Possible breakout players at the EC

Which players do you think have chance to really make a name for themselves in the EC, which start in 3 days ( :yo: ) ?

As a Swedish fan I hope to see the following get more recognition and have a strong tournament:

GK Andreas Isaksson, Djurgården
A potential future star. Very skilled goalie with great size and reach. Is rumoured to sign with Rennes, but his current team Djurgården is demanding a lot of money. Wouldn't surprise me if we in 2-4 years find him playing with a top European club.

M L/R Christian "Chippen" Wilhelmsson, Anderlecht
Can play to the left as well as to the right. Very speedy and skilled technically. Has played very well for the national team lately. I'd love to hear some comments from Belgian Fan who I'd imagine has seen Wilhelmsson in action more than I have this season :)

M Kim Källström, Rennes
Not the fastest midfielder in the world but is otherwise very complete. His left foot is world class and Källström is also excellent at finding his team mates with great passes.

IF given the chances I think these 2 Spanish Players could be break out players:

Albert Luque: Deportivo left sided midfielder,great pace,can take people on with skill and a rocket of a left foot shot,as proved in the quarter final of the champions league against Milan.

Fernando Torres: Spains equivalent of Wayne Rooney,just alot faster. Great pace,very good finisher.skill and quite a brave forward when ive been watching.Only problem is getting in front of morientes,raul and valeron.

Wayne Rooney:being an everton fan you cant help but love him,great strength,power,quite fast for a bulky looking guy. Skill,control and a ferocious shot!Hopefully a star. :bow:

Frank Lampard: He is 25, But think he will get the recognition he deserves on a european stage now,great energy and stamina,good passer,makes very intelligent runs.scored 16 goals from midfield this season. A threat coming forward no doubt!

Obviously Van de Vaart and sneijder look good young players but ill let the dutch boys talk more about them as ive not seen them as much as the above mentioned players!

IF given the chances I think these 2 Spanish Players could be break out players:

Albert Luque: Deportivo left sided midfielder,great pace,can take people on with skill and a rocket of a left foot shot,as proved in the quarter final of the champions league against Milan.

Fernando Torres: Spains equivalent of Wayne Rooney,just alot faster. Great pace,very good finisher.skill and quite a brave forward when ive been watching.Only problem is getting in front of morientes,raul and valeron.

Wayne Rooney:being an everton fan you cant help but love him,great strength,power,quite fast for a bulky looking guy. Skill,control and a ferocious shot!Hopefully a star. :bow:

Frank Lampard: He is 25, But think he will get the recognition he deserves on a european stage now,great energy and stamina,good passer,makes very intelligent runs.scored 16 goals from midfield this season. A threat coming forward no doubt!

Obviously Van de Vaart and sneijder look good young players but ill let the dutch boys talk more about them as ive not seen them as much as the above mentioned players!
Luque probably won't see much playing time. He's the undisputes #2 choice behind Vicente on the left wing, and will only play much if Vicente goes down. Speaking of Vicente, he might actually be due to show what he's made of.

With Torres, it also depends on the amount of playing time he receives. Spain is so incredibly deep at forward positions (as opposed to defense) that he might only see part time shifts. Morientes seems to have the better cards right now, and it does not seem like Saez will put both of them into the starting 11 (does not fit with the system). Heck, even guys like Valeron and Joaquin might not be there...

I'm curious to see how Rooney will do, as I haven't seen him much yet (don't watch a lot of the PL). Lampard has shown that he's good in the CL already, so he would not be much of a surprise to me.

I still hope that Hakan Yakin can get his CL form from 2002/03 back and make Europe notice him. But his problem is inconsistency, so it's pretty much a lottery whether that will happen or not.

For France, Pedretti could get well known at the international level with a good showing at the EC. Govou and Boumsong as well.

Arjen Robben !

M L/R Christian "Chippen" Wilhelmsson, Anderlecht
Can play to the left as well as to the right. Very speedy and skilled technically. Has played very well for the national team lately. I'd love to hear some comments from Belgian Fan who I'd imagine has seen Wilhelmsson in action more than I have this season :)


Well, I have to say "Willy" surprised a lot of people this season. He was only seen as a depth acquisition when he arrived here after impressing Anderlecht when they were playing his team in the UEFA cup the season before.
He wasn't pencilled in to the starting line-up, but every time he came on as a sub he provided something Anderlecht were lacking, a quick player on the wing who can make things happen. So after a few games he became a regular in the Anderlecht side and he hasn't really looked back since, even though he did fade out a bit along with the rest of the team in the second half of the League (Anderlecht had virtually assured themselves of the title by January). But he did work his way into team Sweden wich is a nice bonus for him.

His strenghts are pretty obvious: he's very quick (good first steps) and is a pretty good dribbler. He can also score the odd important goal and is generally good for creating at least one or two good opportunities in every game.
However there are some things that he needs to work on for instance he isn't the strongest player alive (but that's not necessary for a winger of course). But more importantly, his crossing is not always up to par (though it's not horrible either) and he needs to work a bit more on general team play. What I mean is that he often creates danger by himself due to his pace and dribbling, but he could still improve in the short combination game, creating chances that way...

I'm not sure though how well he will do on the left flank though, he has barely played there this season. But of course he's not going to push Freddie away from the right flank... But if he gets some confidence (with a good first game) his quickness will probably not go unnoticed in the tournament so he could indeed have a break out tournament.

i guess this link could be useful, a similar topic was discussed there
http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=56222&page=1&pp=40

Cassano, if given the opportunity, could have his breakthrough moment on international stage; i don't know how well known he is abroad right now.
But since he has not still experienced great international success, the obvious name for Italy is Totti, i hope and think this time he will show what he can do. (i don't know how much his name would fit the breakout label anyway).
Besides, i'm confident Zambrotta will do very well, hope this time he stays healthy!



Fernando Torres: Spains equivalent of Wayne Rooney,just alot faster.
Is this true? This is a surprise to me, but i have not seen enough of the two (especially of Torres).
Anyway i think Rooney (and Torres if he plays) is a good call.

Other players i'm waiting for with faith are German Lahm, Dutch Sneijder and S.Gerrard. :jump:

A guy i'm really waiting for is Ibrahimovic; I read somewhere he is not on top form right now, i hope it's not true! Maybe this is the reason why Predatore made three calls out of Sweden without mentioning him?
I think he is a GREAT talent and i hope he will finally fully show it :yo: , even if to talk only of this EURO that's a hope more than a conviction.

Oh, and i have a question: Anyone knows why defender Vidic is not there in the Croatian roster? Is he Serbian?? :help:

Thanks for the info BF, very much appreciated :)

iA guy i'm really waiting for is Ibrahimovic; I read somewhere he is not on top form right now, i hope it's not true! Maybe this is the reason why Predatore made three calls out of Sweden without mentioning him?

Well, Zlatan has had some injury problems this year, but during the final games of the season he was healthy again and looked headed in the right direction. I would say Predatore hasn't mentioned him since Ibrahimovic is already pretty much an established player in Sweden who quite a few people know thanks to for instance Ajax' run in the CL last year, and most of the other players are much less known.

Well, for Holland obviously the players to watch will be Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Rafael vd Vaart, with John Heitinga being a possibility should he get playing time (since Bouma hasn't looked good in the center of the defence during the last few games).

Well, for Holland obviously the players to watch will be Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Rafael vd Vaart, with John Heitinga being a possibility should he get playing time (since Bouma hasn't looked good in the center of the defence during the last few games).

You betcha..

Ya'll see why I picked Sneijder that early in the soccer draft of a while back. ;)

You betcha..

Ya'll see why I picked Sneijder that early in the soccer draft of a while back. ;)

I didn't see Robin Van Persie on the list though :p::p:

hehe, I left out Zlatan because I thought I would get picked on for him being rather established already, like DutchLeafsfan said.

Zlatan is from all I know in good shape. He looked good (some would say really good) against Poland playing with Henrik Larsson up front and showed some great moves against Finland the other week, I hear (that game was not broadcasted here, so I can't say for sure).

----
a bit off-topic, but having followed the U21-EC closely the past week/weeks one can really question why Johan Elmander was left off the Swedish squad. Elmander was arguably the top forward in the tournament and awarded best player of the match in basically all the games he played. He was along with a couple of other players in a league of his own in that championships.
Could perhaps be a good complement to Ibrahimovic in the future, as he is very hardworking and very fast.

Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski have changes to become break-out players.

Well, for Holland obviously the players to watch will be Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Rafael vd Vaart, with John Heitinga being a possibility should he get playing time (since Bouma hasn't looked good in the center of the defence during the last few games).

Heitinga hasn't looked good in many games with the Dutch team either. From the start I had my doubts why he should be a part of the team and was IMO a bit exaggerated. He was steady with Ajax this season, yet I remember several mistakes. He's a talent, no doubt, but I'm not excited. Bouma has dissapointed me as well.

a bit off-topic, but having followed the U21-EC closely the past week/weeks one can really question why Johan Elmander was left off the Swedish squad. Elmander was arguably the top forward in the tournament and awarded best player of the match in basically all the games he played. He was along with a couple of other players in a league of his own in that championships.
Could perhaps be a good complement to Ibrahimovic in the future, as he is very hardworking and very fast.

That's my subject.

I was immediately excited when Johan arrived in Holland. Like you said, the guy is tremendously fast and has IMO more potential than Zlatan. It seems like Johan himself doesn't take soccer seriously, he has no clue how good he really could be. Everytime when he's missing a scorings opportunity he walks away as if nothing has happened and the fact he's not a goalgetter makes things even worse. He has technique, speed and is a solid header. He's not player who makes things happen with a lack of space. I was devistated when I heard Feyenoord had sold him. I always compare him with Thierry Henry (attitude, speed, strenght and build) but so far he's only allowed to polish Henry's shoe's.

I didn't see Robin Van Persie on the list though :p::p:

yeah yeah.. he should be anyway. He's miles ahead of van der Meyde and Zenden (yes Zenden, Frolov! :p: )..

Steven Gerrard would be my pick from the England squad. I hope Rooney will rise to the occasion but I am confident Gerrard will, now that his growing pains are in the past.

Im most interested in seeing Torres, Cassano, Sneijder which people have already mentioned.

Zlatan is from all I know in good shape. He looked good (some would say really good) against Poland playing with Henrik Larsson up front and showed some great moves against Finland the other week, I hear (that game was not broadcasted here, so I can't say for sure).
Nice to know Zlatan looks ready to go!! :jump:


a bit off-topic, but having followed the U21-EC closely the past week/weeks one can really question why Johan Elmander was left off the Swedish squad. Elmander was arguably the top forward in the tournament...
Hey, hey! Wait! Gilardino was also there in that tournament!(4 goals and 2 assists in 4 matches for him) :D
just joking, i can't say on the subject since i missed all the Swedes' games at the tournament..

I was immediately excited when Johan arrived in Holland. Like you said, the guy is tremendously fast and has IMO more potential than Zlatan.
:eek:
I think Zlatan has ENORMOUS potential!
So he looks really interesting to me!
It's also that you are low on Zlatan or just that you are absolutely high on Elmander?


He has technique, speed and is a solid header. He's not player who makes things happen with a lack of space. I was devistated when I heard Feyenoord had sold him. I always compare him with Thierry Henry (attitude, speed, strenght and build) but so far he's only allowed to polish Henry's shoe's.
How much was paid for him in the transaction?
For which team will he play next season?
Thanks!

:eek:
I think Zlatan has ENORMOUS potential!
So he looks really interesting to me!
It's also that you are low on Zlatan or just that you are absolutely high on Elmander?

I'm low on Zlatan.



How much was paid for him in the transaction?
For which team will he play next season?
Thanks!

Feyenoord paid somewhere between the €2M and €3M. He plays for Bröndby IF next season, they paid €1M. He's still young (23).

Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski have changes to become break-out players.

and why do you think so? just because they are young? it's still voeller who is coaching and he won't give both of them a place in the starting line-up. i'm not even sure that they will play at all. and by taking a look at the german team, i think after 3 games the tournament will be over for them. so neither schweinsteiger nor podolski will have a break-out. not yet. if a german player could use the tournament to break-out then i would mention philip lahm. he was the best player against hungary and seems to be the only starter that can play soccer at all. :)

GK Andreas Isaksson, Djurgården
A potential future star. Very skilled goalie with great size and reach. Is rumoured to sign with Rennes, but his current team Djurgården is demanding a lot of money. Wouldn't surprise me if we in 2-4 years find him playing with a top European club.

I'm sorry but he didn't impress me. His game in the quarterfinals is an example.


M L/R Christian "Chippen" Wilhelmsson, Anderlecht
Can play to the left as well as to the right. Very speedy and skilled technically. Has played very well for the national team lately. I'd love to hear some comments from Belgian Fan who I'd imagine has seen Wilhelmsson in action more than I have this season :)

M Kim Källström, Rennes
Not the fastest midfielder in the world but is otherwise very complete. His left foot is world class and Källström is also excellent at finding his team mates with great passes.

Good calls. Both substitutes and I predict a bright future for Kim Källström. It have to be seen what Christian "Chippen" Wilhelmsson will bring in the future but I think he played pretty good this tournament as well.


Albert Luque: Deportivo left sided midfielder,great pace,can take people on with skill and a rocket of a left foot shot,as proved in the quarter final of the champions league against Milan.

I can't remember he got any playing time but I could be wrong. Anyhow, we can't give a fair opinion.


Fernando Torres: Spains equivalent of Wayne Rooney,just alot faster. Great pace,very good finisher.skill and quite a brave forward when ive been watching.Only problem is getting in front of morientes,raul and valeron.

First match great (those few minutes), rather dissapointing later on, C- in my book.


Wayne Rooney: being an everton fan you cant help but love him,great strength,power,quite fast for a bulky looking guy. Skill,control and a ferocious shot!Hopefully a star. :bow:

Obvious.


Frank Lampard: He is 25, But think he will get the recognition he deserves on a european stage now,great energy and stamina,good passer,makes very intelligent runs.scored 16 goals from midfield this season. A threat coming forward no doubt!

Two very important goals but I was a bit dissapointed with his play. He worked hard but was invisible and couldn't put his stamp upon the game.


Obviously Van de Vaart and sneijder look good young players but ill let the dutch boys talk more about them as ive not seen them as much as the above mentioned players!

Weak game from Van der Vaart against Germany and after that he didn't play much. Same can be said of Sneijder but at least he made a solid impression.


I still hope that Hakan Yakin can get his CL form from 2002/03 back and make Europe notice him. But his problem is inconsistency, so it's pretty much a lottery whether that will happen or not.

Well, obviously he didn't have his form of the 2002/2003 CL. I hope the dissapointment wasn't too big.


For France, Pedretti could get well known at the international level with a good showing at the EC. Govou and Boumsong as well.

See Luque.


Arjen Robben !

Man, what a great observation ! No explanation was needed.


Cassano, if given the opportunity, could have his breakthrough moment on international stage; i don't know how well known he is abroad right now. But since he has not still experienced great international success, the obvious name for Italy is Totti, i hope and think this time he will show what he can do. (i don't know how much his name would fit the breakout label anyway). Besides, i'm confident Zambrotta will do very well, hope this time he stays healthy!


Other players i'm waiting for with faith are German Lahm.

I think we all agree that the elimination of Italy and Germany wasn't Cassano's, Zambrotta's and Lahm's fault.


Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski have changes to become break-out players.

Schweinsteiger showed some potential but it's still a long road to go. Podolski didn't play.


Steven Gerrard would be my pick from the England squad.

He definitely didn't break out (apart from his assist on Henry vs France) but let's say he did his best in every possible way. B-


Well, Zlatan Ibrahahimovic has had some injury problems this year, but during the final games of the season he was healthy again and looked headed in the right direction. I would say Predatore hasn't mentioned him since Ibrahimovic is already pretty much an established player in Sweden who quite a few people know thanks to for instance Ajax' run in the CL last year, and most of the other players are much less known.

Have we been impressed by Zlatan ? First match, yes. Later on he became more human again, like I know him from some games with Ajax. Against Holland he was distressingly bad. His penalty was a nice conclusion for a rather poor performance.

Podolski didn't play.
Actually he did a bit against Latvia, but did not really stand out.

Luque played against Portugal and brought nothing.
Pedretti played really few minutes.
Boumsong played 1 minute (!).
Govou had 0 minute.

if a german player could use the tournament to break-out then i would mention philip lahm. he was the best player against hungary and seems to be the only starter that can play soccer at all. :)

Correct! I totally forgot about him. Together with Ballack, he was the best German in my book. A man for the future.