored nine times in the Bundesliga for Werder Bremen this season, and 19 year old Timo Werner, who has 48 Bundesliga games under his belt for Stuttgart.
Julian Brandt will certainly catch some eyes. A member of both the 2012 European U17 runners up and 2014 European U19 winning German squads, he emerged through the Wolfsburg academy before signing for Bayer Leverkusen on a five and a half year deal during the 2013/14 season. He may only be 19, but Brandt has already played 37 times in the Bundesliga with 6 goals and made his Champions League debut off the bench in the knockouts against PSG over a year ago.
Brandt is lightning quick, and has the ability and creativity to dribble past opponents and work out of tight spaces. His vision both for a pass and for goal has been a staple of his youth career, constantly setting up or banging in goals, and he has emerged as one of the best German prospects in a generation full of them.
Clifford Aboagye – Ghana
Position: Attacking Midfield
Club: Udinese
Born in 1995, Aboagye is a bit of a superstar in this exciting Ghanaian squad. He was there at the 2013 U20s to inspire his side to rally from two early losses to eventually finish third in the competition, being awarded the Bronze Boot for the third best performance at the tournament (the Golden Boot went to Paul Pogba, the Silver to Nicolas Lopez). Only 18 years old in that tournament, he turned plenty of heads with his wonderful technique and creativity, able to work his way out of trouble with sublime ease and a displaying range of passing to make older players blush. He had four assists in that tournament.
Those performances earned him a move to Serie A side Udinese, amidst interest from Arsenal and Valencia. He spent the most recent campaign on a season-long loan to Granada in the Spanish league, where he mostly played for their reserves, although made his senior European debut in a Copa del Rey clash against Sevilla in January. His small stature is a hurdle at this stage, but his gifts are undeniable.
Andreas Pereira – Brazil
Position: Attacking Midfield
Club: Manchester United
Born in Belgium but to Brazilian parents, Pereira recently changed allegiance to the country of his heritage. He emerged from the PSV Eindhoven academy, and was personally recruited by Sir Alex Ferguson to move to England. He made his senior debut in that ignominious 4-0 League Cup defeat to MK Dons this season, also appearing as a sub at home to Tottenham in the Premier League, while training regularly with the first team of United. Pereira was voted as MUFC’s U21 Player of the Season at the recent club awards, regularly starring as they won the U21 Premier League title. He describes himself as a proper number 10, playing in behind the strikers with a killer attitude for a pass and a wicked shot at his command also. The lad also has great set-piece ability and is known to drop deep and collect the ball too.
Pereira was rewarded for his efforts with a new contract at Man Utd that’ll keep him at Old Trafford ‘til at least 2018. Louis Van Gaal: “Andreas has all the attributes to become an integral part of the first team; great natural talent coupled with a good appetite to learn.”
Andrés Tello – Colombia
Position: Defensive Midfield/Right Winger
Club: Juventus
Andrés Felipe Tello Muñoz, born in Medellin, Colombia, burst through the famed Envigado FC academy in his home nation at the age of 17, impressing enough to become a regular as a teen and gather interest from all over Europe. It was Juventus that won the sweepstakes for the guy, agreeing an initial loan move in January (with Tello joining after the South American U20 Champs in Jan-Feb 2015 – in which Colombia finished second) with an option to buy in the offseason that’s highly expected to be picked up. Tello has drawn comparisons o compatriot Juan Cuadrado with his versatility and technical prowess, plus he’s also a dead-ball specialist. Keep an eye out on his teammate Jeison Lucumi as well.
Miloš Veljković – Serbia
Position: Central defence/Central midfield
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Veljković has been on the books with Spurs since 2011, playing twice for the senior team and most recently spending time on loan this season with both Middlesbrough and Charlton, though the first spell was inhibited by the form of those already in the starting line-up and the second by a February shoulder injury – limiting him to just 6 total league appearances in 2014/15. Sooner or later, he’s gonna get his chance and we’re all gonna know his name.
He’s a Swiss born player of Serbian heritage, having represented the nation of his birth at U16 level, but featuring for Serbian sides through the rest of his youth internationals. In fact he was a member of the Serbian team to win the 2013 European U19 Championships. He’s a powerful defender, yet one with some silky ability in possession, enough that he also finds himself used in midfield sometimes. So it’s hardly surprising that the Tottenham youngster’s often seen to be in the mould of Spurs star Jan Vertongen. He returned from his injury to captain the Spurs U21s with some impressive performances and will definitely feature in Mauricio Pochettino’s future plans, given he’s a manager with a profound history of having faith in academy graduates.
Zsolt Kalmár – Hungary
Position: Attacking Midfield
Club: RB Leipzig
At 19 years of age, Kalmár has already represented the Hungarian national side five times. He’ll captain the Hungary U20s at this event, also acting as their main playmaker as they look to cause a few upsets. He made his professional debut at his hometown club in 2013 and is now plying his trade at German club Leipzig. Originally a centre forward, he has transitioned into more of a midfielder these days – a position that best allows his vision and work rate to shine. If he gets the chance to run at defenders, or to unleash his brutal right boot bear goal, folks will be punished for it.
Bill Tuiloma – New Zealand
Position: Defensive Midfield
Club: Olympic Marseille
The hometown hero. A New Zealand native with Samoan heritage, Tuiloma was plucked from Waitakere United by Marseille after catching the eye playing at the last U20 World Cup (one of only 7 players at NZ2015 to have played at the previous edition) and impressing in trials for the LA Galaxy and Queens Park Rangers. Marseille had their scouting connections with QPR at the time because Joey Barton was on loan there then, and they liked what they saw. He was offered a youth contract (word is he’s currently got a senior deal on the table) and became a fixture in the reserve team that was this season promoted to the highest tier in which a reserve team can play in France. Tui debuted for the senior team off the bench in January, the only kiwi to ever play in Ligue 1, and has already been capped 7 times by the All Whites at the age of 20. He can play at either fullback position but his main role is as a holding midfielder, winning possession and feeding passes. He’ll captain the kiwi team and no doubt lead from the front as always.