let's rank soccer prospects!!

Personally I don't think I've ever seen a football player with more potential than Ben Arfa. Potential being the key word obviously.
But I guess some would say Messi.

Yeah, I just saw Messi for the first time against Werder Bremen. Didn't really get a full picture of his abilities but the kid certainly has excellent instincts. And good technique, obviously, but I expected nothing less.

Would be fun to watch Ben Arfa as well and I'm sure I'll get my chance soon. :)

...

You make fair points, I guess the difference is the frequency, or lack thereof, we've seen Rafael play.

Here's an article regarding his career up untill his official Bundes Liga debute. Might be interesting to read..

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=76683&idSez=18

Also somewhat relevant; Rafael scored another crucial goal for HSV yesterday, with the backheel.

Personally I don't think I've ever seen a football [missing adjective] player with more potential than Ben Arfa. Potential being the key word obviously.I guess you forgot a key adjective: French

So who would be ahead of him? Kaka, Adriano, and obviously Messi.
In my mind Ben Arfa would probably battle for the top 5 with the likes of Kompany and Cassano.

Yeah, I just saw Messi for the first time against Werder Bremen. Didn't really get a full picture of his abilities but the kid certainly has excellent instincts. And good technique, obviously, but I expected nothing less.You could only sniff his scent through that game. Prepare yourself for something different..

I guess you forgot a key adjective: French

I guess you forget that my "personnal" opinion is.. well personnal :)
So let me say it again, I personally have never seen a player with such a huge potential.

Kaka, Adriano, and obviously Messi.
In my mind Ben Arfa would probably battle for the top 5 with the likes of Kompany and Cassano.

In your mind.
In mine, Ben Arfa's potential is right up with these guys, probably better.
The chance of reaching full potential and be as good or better than these guys is a complete different matter.
Again, Ben Arfa has IMO a limitless potential. But the team he plays for (too much depth right now) and the system they use (2 wingers) will probably hinder his development. That and Hatem's maturity. Though it seems much better this year.

I guess you forget that my "personnal" opinion is.. well personnal :)
So let me say it again, I personally have never seen a player with such a huge potential.Never?
Maradona? Ronaldo?


In your mind.I said it! :)

The chance of reaching full potential and be as good or better than these guys is a complete different matter.And here, as explained in my previous answer to Ott, we obviously agree.

In mine, Ben Arfa's potential is right up with these guys, probably better..

Again, Ben Arfa has IMO a limitless potential. But the team he plays for (too much depth right now) and the system they use (2 wingers) will probably hinder his development. That and Hatem's maturity. Though it seems much better this year.
I don't think Hatem's potential is on par with Kaka and Adriano because of the physical component. Of course his athletical potential is still uncertain, so could end up being better than what i suppose now.
(Btw, he looks to have added some kgs this year, or it's just my impression?)

Never?
Maradona? Ronaldo?

I don't think Hatem's potential is on par with Kaka and Adriano because of the physical component. Of course his athletical potential is still uncertain, so could end up being better than what i suppose now.
(Btw, he looks to have added some kgs this year, or it's just my impression?)
I didn't see Maradona at 17, 18 or 19, so I can't say.
As for Ronaldo, he was definately something else. But his game was less complete than Ben Arfa at the same age. Of course, Ronaldo developped into a machine, and his strengh got so strong that he became one of the best ever.
That's exactly like Zidane. He was an immensly talented player, but he wasn't Ben Arfa like when it came to potential. But he devlopped so well...

Ben Arfa is surprisingly tough. He never gets pushed around. The first time I saw him and his skinny frame, I thought he'd be pushed around in the pros. But he didn't. Exacty like Robinho if you want. They're tough on the ball, and their agility enables them to go through hard tackles.
And yes he's less skinny this year.
He's made a lot of change this summer, probably due to his Gambardella final, where he took a lot of heat for not passing the ball. He was rumored out of Lyon, and that seemed to light a fire under his butt. Which I find very intriguing in fact, since he seems to react well to difficulity, which is the backbone of champions.
This year he's a totally different player mentally. He is still amazing with the ball, but passes after two or three dribbles, not like he used to. He has simplified his game (exactly what Zlatan must work on :p: ) and he's been praised for nearly all his outings this season, earning MOM honors or 2nd best player every time.
And yes physically, he's toughen up.

I thought he'd be pushed around in the pros. But he didn't. Exacty like Robinho if you want. They're tough on the ball, and their agility enables them to go through hard tackles.Only, i think Robinho possesses insane agility (and ability to stop in one cm and restart in 1/100 of second). It looks to me Hatem has VERY good agility, but not out of this planet agility. (While i think he has even better pure technique than the Brazilian).
Also, Robinho runs overall much more than Hatem (and than most strikers).


He has simplified his game (exactly what Zlatan must work on :p: )Some players need to semplify their game more than others! :dunce:

(Zlatan has much more strenght and protects the ball much better :p: )

Also somewhat relevant; Rafael scored another crucial goal for HSV yesterday, with the backheel.
A good goal, very clever, completely fooled the defense and goalie (although the ball should have been cleared by the ever inept Svensson). He also had a very good free kick saved excellently by the FCK goalie. Wasn't a great game from vdV overall, though.

My second report on Charles N’Zogbia (CN).

Blackburn vs. Newcastle Sept 18th, 2005

Due to traffic, I was late coming home for the match and missed the first 15 minutes of the match.

At 24 minutes, CN has a free header at left midfield, trying to get it through to Shearer, but it’s intercepted by Blackburn central defence.

28. CN attempted to tackle at own half, but gets tripped, which results in Newcastle’s free kick.

32. CN tries to get past Steven Reid near left corner flag, can’t, fouls and Blackburn gets a free kick.

34. CN hassles Blackburn’s Lucas Neill at left midfield

35. CN’s attempted pass to Owen gets intercepted

44. CN receives a pass from Faye to left midfield, shows good strength, balance and ball control to swirl through 3 Blackburn players’ tackles, but 4th tackle dispossesses him, CN embellishes a half-dive, but doesn’t get a free kick. He gets up quickly, goes for revenge after Reid, but gets away with a warning after a foul.

CN spent most of the 1st half in Newcastle’s defensive formation at left midfield, 3rd furthest up behind Shearer and Owen, I don’t think Newcastle had a single shot on goal.

Second half, Newcastle gets its’ first corner of the match at 51 minutes, CN delivers it from right.

65. CN wrongfoots Khizanishvili with nice moves near the left edge of the penalty box, crosses and Owen heads Newcastle 2-0 up.

71. Newcastle’s Taylor is sent off, whatever little playmaking they had had until that point, sunk to next to non-existent now.

84. Lee Clark’s great distribution to totally free Babayaro at left midfield, he passes a long through ball to CN, who is equally free behind Blackburn defensive line after a perfectly timed run. CN cleverly sidesteps goalkeeper Friedel with some fancy footwork to put the ball into empty net.

89. Jansen header from a Blackburn corner kick is saved from a goal-line by CN at the far post.

90. CN pushes Tugay at Blackburn’s half, Blackburn gets a free kick.

All in all, CN showed good technical skills, positioning, ability to get past players with some speed and deliver good enough crosses, corners and free-kicks. He also had decent work-rate, enthusiasm and aggressiveness. He doesn’t appear to be made of glass either, even though e.g. his tackles weren’t overly impressive exactly.

His playmaking, passing, distribution, vision and ability to control the pace of the game didn’t seem to be above others at Newcastle, who had great trouble on all these areas. At glimpses, CN seemed to have some chemistry with Babayaro, though. I don’t know whether CN fits into the starting line-up when missing midfielders Emre, Solano, Dyer, Parker and Luque get back into the team, but definitely CN is not out of his league at Premiership, and would at that stage in fact be a good attacking option from the bench.

I didn't see Maradona at 17, 18 or 19, so I can't say.
As for Ronaldo, he was definately something else. But his game was less complete than Ben Arfa at the same age. Of course, Ronaldo developped into a machine, and his strengh got so strong that he became one of the best ever.
That's exactly like Zidane. He was an immensly talented player, but he wasn't Ben Arfa like when it came to potential. But he devlopped so well...

Ben Arfa is surprisingly tough. He never gets pushed around. The first time I saw him and his skinny frame, I thought he'd be pushed around in the pros. But he didn't. Exacty like Robinho if you want. They're tough on the ball, and their agility enables them to go through hard tackles.
And yes he's less skinny this year.
He's made a lot of change this summer, probably due to his Gambardella final, where he took a lot of heat for not passing the ball. He was rumored out of Lyon, and that seemed to light a fire under his butt. Which I find very intriguing in fact, since he seems to react well to difficulity, which is the backbone of champions.
This year he's a totally different player mentally. He is still amazing with the ball, but passes after two or three dribbles, not like he used to. He has simplified his game (exactly what Zlatan must work on :p: ) and he's been praised for nearly all his outings this season, earning MOM honors or 2nd best player every time.
And yes physically, he's toughen up.
Benarfa is awfully talented, but he is still selfish and immature. And he is plain stupid. As a journalist, I had the opportunity to watch a few Lyon training sessions, and even his partners made fun of him. :shakehead

Benarfa is awfully talented, but he is still selfish and immature. And he is plain stupid. As a journalist, I had the opportunity to watch a few Lyon training sessions, and even his partners made fun of him. :shakehead
Absolutely possible.
Then again, Maradona, Pele, Ronaldo or Papin aren't too bright either. :D

Absolutely possible.
Then again, Maradona, Pele, Ronaldo or Papin aren't too bright either. :DWhat is Papin doing together with those other names??

Well he's a Ballon d'Or winner. Like the others :dunno:

Well he's a Ballon d'Or winner. Like the others :dunno: :dunno:

What don't you understand? Ballon D'Or as world footballer of the year. :dunno:

What don't you understand? Ballon D'Or as world footballer of the year. :dunno:It's not that i don't understand, it's just i don't think his Ballon D'or means he should be mentioned together with those other guys :dunno:

Question: is Luis de Abreu Oliveira Anderson really a Porto player already?
He is playing at the Fifa U17 Worldchampionships and on FIFA site I’ve found this quote:
“..Luis de Abreu Oliveira, or Anderson, as he is better known in footballing circles. The 17-year-old striker, currently on the books of Porto Alegre side Gremio..”
http://www.fifa.com/en/comp/U17/tournament/0,6465,U17-2005-28-BRA,00.html
He is listed as a Porto Alegre player as well on the team squad of that site, but appears on Alexander the great’s recent Portuguese list...
Was he acquired by Porto and left in Brazil for one more season? Is he already playing in Portugal actually? Is he not even property of Porto? :help:

Btw, I’ve watched him playing against Holland and I was a bit disappointed considering the hype and the fact that if available he would have been labeled as the leader of U20 national team at the recent junior event in the Netherlands.. you would expect him to dominate against his peers, but despite showing his agility and a very good left foot he wasn’t the best player on his side, as Renato and Ramon did better in that particular game. For the record, after a stunning defeat in the opener against Gambia (1-3), Brazil survived elimination edging Holland and their poor defense 2-1.
Note: Brazil is missing its other supposed star, Kerlon, who is down to a serious injury to his ankle cartilage that required surgery.

Question:Btw, I’ve watched him playing against Holland and I was a bit disappointed considering the hype and the fact that if available he would have been labeled as the leader of U20 national team at the recent junior event in the Netherlands.. you would expect him to dominate against his peers, but despite showing his agility and a very good left foot he wasn’t the best player on his side, as Renato and Ramon did better in that particular game. For the record, after a stunning defeat in the opener against Gambia (1-3), Brazil survived elimination edging Holland and their poor defense 2-1.
Note: Brazil is missing its other supposed star, Kerlon, who is down to a serious injury to his ankle cartilage that required surgery.

Was supposed to be a thriller.. Holland's >17 squad carries some of the best prospects of their age group.

I find Kerlon to be overrated btw..

Was supposed to be a thriller..Holland's >17 squad carries some of the best prospects of their age group:huh:

I find Kerlon to be overrated btw..Have you seen him play? impressions (explaining overrated..)?

:huh:
?

Have you seen him play? impressions (explaining overrated..)?

I have actually. There are some Dutch connections with his squad (Cruzeiro) that got me following them a little bit. I'm talking game summaries, recaps, boxcores, etc. Kerlon strikes me as an extremely creative and offensively challenged player, but he lacks the team aspects from what I've seen. Prefers personal flair above the actual performance of team. I also think his "sea-lion dribble's", which he apparantly learned from a Dutch soccer player, made him more popular and better than he really is.

Needs some work, but the individual talent is there.

?"Was supposed to be a thriller..BUT.. Holland's >17 squad carries some of the best prospects of their age group."

is that what i was missing? :)

It's not that i don't understand, it's just i don't think his Ballon D'or means he should be mentioned together with those other guys :dunno:
As a former good/great player that is not too bright?

As a former good/great player that is not too bright?Ok. ;)

(but i don't think Ronaldo is stupid)

Hey I love Ronaldo's talent too (OK, maybe I don't statutes of him in my garden like you :D ), but he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
Like : "how about I want to keep my (4th?, 5th?) wedding private so I announce everybody I'll marry my wife in Paris in Church X"?
Anyway, no Ronaldo is not too bright.

Well he's a Ballon d'Or winner. Like the others :dunno:

Not that it matters for your argument, but I don't think Pele and Maradona are Ballon d'or winners, they weren't eligible during their career, it was for European players only back then, right?

Maybe George Best instead of Pele and for Maradona player X?

Dutch national squad >17 through to the Quarterfinals at the WC >17..

What are the other teams?

Dutch national squad >17 through to the Quarterfinals at the WC >17..

What are the other teams?

Nevermind.. found them..

Costa Rica vs Mexico
Turkijke vs China
US vs Holland
Brazill vs South Korea

Not that it matters for your argument, but I don't think Pele and Maradona are Ballon d'or winners, they weren't eligible during their career, it was for European players only back then, right?

Maybe George Best instead of Pele and for Maradona player X?
I'm pretty sure for Maradona, but you're probably right about Pele.
The award is given to players playing in Europe, so Diego Armando was eligible, and probably won it, but I can't remember. Since I know Platini and Cruyff won it three times each, I think Maradona managed to win it at least once.

1956: Stanley Matthews, Blackpool
1957: Alfredo Di Stefano, Real Madrid
1958: Raymond Kopa, Real Madrid
1959: Alfredo Di Stefano, Real Madrid
1960: Luis Suarez, Barcelone
1961: Omar Sivori, Juventus de Turin
1962: Josef Masopust, Dukla de Prague
1963: Lev Yachine, Dynamo Moscou
1964: Denis Law, Manchester United
1965: Eusebio, Benfica de Lisbonne
1966: Bobby Charlton, Manchester United
1967: Florian Albert, Ferencvaros
1968: George Best, Manchester United
1969: Gianni Rivera, Milan AC
1970: Gerd Muller, Bayern Munich
1971: Johan Cruyff, Ajax d'Amsterdam
1972: Franz Beckenbauer, Bayern de Munich
1973: Johan Cruyff, Barcelone
1974: Johan Cruyff, Barcelone
1975: Oleg Blokhine, Dynamo de Kiev
1976: Franz Beckenbauer, Bayern de Munich
1977: Allan Simonsen, Borussia Moenchengladbach
1978: Kevin Keegan, Hambourg SV
1979: Kevin Keegan, Hambourg SV
1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern de Munich
1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern de Munich
1982: Paolo Rossi, Juventus de Turin
1983: Michel Platini, Juventus de Turin
1984: Michel Platini, Juventus de Turin
1985: Michel Platini, Juventus de Turin
1986: Igor Belanov, Dynamo de Kiev
1987: Ruud Gullit, Milan AC
1988: Marco Van Basten, Milan AC
1989: Marco Van Basten, Milan AC
1990: Lothar Matthaus, Inter de Milan
1991: Jean-Pierre Papin, Olympique de Marseille
1992: Marco Van Basten, Milan AC
1993: Roberto Baggio, Juventus de Turin
1994: Hristo Stoichkov, Barcelone
1995: George Weah, Milan AC
1996: Matthias Sammer, Borussia Dortmund
1997: Ronaldo, Inter Milan
1998: Zinedine Zidane, Juventus de Turin
1999: Rivaldo, Barcelone
2000: Luis Figo, Real Madrid
2001: Michael Owen, Liverpool
2002: Ronaldo, Real Madrid
2003: Pavel Nedved, Juventus de Turin
2004: Andreï Shevchenko, Milan AC

Weirdly enough, Maradona never won it. A testimony of his inconsistency. :dunno:

Possibly, he's still the best player ever though (though not necessarily the greatest)


Although I somehow believe this discussion doesn't belong in this thread :)

Maybe you guys remember that I wrote about my favourite prospect along time ago: Pjotr Trochowski.

Well, back then he was with Byern Munich. He then had a very serious ligament injury and Bayern Munich apparently not believed in him anymore and sold him to Hamburg.
There he got another bad ligament injury.

He's back now and today scored a beautiful goal for Hamburg against Bayern!

I hope he will be back to where he was before he got injured for so long. He's still just 21 and if he should he'll be a lock for the German NT for a long time.

Not for 2006 though. It's a shame that for our most promising young players the WC 06 comes to early.

First of all, kudos to Alexander the Great for releasing our first Portuguese list! :yo:
Hopefully he will be able to update it and eventually correct it.

It’s difficult to judge with the little I know of that league..some impressions though:

I thought Fabio Paim was considered a prime prospect in his country, but he is not on the list. Any reasons?

Even if I wasn’t impressed by Anderson so far at the U17 WCH I think his ranking is surprising to say the least. I think his talent should be worth a higher spot. For example, speaking of a player that I know, imo Pinilla can’t be considered a better prospect at the moment. I think he will be a good scorer and that he has been underrated along the last couple of years, but the potential of the two players seems so different..

I was surprised to not see Quaresma on top of your list.. I don’t know Moutinho.. is he a starter already on the national team? Is he playing in place for Maniche or Costinha?

Weirdly enough, Maradona never won it. A testimony of his inconsistency. :dunno:NO. A further (unnecessary) testimony that the Ballon d'or is a complete joke!! :biglaugh:

Question: is Luis de Abreu Oliveira Anderson really a Porto player already?
He is playing at the Fifa U17 Worldchampionships and on FIFA site I’ve found this quote:
“..Luis de Abreu Oliveira, or Anderson, as he is better known in footballing circles. The 17-year-old striker, currently on the books of Porto Alegre side Gremio..”
http://www.fifa.com/en/comp/U17/tournament/0,6465,U17-2005-28-BRA,00.html
He is listed as a Porto Alegre player as well on the team squad of that site, but appears on Alexander the great’s recent Portuguese list...
Was he acquired by Porto and left in Brazil for one more season? Is he already playing in Portugal actually? Is he not even property of Porto? :help:

NO. A further (unnecessary) testimony that the Ballon d'or is a complete joke!! :biglaugh:
When you see the former winners, I'd say it's far from a joke.
Which great players (besides Maradona) never won it?
It's much much better than FIFA's for instance, which gave it to Zidane after an average season or to Ronaldo pretty much every year.

Weirdly enough, Maradona never won it. A testimony of his inconsistency. :dunno:
The ballon d'or was only awarded to European players till 95, when the rule changed. Since 95, anyone playing in Europe can compete. And Weah was the first non european to get it.
Niether Pelé nor Maradona got it only because of that rule. ;)

The ballon d'or was only awarded to European players till 95, when the rule changed. Since 95, anyone playing in Europe can compete. And Weah was the first non european to get it.
Niether Pelé nor Maradona got it only because of that rule. ;)
Oh OK. I thought for Pele, well he never played in Europe, but I didn't know it changed in 95, which explains Maradona never winning it.

When you see the former winners, I'd say it's far from a joke. Strange logic. So any prize given to great players is something serious? :shakehead your FIFA’s complaints confirm the two things are not related.

Which great players (besides Maradona) never won it? It’s not only which great players (only offensive players are taken into serious consideration).
The prize is supposed to award the best player along one year. Actually, as many decisions have proved, they basically only consider the eventual major competition in the Summer (Euro or Worlds), the last part of CL and, if undecided, some last weeks before the voting.. and the team success is a KEY factor for their decision..

It’s a joke, and I would be surprised to realize that someone who follows soccer closely doesn’t think the same (so far all those that I know agree).

Nevermind.. found them..

Costa Rica vs Mexico
Turkijke vs China
US vs Holland
Brazill vs South Korea

Semi finals:

Holland vs Mexico
Brazil vs Turkey

Does anyone one how Besart Berisha is doing at AC Horsens of the Danish SAS Liga?

Does anyone one how Besart Berisha is doing at AC Horsens of the Danish SAS Liga?
He's in excellent form, and has scored 4 goals these past 4 rounds, is helping Horsens establish themselves above the relegation zone in their first season in the top flight.
I haven't seen any full games with him, though, but he's getting some playing time and bagging the important goals.

Another player doing very well is AGF's Morten "Duncan" Rasmussen. He leads the league with 9 goals in 11 games, and was a big part of pulling his team out of a huge slump early on (1 pt in 5 games - now 9 from 11).

Here's a gif of Charlie N'Zogbia's goal for Newcastle the other day :
http://robinho338.site.voila.fr/zogbia1.gif
http://robinho338.site.voila.fr/zogbia2.gif

..but despite showing his agility and a very good left foot he wasn’t the best player on his side, as Renato and Ramon did better in that particular game.and..WOW.. this Ramon looks really good to me! :amazed:
Renato however collapsed in the center of the pitch and was taken to the hospital. :(

Semi finals:

Holland vs Mexico
Brazil vs TurkeyTo be played tonight.
Holland will have to take care of Barca's Giovanni Dos Santos.

Strange logic. So any prize given to great players is something serious? :shakehead your FIFA’s complaints confirm the two things are not related.

It’s not only which great players (only offensive players are taken into serious consideration).
The prize is supposed to award the best player along one year. Actually, as many decisions have proved, they basically only consider the eventual major competition in the Summer (Euro or Worlds), the last part of CL and, if undecided, some last weeks before the voting.. and the team success is a KEY factor for their decision..

It’s a joke, and I would be surprised to realize that someone who follows soccer closely doesn’t think the same (so far all those that I know agree).
Quite the contrary. Ballon d'Or is much, much better than FIFA's because it takes the WHOLE year into consideration.
It might not be perfect, but it's the best award around.

BTW, I wrote about young defenseman Hagui from Strasbourg who scored two goals in the same game last weekend. Well, he's just scored at the 6th minute in UEFA cup action. 3 goals in 2 games for a 21 year old Dman ain't too shabby.

Quite the contrary. Ballon d'Or is much, much better than FIFA's because it takes the WHOLE year into consideration.
It might not be perfect, but it's the best award around.
I'm far from being a fan of that kind of awards, but I have to agree with him on that point. Players and trainers give much more credit to the Ballon d'Or than any other individual award (except maybe in England).

Quite the contrary. Ballon d'Or is much, much better than FIFA's because it takes the WHOLE year into consideration.
It might not be perfect, but it's the best award around.WHERE did i say that FIFA's is better?? and that it is because it takes into consideration the whole year?? :(
As for the Ballon d'or being based on the whole year, that's what its definition says, but actually, for the way they judge, it's the WHOLE YEAR MY ***!

I'm far from being a fan of that kind of awards, but I have to agree with him on that point. Players and trainers give much more credit to the Ballon d'Or than any other individual award (except maybe in England)..I perfectly know it and i never said otherwise!


Still it's a joke for me because their votings are a joke. Because they appreciate only offensive player. Because they value some key international games and teams success over player's performances along the year. Most times i disagreed with the winner (for how the prize is defined), but more importantly, the whole final classifications when you scroll down the lists are usually hilarious.

That's all i have to say on the subject, and we are off topic on this thread.

I've read that Hagui can play all three defensive positions, is this true?
I'v never seen him on the left side, but he's played CB and RB already.
I'll keep an eye on him because he's impressed so far.

Even if I wasn’t impressed by Anderson so far at the U17 WCH I think his ranking is surprising to say the least. I think his talent should be worth a higher spot. For example, speaking of a player that I know, imo Pinilla can’t be considered a better prospect at the moment. I think he will be a good scorer and that he has been underrated along the last couple of years, but the potential of the two players seems so different..


Anderson looks to be pretty good. He destroyed the Turks yesterday.

Anderson looks to be pretty good. He destroyed the Turks yesterday.And Giovani Dos Santos did the same in the other semifinal against Holland (4-0)!
To be noted that both him and his best teammate Vela are underagers for the tournament, as they are ’89 born!

Brazil-Turkey, was an unbelievable game. Brazil was leading 3-0 after the first half, then Turkey remained with ten man and managed to equalize 3-3 in the second half!! :eek: It seems Liverpool teached something! Then Anderson had enough and killed their chances.
Both teams displayed poor defenses.
Anderson showed great legs and a very good left footed shot.

For every football fans, the final is on Sunday night at 10pm (on Eurosport).
Anderson vs Dos Santos (and Vela vs Ramon), you should not miss this one!

And Giovani Dos Santos did the same in the other semifinal against Holland (4-0)!


Another fine product of Barcelona's youth system. Hopefully he can show his stuff with Barcelona's B team this year.

First of all, kudos to Alexander the Great for releasing our first Portuguese list! :yo:
Hopefully he will be able to update it and eventually correct it.

It’s difficult to judge with the little I know of that league..some impressions though:

I thought Fabio Paim was considered a prime prospect in his country, but he is not on the list. Any reasons?

Even if I wasn’t impressed by Anderson so far at the U17 WCH I think his ranking is surprising to say the least. I think his talent should be worth a higher spot. For example, speaking of a player that I know, imo Pinilla can’t be considered a better prospect at the moment. I think he will be a good scorer and that he has been underrated along the last couple of years, but the potential of the two players seems so different..

I was surprised to not see Quaresma on top of your list.. I don’t know Moutinho.. is he a starter already on the national team? Is he playing in place for Maniche or Costinha?

Fabio Paim is a good prospect but how he will do against better competition is the real question with him. I guess he could be on the up and coming list at 11 or 12. Anderson is basically the same deal but his potential is better than Paim's at the moment.I rank Pinilla above Anderson because he is a more proven commodity and still has not hit his peak.

Mouthinho right now is a better prospect than Quaresma because he is more consistent and at 19 is Sporting Lisbon's best player and is becoming a fixture in Portugual's midfield.Though Scolari left him and Quaresma off of the squad for the next two world cup qualfiers mostly because of his personal preferences(Some how Ricardo is still the top goalkeeper though he is now 2nd string at Sporting Lisbon). Quaresma is playing better right now and as I stated if he continues his progression the sky's the limit.

It seems Liverpool teached something!
You mean Nice taught something? :D
Remember about that incredible game against Monaco. 0-3 down, 15 minutes to play. End result : 4-3 win.

You mean Nice taught something? :D
Remember about that incredible game against Monaco. 0-3 down, 15 minutes to play. End result : 4-3 win.
3/4 goals by Agali, right?

3/4 goals by Agali, right?
Yep.

I actually expected Frolov to say something about Feyenoord's newest youngster debuting by now. Jonathan De Guzman (Dutch - attacker - 12-09-1987) reminds lots of Feyenoord fans of their new Robin van Persie, skill wise. Eventhough de Guzman himself views himself as someone entirely different. De Guzman was even named best talent of the Nike A-juniors competition. I'll leave the rest to Frolov... Heck, there's not even been a word about Tim Vincken, who I think will start for the Dutch at right wing for a long long time once he settles himself on the national squad. He has that kind of upside.

Also, Jeffrey Sarpong and Vurnon Anita, both Ajax and both 16 years old starred for the Dutch during the WC under 17. I mentioned Anita before, and will come with a more detailled report on the both of them. I think it's too early for me to include them in my list, but based on what I've seen, read and heard, both should make the top 5 eventually, if not lead the list.

Heck, there's not even been a word about Tim Vincken, who I think will start for the Dutch at right wing for a long long time once he settles himself on the national squad. He has that kind of upside.Is he the winger who played on the U20 squad? If that's the case, i'll disagree.

You mean Nice taught something? :D
Remember about that incredible game against Monaco. 0-3 down, 15 minutes to play. End result : 4-3 win.Oh right, i remember, and i guess everyone in the soccer world learned about rallying from a 0-3 deficit from a Ligue1 game instead of from the CL final. :snide:

Oh right, i remember, and i guess everyone in the soccer world learned about rallying from a 0-3 deficit from a Ligue1 game instead of from the CL final. :snide:
They should. :D
But seriously, they actually won the game in 90 minutes. And they didn't score before the 75th or something. Definately one of the weirdest game I've seen. What you add the fact it completely turned the season around for Monaco (Monaco was very very good at the time, and after that, they were terribly inconsistant), I'd say that game was still significant.

Is he the winger who played on the U20 squad? If that's the case, i'll disagree.

Yes and based on that tournament he was a good player but nothing special, but Tim Vincken played the entire tournament with a pulled groin and missed most of training camp. Vincken is much better than he showed during that tourney..

For every football fans, the final is on Sunday night at 10pm (on Eurosport). Anderson vs Dos Santos (and Vela vs Ramon), you should not miss this one!That's wrong it seems. At 10pm is actually scheduled the 3rd place final, while the real final is later..
so, for every football fans, the final is on Sunday at 1 in the night (1am of the next day) live on eurosport. Anderson vs Dos Santos (and Vela vs Ramon), you should not miss this one!

I was surprised to not see Quaresma on top of your list.. I don’t know Moutinho.. is he a starter already on the national team? Is he playing in place for Maniche or Costinha?

moutinho was very impressive in his debut. i think of him more of an attacking mid so he will not be replacing costinha or maniche i dont think. scolari could choose to play deco more withdrawn, take off maniche and play moutinho as the AM in the future(after germany?). but as of now the midfield remains the same.

That's wrong it seems. At 10pm is actually scheduled the 3rd place final, while the real final is later..
so, for every football fans, the final is on Sunday at 1 in the night (1am of the next day) live on eurosport. Anderson vs Dos Santos (and Vela vs Ramon), you should not miss this one!

Just finished watching it. Bit of a dissappointing final because Anderson was injured early and had to be substituted.
:( But Dos Santos was quite electric. He made great runs and crosses and was really the creative force in the Mexican side. Vela has the makings of a good striker, he's tall and he has good ball control.

Ramon was ok but the Brazilian side was seriously lacking any creativity, with the exception of Celso.

Can Helicecopter or one of the other Italy followers tell me how Valon Behrami is doing this season please? He just got the first invitation to our senior national team, for the qualification games against France and Ireland.

Nice game by Mexico.. Expected more from BRazil though to be honest.

The Dutch won relatively easy vs Turkey (2-1). No one really stood out, even though Goossens scored both goals for the Dutch. Sarpong, Zaalman and Emnes had a few great individual actions, Anita was rather quiet. Goalkeeper Krul (16, Newcastle United) who's also the Captain had a few nice saves near the end.

1) Mexico
2) Brazil
3) Netherlands

Re-run of Brazil vs Mexico is on Eurosport right now for the ones who missed the game.

Can Helicecopter or one of the other Italy followers tell me how Valon Behrami is doing this season please? He just got the first invitation to our senior national team, for the qualification games against France and Ireland. Unfortunately I can’t tell you much. For one reason or another I have yet to watch him play this season (he was missing the one time I watch something of a Lazio game).
I probably didn’t report in the past of one interview I read this Summer where he was angry and very critique with the medical staff of his national team: he was blaming them for using him even if he wasn’t fit enough to play because of his knee troubles. He said they need him and used him without caring that could have killed his season, as in fact happened. If I am not wrong he had some injury troubles at the start of this season too, but I don’t think they were related with the knee.
I noticed him a couple of times through highlights and I saw one of his progressions where he looked as strong as early last season, I hope that means he is ready to take back from where he left last year.. thinking about Lazio’s roster I am confident he is considered as (and will be) the regular starter on the right flank for them. Hopefully i’ll be able to tell you more soon. ;)
(btw, how much serie A can you see on Swiss channels ?)

(btw, how much serie A can you see on Swiss channels ?)Not very much. DSF brings weekly highlights from Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Eredivisie, but that's about it.

Not very much. DSF brings weekly highlights from Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Eredivisie, but that's about it.Don't you get TSI? (many years ago i got it and i seem to remember they showed something more, some summaries too.. not sure though)

Just finished watching it. Bit of a dissappointing final because Anderson was injured early and had to be substituted.
But Dos Santos was quite electric. He made great runs and crosses and was really the creative force in the Mexican side. Vela has the makings of a good striker, he's tall and he has good ball control.

Ramon was ok but the Brazilian side was seriously lacking any creativity, with the exception of Celso.Nice game by Mexico.. Expected more from BRazil though to be honest. .
Well, I feel a bit guilty for creating too many expectations for this game..in fact it was actually quite disappointing (despite the hilarious start when three different Brazilians felt the need to make 3 passes a-la-Magic Johnson in the first action, turning their head AFTER making the pass in the opposite direction :joker: ).
Also, bad luck for Brazil and for us watching. They were already missing Kerlon and Renato (collapsed in a previous game, don’t know if he is good now or what)..when Anderson went down with that injury (right ankle, he reappeared at the end of the match on crutches) the Brazilians lost part of their confidence together with their leader. And it looked like even Brazil’s depth has a limit when mediocre Mauricio entered in place for #8.

Ramon had only a couple of good rushes where he showed his talent. After a quiet semifinal, he had overall a criticizable final. Maybe he felt the need to do too much when they were left without Anderson, he should have used better his energy. Going everywhere on the pitch, from the defensive line to the flanks ending joining the attack won’t do too well to your effectiveness with the ball… also, personally I can’t stand when players (like him, Aimar is another one) waste their energy to run towards a teammate to feed him the ball just to request it 1 seconds later while no opponents were around in the next 25 meters.. :shakehead but aside from these coachable lacks, the guy has intriguing potential as he possesses remarkable legs and skills, as he showed in the quarters and before.
Celso is another good one, he was probably the best Brazilian in the final. The guy combines very good quality and quantity. With his look he seems a bit like a pooor man's but more dedicated version of Ronaldinho.
Other names we could recognize in the future (besides Ramon, Anderson, Celso and Renato) are imo Leyrielton and Sidnei.

Speaking of Mexico, the team showed impressive pace and unity. Dos Santos is clearly a PURE talent and had a great 15 minutes span in the first. The way this elusive 16yrs old can deliver wonderful crosses under pressure speaks volumes.. Of course he is not consistent through the game at the moment and we have to wait and see how he develops physically.. but it looks like Barca has yet another gem there.

Aside from Vela, Valdez and Villaluz left me with a good impression.

For Turkey, in the semifinal I noticed Nuri Sahin from Borussia Dortmund. How did he perform in the 3rd place final Ott?

Don't you get TSI? (many years ago i got it and i seem to remember they showed something more, some summaries too.. not sure though)Yes I get it. Have to check their schedule in this case.

Thanks for the information in the post above btw!

For Turkey, in the semifinal I noticed Nuri Sahin from Borussia Dortmund. How did he perform in the 3rd place final Ott?

Sahin was kepped in charge by the Dutch defense pretty much the entire game, which I found somewhat unfortunate because I heard so much about him. The flanks were unimpressive as well so few balls got through to him from the sides. He still managed to score a goal in the dying minutes though.

...Also, bad luck for Brazil and for us watching. They were already missing Kerlon and Renato (collapsed in a previous game, don’t know if he is good now or what)..when Anderson went down with that injury (right ankle, he reappeared at the end of the match on crutches) the Brazilians lost part of their confidence together with their leader. And it looked like even Brazil’s depth has a limit when mediocre Mauricio entered in place for #8...
Long time no see...
dude I hated this game, It was 1998 WC final all over again (best player injured, 2 goals minutes apart, 3-0...).
Anderson already has some injury records (some say that´s why Grêmio dealt him)
Those 2 absences were crucial for Brazil. Renato was my fav player during the southamerican u-17 earlier this year. and Kerlon can do amazings things with the ball. I really don´t like Celso´s attitude, He has some skills but he is not even close to Ronaldinho. one player that I liked in this tournament was #11 from Netherlands.
First Overmars, now Robben maybe #11 (I´m horrible with names) in the future.

There's a rumor going on about Ben Arfa that I don't trust too much, but I thought I'd let you guys know.
According to some, Ben Arfa's contract (which was the biggest contract ever signed for a 15 year old) stipulates he has to play a certain number of games, and that if it's not the case, he's free to leave.
His contract is up in 2007, and there's talk that Lyon and Chelsea already have an agreement over him.

Finally, you all know I despise Houiller for the person he is and the tactics he uses, but he certainly has an eye for talent.
Well he's declared that Ben Arfa is the best player he's ever seen at age 18.

As I watched the Argentina-Peru qualifier yesterday and as there are some Lionel Messi fans on these boards, here are my thoughts on his home starting line-up debut for the Argentina national team.

In the first half all he did was a lot of dynamic running, with zero effect. Whenever he was tackled even the slightest, he embellished it greatly. His passing was poor and his corners (6, I think) were bad. To his defence, most of the Argentina team was equally disappointing, though.

Beginning of the second half was more of the same for Messi, apart that he didn't take the corner kicks that much any more (Riquelme took them). With Tevez coming on as a sub on the 59th, Argentina got better in the attack, when it wasn't just Crespo all by his lonesome any more, and Messi's passing improved and he began to find his teammates. He had one beautiful half-lob for a team-mate running into the penalty area, and then Messi's own run resulted in a penalty-shot after keeper brought him down. Keeper was sent off a bit harshly, but Riquelme converted the penalty kick.

In the overtime, Messi was involved in the early stages for the build-up of the second goal. Eventually Luis Gonzales passed to Tevez, who's attempted pass into the penalty-area for Crespo was deflected by a Peruvian into own goal.

Can Helicecopter or one of the other Italy followers tell me how Valon Behrami is doing this season please? He just got the first invitation to our senior national team, for the qualification games against France and Ireland.Btw., he played a couple of minutes in Saturday and is definitely a part of our national team now. With P. Degen and Behrami, we should be set at RB for many years.

Btw., he played a couple of minutes in Saturday and is definitely a part of our national team now. With P. Degen and Behrami, we should be set at RB for many years.RB? Is Behrami supposed to play in place for Degen and as rightback? He always played (at least when i saw him) with someone behind him in Italy. I could see him playing lonely on the right in a 5-3-2 (3-5-2) system though.

..about Argentina-Perù..Unexpectedly i was able to watch the game as well and I find your summary to be really ungenerous with Messi.
The guy got repeatedly beated by Peruvians, and badly in a few occasions.. the fact he adds a bit of drama without getting hurt to the suffered tackles is a good thing imo (he is going to be a target for a long time).
He wasn't effective in the first half (like the rest of his team), yeah, but when you say "Second half was more of the same for Messi, apart that he didn't take the corner kicks that much any more" you give me a good laugh..
*APART* that the guy was the best player on the pitch in the second half and decided the game!

RB? Is Behrami supposed to play in place for Degen and as rightback? He always played (at least when i saw him) with someone behind him in Italy. I could see him playing lonely on the right in a 5-3-2 (3-5-2) system though.Oh, I didn't mean it this way. He's actually very versatile, and last Saturday he got subbed in for Barnetta at RM at the end. It's just that Barnetta is better than Degen, and therefore I see Behrami's chances more at RB than at RM. But he can even play DM (did so for our junior teams at times).

EDIT: Actually, it might be a wise idea to put Behrami in at RM and move Barnetta behind the strikers instead of Cabanas. But I doubt that the coach will do this...

Barnetta

Ah...this guy drives me crazy. Everything i´ve seen from him so far was absolutley fantastic. My favorite swiss player since the young Ciriaco Sforza
:handclap:

Ah...this guy drives me crazy. Everything i´ve seen from him so far was absolutley fantastic. My favorite swiss player since the young Ciriaco Sforza
:handclap:He was my absoulte favorite in St. Gallen (and the one of almost everyone else too btw.). A great guy, never quits. Do you know why he gets so little playing time in Leverkusen?

Btw: this is actually a player we both like ;)

*APART* that the guy was the best player on the pitch in the second half and decided the game!

Well that comment "more of the same" was for the beginning of the 2nd half, then I mentioned Tevez coming on on the 60th minute (or thereabouts) and things changed etc. and I duly complimented Messi's improved game.

As for being the best player, I disagree, for me Riquelme and Luis Gonzalez were clearly better, Tevez was far more influental for the outcome as well, but since he didn't play the whole match, it's harder to compare. Ayala and keeper Abbondanzieri (with at least 1 magnificient save) were probably better in a role and tasks they were given and supposed to do, Sorin and Crespo were probably not any worse than Messi in their respective roles. At the moment, I'd think Aimar (who sat on the bench) would be better option than Messi.

To make it clear, IMO Messi had an encouraging debut and got better as the game went on and had a big part in deciding the game. To my mind he just didn't have the perfect game you make it sound like and can still get a lot better. Hopefully he does in the next months and we see him perform well in the WC 2006. Happy now?

And of course I don't want the guy get hurt, but it can be done with less antics, he only needs to model himself according to let's say club mate Ronaldinho and not along the lines of Ibrahimovic, Maradona, Ortega etc. If he wants to be liked outside his club/country, that is.

I hope he plays against Uruguay on Wednesday, so we'll see him in a game where there's a lot on the line for the opponents.

Btw: this is actually a player we both like ;)

Finally :)

He was my absoulte favorite in St. Gallen (and the one of almost everyone else too btw.). A great guy, never quits. Do you know why he gets so little playing time in Leverkusen?


That´s a tough question, but Augenthaler did have his mind set on Paul Freier for the right side, but since Freier struggled and was injured here and then Barnetta did receive some minutes.

Right now Leverkusen is in a difficult situation with fans being pretty angry for their lack of effort in most games, so i expect Barnetta to receive more minutes as the season goes on.
The only questionmark is the new coach, but i can give you a better update after the weekend when i´ve seen the first game with Skibbe being the coach.

Well that comment "more of the same" was for the beginning of the 2nd half...Ah, ok.

As for being the best player, I disagree, for me Riquelme and Luis Gonzalez were clearly better, Tevez was far more influental for the outcome as well, but since he didn't play the whole match, it's harder to compare. Ayala and keeper Abbondanzieri (with at least 1 magnificient save) were probably better in a role and tasks they were given and supposed to do, Sorin and Crespo were probably not any worse than Messi in their respective roles. At the moment, I'd think Aimar (who sat on the bench) would be better option than Messi.I disagree with the names you mentioned as better than him during the game, especially Gonzalez, Ayala and Crespo.
Aimar and Messi can play together (and this way i will avoid to discuss who i would choose).

To my mind he just didn't have the perfect game you make it sound like I never said or thought he had a perfect game.

And of course I don't want the guy get hurt, but it can be done with less antics, he only needs to model himself according to let's say club mate Ronaldinho and not along the lines of Ibrahimovic, Maradona, Ortega etc. If he wants to be liked outside his club/country, that is.It have to be said Ronaldinho has a different (stronger) body to handle fouls than Ortega, Maradona or Messi. Btw, reading Ortega together with the other names you mentioned i am experiencing an urticaria attack!

I hope he plays against Uruguay on Wednesday, so we'll see him in a game where there's a lot on the line for the opponents.His Argentinian mates played against the same team though (Perù).

Sadly enough diving or just simply enough 'adding' something to fouls has become common practice in football these days. Even good old English lads like Gerrard (Milan game anyone) or Lampard (just watch him closely all the time) even John Terry are doing it without blinking their eye. So I'd think it's extremely unfair to hold that against a kid with Messi's style of play and body structure.

The only questionmark is the new coach, but i can give you a better update after the weekend when i´ve seen the first game with Skibbe being the coach.All information will be welcome! Though I doubt that Barnetta will play much this weekend (he'll be tired after these two WC qualification games).

All information will be welcome! Though I doubt that Barnetta will play much this weekend (he'll be tired after these two WC qualification games).

I´ll go out on a limb and say he´s in the starting line-up, atleast i hope so :)
Lots of players will be tired. The Brazilians will return on late Friday, so Skibbe won´t have them in training at all.

All this bickering about frigging Deco has lead me to start a new prospect list, should be ready in a few days :yo:

By the way, M = G and Frolov, I'd like some updates about a few belgians, can't watch much Eredivisie anymore apart from a weekly match on Prime - because the NOS lost the rights to the highlights...

_Thomas Vermaelen (he is playing from time to time now isn't he)
_Tom de Mul
_Stanley Aborah
_Benji De Ceulaer (has scored quite a few I heard)
_Timothy Derijck
_Moussa Dembele (looked pretty good in the UEFA cup when I saw him)

All this bickering about frigging Deco has lead me to start a new prospect list, should be ready in a few days :yo: Well, i fail to detect the link between the two things, but who cares! :yo:

Helicecopter..


..has lead me to start a prospect list, should be ready in a few days :yo:


Been working on it and the list of names is ready. Play descriptions will take a while.

Helicecopter..


Been working on it and the list of names is ready. Play descriptions will take a while.:yo:
Here is a couple of links of the little appeared in the prospects' threads in the past about German prospects, maybe they could help to avoid omissions:
http://www.hfboards.com/showpost.php?p=1729280&postcount=29
http://www.hfboards.com/showpost.php?p=2451619&postcount=607
only, keep in mind the 82 born players mentioned there are no more elegible.

only, keep in mind the 82 born players mentioned there are no more elegible.

No problem at all, list is big enough without the 82 born players


;)

All this bickering about frigging Deco has lead me to start a new prospect list, should be ready in a few days :yo:

By the way, M = G and Frolov, I'd like some updates about a few belgians, can't watch much Eredivisie anymore apart from a weekly match on Prime - because the NOS lost the rights to the highlights...

_Thomas Vermaelen (he is playing from time to time now isn't he)
_Tom de Mul
_Stanley Aborah
_Benji De Ceulaer (has scored quite a few I heard)
_Timothy Derijck
_Moussa Dembele (looked pretty good in the UEFA cup when I saw him)

Vermaelen has about 4 guys ahead of him on the depthchart, but due to injuries, suspensions and training addequately, he's managed to see a fair amount of minutes last month, this is decreasing rapidly again though. Anyway, Vermaelen has been playing way beyond expectations whenever he's gotten the chance to prove his worth. He has the tendency to start games rusty and shaky but he improves his game tremendously as it goes on. I believe he was even voted best player of the game vs Spartak Prague (arguable though).

de Mul and Aborah have been very quiet. In fact, I have not heard anything whatsoever regarding the latter. Tom has been playing for Vitesse on loan and has yet to really breakthrough. He's played in 4 games recording one assist and no goals. Haven't gotten a real chance to see him play yet though, so I can't comment too precisely. Aborahis playing for young Ajax I believe. Not sure how he does there.

Benjamin De Ceulaer is the one I was going to ask you about but somehow it slipped my mind. I've been mighty impressed by him. He's really creative and skillfull and has a nice shot. I didn't know he was this young (21) but he impresses me every time I see him play. I believe he already has about 3 or 4 goals this season, not bad for a non-striker. He should join Feyenoord after this season, me thinks.

Still haven't seen or heard much regarding Derijck and I haven't seen too much of Dembele to give you an honest report, eihter. I'll try to watch him more closely though. But he's played 7 games for Willem II looking at his info. Here are his grades..

- Played all 90 minutes in his debute (2-1 loss vs RKC), got a 6.5 (highest of team)
- Not graded. Replaced Martijn Reuser in the 70th minute. Poor game (1-0 NAC).
- Started and played 75 minutes vs RBC (1-1). Graded a 5 (highest of team was 6)
- Played 13 minutes vs Ajax (0-2 loss), not graded.
- Played 17 minutes vs Roda JC (2-0 victory), not graded.
- Played 5 minutes vs ADO (1-0 victory), not graded.
- Played 21 minutes vs Groningen (1-0 victory), not graded.

Hope that covers much of it..

Thanks O = S!

I didn't know Dembele already played so much, he's still so young so it's good enough even if he only plays a few minutes per game. I'm still somewhat dissapointed he opted for Holland over RSC Anderlecht, I think he'll be good enough for that level eventually...


As for De Ceulaer he's been improving steadily in the last two seasons here in Belgium, you can see him jumping up all the time on my list as well. He can really dribble and is really creative (very Un-Belgian like actually, hehe), his skillset earned him the questionable nickname of being the 'belgian Beckham'.
He started as a winger in a 4-4-2 but gradually moved to forward (as STVV changed systems) and I think he'll be a good wide attacker especially in a Dutch system! Not sure if he'll be able to manouvre out Kalou or Castelen yet next season but possibly one of them could be gone by next year...

Thanks O = S!

I didn't know Dembele already played so much, he's still so young so it's good enough even if he only plays a few minutes per game. I'm still somewhat dissapointed he opted for Holland over RSC Anderlecht, I think he'll be good enough for that level eventually...


As for De Ceulaer he's been improving steadily in the last two seasons here in Belgium, you can see him jumping up all the time on my list as well. He can really dribble and is really creative (very Un-Belgian like actually, hehe), his skillset earned him the questionable nickname of being the 'belgian Beckham'.
He started as a winger in a 4-4-2 but gradually moved to forward (as STVV changed systems) and I think he'll be a good wide attacker especially in a Dutch system! Not sure if he'll be able to manouvre out Kalou or Castelen yet next season but possibly one of them could be gone by next year...

Yeah I never expected someone with the name De Ceulear being this creative and skillfull. He's also scored one of the nicer goals of the competition so far. Definitely one I've learned to keep an eye out whenever I watch RKC. He's been a strong reason why RKC are 4th in the Ere Divisie. I doubt he will outplay Kalou, but Castelen is a decent possibility, even though Castelen is really turning it on since coming back.. With Lazovic and de Ceulear possibly coming back next year, Feyenoord might finally afford to sell Kuijt and or someone else.

The return of the young strikers!
After 45 minutes prospects Menez (Sochaux), Keseru (Nantes) and Briand (Rennes) have all scored their team's only goal.

And young impressive defenseman Dhiakite (Nancy) has scored his team's lone goal tonight as well.
Actually out of the 9 goals that have been scored in the first 45 minutes, 6 have been scored by players 24 or younger.
About time coaches realize you are better off starting talented youngsters rather than under average veterans.
Even if it means losing them the following summer or surviving some rookie mistakes.

He might have turned 22 two months ago, Huntelaar might move up on my list if he keeps this up. He's been doing amazingly well for young Oranje, and he just completed a hattrick vs NAC Breda, to take over the scoring reign with 7 goals in 6 games.

Heck, wouldn't surprise me if he gets considered to be part of the 23 men selection Marco van Basten takes with him to Germany next summer. He will be a nice replacement for Ruud when he calls it quits. They share the same club history (PSV and Heereveen) and it's even been rumoured that Manchester United has been courting him for quite some time now.

They share the same club history (PSV and Heereveen) and it's even been rumoured that Manchester United has been courting him for quite some time now.

Klaas Jan did get the natural order of things mixed up though ;)

By the way saw a bit of PSV - AZ, why was Vlaar only a sub? (and why did he make that stupid back pass)
Kone still looks amazing when he's on the ball doesn't he, he's the kind of guy people will buy the match tickets for... Damn it's sad Anderlecht couldn't snap him up when he moved to Roda.

The return of the young strikers!
After 45 minutes prospects Menez (Sochaux), Keseru (Nantes) and Briand (Rennes) have all scored their team's only goal.
And another young striker, Gigliotti, scores the go ahead goal for Monaco, for its first game under italian coach Guidolin. Final score : Monaco 3-0 Metz

Klaas Jan did get the natural order of things mixed up though ;)

Thank God. Imagine PSV with Klaas Jan now. They still haven't found a replacement for Kezman yet, and Huntelaar would've been a perfect fit. That said, with Vennegoor, Koné, Robert and Sibon, they aren't even off that bad, at all.

By the way saw a bit of PSV - AZ, why was Vlaar only a sub? (and why did he make that stupid back pass)
Kone still looks amazing when he's on the ball doesn't he, he's the kind of guy people will buy the match tickets for... Damn it's sad Anderlecht couldn't snap him up when he moved to Roda.

Vlaar isn't fully healthy yet. He just came back from a pretty serious injury. He did see some minutes vs Macedonia and played the final 10 minutes vs the Czech Republic. But van Gaal has a glut of quality defensemen so it's pretty understanble. And yes, Vlaar is still enjoying the good ol' rookie brainfart every now and then.. Don't forget he's only played in like 5 Ere Divisie matches in his entire career.

And Koné is indeed amazing, especially since he just seemed to toy with one of the better defenses in the league. If only his finishing skills developed some sort of consistency, he'd be a world class striker. But what really got my attention once again is Philippe Cocu's clutchness. He came up huge today in a very, very important match, scoring two goals.

And in other news, Ajax can't even win vs Heracles Almelo these days. And that's in their own Amsterdam ArenA for crying out loud. Best part; Steven Pienaar, probably Ajax's best player as of late started from the bench. As did Ryan Babel. Sometimes I can't figure out Blind. "Hij doet zijn naam eer aan", I guess ;) ..

Ismael Aissati, barely 17 years old and deemed as a huge talent has already played two in Ere Divisie games this year, but last night he also debuted in the Champions League vs AC Milan. He was facing Cafu who was more than twice his age. Aissati, didn't look out of place a single time he was out there, and the funny thing was, Ibrahim Affelay (19), who played the entire game, really emerged when Assatii was on the pitch. About time PSV has some talent coming through, with Affelay and Aissati their midfield looks extremely skilled in the future.

Ismael Aissati, barely 17 years old and deemed as a huge talent has already played two in Ere Divisie games this year, but last night he also debuted in the Champions League vs AC Milan. He was facing Cafu who was more than twice his age. Aissati, didn't look out of place a single time he was out there, and the funny thing was, Ibrahim Affelay (19), who played the entire game, really emerged when Assatii was on the pitch. About time PSV has some talent coming through, with Affelay and Aissati their midfield looks extremely skilled in the future.

Just found out he's the youngest Dutch player to make his CL debute, ever:

1. Ismail Aissati PSV 17j, 2m, 3d AC-Milan-PSV 0-0
2. Nigel de Jong Ajax 17j, 10m, 23d Ajax-Rosenborg 1-1
3. Ryan Babel Ajax 17j, 11m, 4d Juventus-Ajax 1-0
4. Kiki Musampa Ajax 18j, 6m, 24d Ajax-Real Madrid 1-0
5. Patrick Kluivert Ajax 18j, 2m, 13d Ajax-AC Milan 2-0
6. Rody Turpijn Ajax 18j, 4m, 17d AJ Auxerre-Ajax 0-1
7. Clarence Seedorf Ajax 18j, 5m, 13d Ajax-AC Milan 2-0
8. Quincy Owusu Abeyie Arsenal 18j, 7m, 22d Arsenal-Rosenborg 5-1
9. Arjen Robben PSV 18j, 8m, 9d PSV-Bor. Dortmund 1-3
10. Wesley Sneijder Ajax 18j, 9m, 30d Ajax-AC Milan 0-0

This Aissati made a good impression to me as well.. and that is even not taking into consideration the fact he is 17..

His name doesn't sound exactly Dutch..what about his origins Ott?

This Aissati made a good impression to me as well.. and that is even not taking into consideration the fact he is 17..

His name doesn't sound exactly Dutch..what about his origins Ott?

Just like a pretty big part of our populaition, Aissati has Marrocon origins. Ibrahim Affelay too, btw. Both are born here though.

I liked Rennes' Jimmy Briand today.

I liked Rennes' Jimmy Briand today.
Briand has a bright (no pun intended) future.
He has been fantastic with the youth selections every year, and when he has some playing time he plays well for Rennes.

Fabio Paim is a good prospect but how he will do against better competition is the real question with him. I guess he could be on the up and coming list at 11 or 12. Anderson is basically the same deal but his potential is better than Paim's at the moment.I rank Pinilla above Anderson because he is a more proven commodity and still has not hit his peak.

Mouthinho right now is a better prospect than Quaresma because he is more consistent and at 19 is Sporting Lisbon's best player and is becoming a fixture in Portugual's midfield.Though Scolari left him and Quaresma off of the squad for the next two world cup qualfiers mostly because of his personal preferences(Some how Ricardo is still the top goalkeeper though he is now 2nd string at Sporting Lisbon). Quaresma is playing better right now and as I stated if he continues his progression the sky's the limit.


Gonna have to disagree, Quaresma's upside is far greater than Moutinho's

http://rapidshare.de/files/6662558/Ben_Arfa_Ok.mov.html

Ben Arfa free kick in training.

And a Messi one :
http://www.hiboox.com/images/ph6k443.gif

And Messi, Maradona style :
http://www.hiboox.com/images/4fbly--.gif

And a Messi one :
http://www.hiboox.com/images/ph6k443.gif


Thats just incredible how it hits the target over and over again!

:amazed:

I wish he was on Liverpools payroll.

Pfffft, we have Momo!!!!!!!!!!!

Pfffft, we have Momo!!!!!!!!!!! Who!? :huh:

And if you think Messi's good, wait until you get a chance to see Barcelona's youth product, 15 year old Mexican international Giovanni dos Santos. He's absolutely incredible and is one of the best handlers of the ball I've seen at that ageHe is 16..do you think of him as a sure thing already? I've seen him at the U17 WCH and i was impressed by his crystal talent of course (he is an awesome crosser and is undelievably elusive when he is on the left side of the area: he seems to possess a special ability go literally under defender's skin), but as of today i would choose Messi in a heartbeat (not questioning Dos Santos' talent, it's just that i have few doubts about Messi...)

Thats just incredible how it hits the target over and over again!



I wish he was on Liverpools payroll.Ehm..i think someone have to ask that..
is it well hidden sarcasm or...you didn't realize it's the same free kick re-played over and over again?? :rolly:

Dos Santos is really good, and probably a future star. But he's no Messi IMO.

Dos Santos loves Ronaldinho and plays somewhat like him. I've only seen clips of him, but he sounds like he'll be the real deal. Coming up through the Barça youth ranks is a good thing for him and I'm sure he'll pan out. As good as Messi though? I don't know about that. I saw Messi for the first time just over a year ago in Barça-Marseille friendly where both sides played B players. Messi looked OK, but nothing like he does now. He's better than I imagined and perhaps Diego was right when he called him his successor. KNOCK ON WOOD!

Gonna have to disagree, Quaresma's upside is far greater than Moutinho's

Quaresma still has upside? I'm so glad we dumped that primadonna. Using him to get Deco was such a good deal. I wasn't so sure back then, but now I'm a believer. Deco is just awesome, and on both sides of the ball. Too bad we didn't buy C Ronaldo back in the day and Man U Quaresma.

Quaresma still has upside? I'm so glad we dumped that primadonna. Using him to get Deco was such a good deal. I wasn't so sure back then, but now I'm a believer. Deco is just awesome, and on both sides of the ball. Too bad we didn't buy C Ronaldo back in the day and Man U Quaresma.

You will eat your words beleive me. At last he is finally maturing and is developing quite nicely. His attitude and cockiness are a thing of the past.

Momo = Mohammed Sissoko

Who!? :huh:

He is 16..do you think of him as a sure thing already? I've seen him at the U17 WCH and i was impressed by his crystal talent of course (he is an awesome crosser and is undelievably elusive when he is on the left side of the area: he seems to possess a special ability go literally under defender's skin), but as of today i would choose Messi in a heartbeat (not questioning Dos Santos' talent, it's just that i have few doubts about Messi...)

Ehm..i think someone have to ask that..
is it well hidden sarcasm or...you didn't realize it's the same free kick re-played over and over again?? :rolly:


A REPLAY! ****!

:sarcasm:



:biglaugh:

You will eat your words beleive me. At last he is finally maturing and is developing quite nicely. His attitude and cockiness are a thing of the past.

Well a lot of whether or not I eat my words will come down to your last statement coming to fruition. At Barça he was simply brutal on the pitch. Then all he did off the pitch was run his mouth rather than win back a spot. I was annoyed when we signed Luis Garcia back, but was happy to get Quaresma. Luis Garcia proved me wrong and ever since he has won my support. I'm still pissed we ever let him go for Giuly. Giuly isn't completely dreadful, but he really isn't Barça material IMO. He works hard and doesn't run his mouth though, so that saves him.

Oh, oh...
PSG's young phenom, 16 year old David N'Gog has been selected to sit on the bench tonight in League Cup action.
In untypical PSG style, the 16 year old has trained with the pros and was so impressive that he's a probable sub.
He's the U18 starting striker for the national selection, even though he's 16. He's also ridiculously good and effective against every team he's faced in his own age category.
He's powerful, tall, and can really score a lot of goals.

Giuly isn't completely dreadful, but he really isn't Barça material IMO.
You mean not completely dreadful as Barca's second leading scorer in front of bums like Ronaldinho and Deco last year even tough he played in less games than the two because of injuries?
Yep he's really not Barca material. :biglaugh:

So Raul is dreadful?
Just a little comparison (2nd leading scorer on a team that finished behind Barca).

A Messi clip for his actions against Osasuna :
http://donlio.free.fr/Messi%20vs%20Osasuna.wmv

Hey Evilo, what's up with your (welcome) posting about my little guy? Are you jumping on Messi's bandwagon? :D
(Better late than never of course!)

Messi is amazing..

I am still grateful I've had the oppertunity to watch him live during the WC under 21 here in the Netherlands. Everybody was following Quincy Owusu-Abeyie since his game against Japan (best technical game I've ever seen out of any player, ever, period). But Messi played strong every game. It's a shame his move to PSV didn't work out, but watching him excel under Frank Rijkaart and Henk ten Cate is a beautiful thing as well.

Everybody was following Quincy Owusu-Abeyie since his game against Japan (best technical game I've ever seen out of any player, ever, period)Eh!? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Hey Evilo, what's up with your (welcome) posting about my little guy? Are you jumping on Messi's bandwagon? :D
(Better late than never of course!)
That's so typical of you Helice. :shakehead
When was I off the bandwagon exactly?
It's not because I'm not ready to call him god that I'm off his bandwagon!
I am fully aware of his talents, and the hype he deserves (from everyone except you).
The fact is that YOU overrate him by calling him Maradona, saying he's already better than some proven vets, etc...
Will Messi be a great player? Absolutely.
Is he already one of the best players in the world? Not yet.

Eh!? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Skills, trics, entertainment, flair.. He was amazing that game.

Skills, trics, entertainment, flair.. He was amazing that game.

More specifically that first half.

And he was playing a left back who wouldn't know what good defending was if hit bit him in the ***, not to mention the fact that the Japanese left him one on one most of the time....

More specifically that first half.

And he was playing a left back who wouldn't know what good defending was if hit bit him in the ***, not to mention the fact that the Japanese left him one on one most of the time....

He played vs 3 different defenders as Japan kept changing his guardian to see who would be more succesful, yet no one came even close of stopping him. He showed some brilliant skills in the 2nd half as well..

Regardless, my opinion remains.

The fact is that YOU overrate him by calling him Maradona, saying he's already better than some proven vets, etc...Actually, he's just taking the starting spot of a proven vet you regard very highly.

Yeah? Funny, can't remember who scored in that last Barca game. Probably a young argentinian phenom... ;)

That's so typical of you Helice. :shakehead
When was I off the bandwagon exactly?
It's not because I'm not ready to call him god that I'm off his bandwagon!Because calling him already better than Giuly is calling him god??

I am fully aware of his talents, and the hype he deserves (from everyone except you).
saying he's already better than some proven vets, etc....See?
You are not fully aware of his talents imo if you think he is not already better of SOME proven vets..

The fact is that YOU overrate him by calling him Maradona..I don't remember myself calling him Maradona..

..and the hype he deserves (from everyone except you).I really need explanations on this!

Yeah? Funny, can't remember who scored in that last Barca game. Probably a young argentinian phenom... Are you talking about Barca-Osasuna? I guess you didn't watch that game..otherwise you would realize this quote about that meaningless goal sounds like a joke..as it is a complete joke referring to that game to praise Giuly (who entered the pitch only when Rijkaard was sure of the win..) over Messi (who was outstanding).

Because calling him already better than Giuly is calling him god??

See?
You are not fully aware of his talents imo if you think he is not already better of SOME proven vets..

I don't remember myself calling him Maradona..

I really need explanations on this!

Are you talking about Barca-Osasuna? I guess you didn't watch that game..otherwise you would realize this quote about that meaningless goal sounds like a joke..as it is a complete joke referring to that game to praise Giuly (who entered the pitch only when Rijkaard was sure of the win..) over Messi.
The fact is that you overrate Messi big time in nearly all of your posts. Which is pretty bad since it takes away from his great talent.
And I don't praise Giuly over Messi for the Osasuna game (I posted a Messi highlight of the game BTW), I praise Giuly's goal.
Messi is young, and still doesn't make the best choices. That's perfectly normal. For instance, when he takes the ball on the left side of the box, if he centers, there's goal (I think it was Eto'o waiting in the middle). Instead he shoots out of the cage.
That's exactly why I think vets like Giuly and others are still better than him right now (though not for long). They learn to be clutch in the few opportunities they have. Messi creates a lot of opportunities, but he misses a lot of them through poor choices.
Once again, it'll come very quickly, perhaps before the end of the season (most likely).

The fact is that you overrate Messi big time in nearly all of your posts..Let me underline that this is only your opinion and not a fact.

Messi is young, and still doesn't make the best choices. That's perfectly normal. For instance, when he takes the ball on the left side of the box, if he centers, there's goal (I think it was Eto'o waiting in the middle). Instead he shoots out of the cage.
That's exactly why I think vets like Giuly and others are still better than him right now (though not for long). They learn to be clutch in the few opportunities they have. Messi creates a lot of opportunities, but he misses a lot of them through poor choices. DISAGREE.

DISAGREE.
GREAT! :D

You sure Yeste's only 23? I think he's at least 25 and I want to say nearly 27. I can't find his birthdate anywhere though. No room for him at Barça, but I like the guy. I wanted to see both him and Del Horno in the side. Both love to stick it to Madrid! :madfire:

Just thought I'd throw here that Giuly started tonight, and Messi came in at the 62nd... :D

Just thought I'd throw here that Giuly started tonight, and Messi came in at the 62nd... :D

Gee, thanks. I've been tired of Giuly since day one. :rant:

Good/bad news for Ajax fans..

The situation has took a 180 on John Goossens and Jeffrey Sarpong. About a week after it was all but clear Chelsea would sign the two talents, AFC Ajax Amsterdam is reporting to be on the brink of re-signing the two to long term deals.

Bad news is that Chelsea now appears to have set their goals at Vurnon Anita, a 16 year old kid who despite an off-year remains Ajax's most promessing talent. Anita was being courted by Arsenal as well, not sure if that's still the case.

There's much talk in Germany right now about Hansa Rostock's Toni Kroos. He's 15 right now and plays regularly for the German U17 side.

He's a midfielder with a great technique and vision. Of course Rostock doesn't have the chance to hold onto him.
Bayern Munich already signed him for the next season and payed a huge amount of money to Hansa and agreed to play a friendly in Rostock.
Also his father will get a job with Bayern.

That's how much they wanted him.

I hope he will be as good as everybody says but much can happen.

Funny story yesterday. Bayern played in the German cup against Erzgebirge Aue and Aue's coach coached Ballack back then when he was 19 and didn't extend his contract because he thought he wouldn't become something special. :D
Ballack scored the only goal yesterday.

I did a little writing of how the best prospects per L1 team have played so far.
http://www.hfboards.com/showpost.php?p=3793365&postcount=76

Just thought I'd throw here that Giuly started tonight, and Messi came in at the 62nd... :DSince you thought this, for what it's worth, i thought i would mention that Giuly was substituted by Messi with the score being still 0-0 and the game finished 2-0 for Barca.

Since you thought this, for what it's worth, i thought i would mention that Giuly was substituted by Messi with the score being still 0-0 and the game finished 2-0 for Barca.

That was not because of Messi though, he was not very good yesterday (as opposed to Guily who was pretty effective, especially in the first half).

Oh and that was a dive too that won the penalty.

That was not because of Messi though, he was not very good yesterday (as opposed to Guily who was pretty effective, especially in the first half).

Oh and that was a dive too that won the penalty.
:D

Well I'm not taking stand for either party (I can't believe how much ink you guys waste on these issues, lol), just thought I'd show off the fact that I did get to see the game.

And the dive was not Messi's in case anyone's wondering, it was Mr. Ronaldinho himself

Well the worst is really that we're not far apart in our discussions.
We both appreciate Messi and his talents. We're both aware he's going to be a superstar. But just because I don't feel he's effective enough to take over a national team player, Helice feels I underrate the guy and overrate the other guy.
Doesn't matter much though, he'll very soon be better than anyone in Barca save for Ronnie.

That was not because of Messi though.. :dunno:
I know, so what? :dunce:
(i was just answering another cheap shot..)
Well I'm not taking stand for either party..What a news.. i think our law's student could become a career diplomat.
(I can't believe how much ink you guys waste on these issues, lol)Well, i think it's more worthy discussing Lionel Messi than Crouch for example. :p: :p:

Good/bad news for Ajax fans..

The situation has took a 180 on John Goossens and Jeffrey Sarpong. About a week after it was all but clear Chelsea would sign the two talents, AFC Ajax Amsterdam is reporting to be on the brink of re-signing the two to long term deals.

Bad news is that Chelsea now appears to have set their goals at Vurnon Anita, a 16 year old kid who despite an off-year remains Ajax's most promessing talent. Anita was being courted by Arsenal as well, not sure if that's still the case.

It's official; Goossens, Sarpong and Anita re-signed with Ajax. :jump:

Now it shouldn't be long for them to make their debute for the official squad, even though they are 16/17. I pick Goossens to be the first making his debute, since we lack a real effective and pure left winger (Boukhari is inconsistent, Pienaar is awesome but not as a left winger, Mitea is injured). Heck, he might even make his debute this season since the transfer window closed.

Anita is a stud in the making, but he has Maduro, Sneijder and Galasek to compete with. He won't make his debute anytime soon. Same goes for Sarpong..

It's official; Goossens, Sarpong and Anita re-signed with Ajax. :jump:

Now it shouldn't be long for them to make their debute for the official squad, even though they are 16/17. I pick Goossens to be the first making his debute, since we lack a real effective and pure left winger (Boukhari is inconsistent, Pienaar is awesome but not as a left winger, Mitea is injured). Heck, he might even make his debute this season since the transfer window closed.

Anita is a stud in the making, but he has Maduro, Sneijder and Galasek to compete with. He won't make his debute anytime soon. Same goes for Sarpong..

Junior talent of the year 2004/2005; Murat Yildirim re-signed as well.

If any of you want to see L'Equipe of today, which has nearly three pages on this season's MVP so far, Frank Ribéry, feel free to PM me to get the pdf version.
Some people are now saying he should be called up for the world cup. At 22, it's pretty impressive if he manages to sink one of Giuly or Govou.

Here are some of the nicest goals scored by L1 prospects :
Kallstrom : http://goal4net.free.fr/saison0506/jx10/ren-ol/1-0.mpg
Kahlenberg http://goal4net.free.fr/saison0506/jx09/aux-soc/2-0.mpg
Diaby : http://chante.loup.free.fr/saison0506/ligue1/j206/ren-aux/2-1.mpg
Tulio De Melo : http://chante.loup.free.fr/saison0506/ligue1/j07/man-soc/2-1.mpg

And while I'm at it, a Rossi clip : http://bigjet.free.fr/rossi/rossi2.wmv

Gigliotti :
http://pousson.free.fr/asmfc/videos/L1/26-02-05_L1_J27_Nice-Monaco1.zip

Some clips :
Babel : http://www.filefarmer.com/ramsisoccerclips/Comps/TheBabelMovie.rar
Barca 15 yo phenom Krkic : http://www.airfutbol.com/Bojan.wmv
Sahin : http://rapidshare.de/files/5532329/Nuri_Sahin_By_BuzyB.wmv.html
Nasri : http://clusseau.free.fr/nasri_0001.wmv
Anderson : http://www.canalfcp.com/d/?anderson
Dos Santos : http://www.airfutbol.com/Giovanni%20dos%20Santos.wmv

A Menez document, with comments by Bergeroo (member of the 98 WC team) about the 87 generations :
mms://a988.v101995.c10199.e.vm.akamaistream.net/7/988/10199/3f97c7e6/ftvigrp.download.akamai.com/10199/horsgv/regions/siege/france2/stade2/stade2b_20050130.wmv

Finally, a Ben Arfa article, for those that can read french :
http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=38502

Thanks for the links, Evilo. Too bad the Ben Afra article isn't in English..

The Babel clip only shows his goals though, it was his techinque and style that caught the attention of the fans as well..

I'll try to post a few links of my own in a short while..

The frequently talked about "Quincy-Owusu Abeyie show" vs Japan..

http://www.footballclips.net/quincy_owusu_abeyie_vs_japan (right click on download)

Alex Da Costa (PSV)

http://www.footballclips.net/node/1415

Daniel de Ridder (Celta de Vigo)

http://www.art4net.org/eur07.wmv

http://www.footballclips.net/daniel_de_ridder

Robin van Persie (Arsenal)

http://www.bennovg.footballclips.net/Comps/Robin%20van%20Persie%20[by%20Bennovg].wmv.zip

Steven Pienaar (Ajax)

http://www.bennovg.footballclips.net/Comps/Steven%20Pienaar.wmv.zip

It's hard finding a clip of former European talent of the year VDV. Most are outdated or require registration.

Still waiting for Frolov to enlighten us about Feyenoord's hope for the future; Diego Bisewar pic (http://files.datawire.nl/uploads/images/Du786OoDpoVV3WKTWcOQXQ/727-8Z47rLmvHvHTyFrdgxU7KQ.jpg)

Just turned 17 years old, and deemed as one of the most promessing talents of Holland. I haven't seen him play a whole lot outside of a few games at the WC under 17, where he dissapointed big time vs Turkey btw. But Feyenoord fans can't stop talking about him ever since he made his official debute at 16 years of age. He heads the generation that wil bring us Jeffrey Sarpong (F - Ajax) , John Goossens (LW - Ajax), Vurnon Anita (M - Ajax) and Dirk Marcellis (CB - PSV, Captain under 17).

With Castelen (22) Kalou (20), de Guzman (18), Vincken (19) and Bisewar (17), Feyenoord have some real potential firepower uo front. Even PSV with Aissati (17), Affelay (19), Marcellis (17) and Koné (22), PSV too has a bright looking future for once.

It's official; Goossens, Sarpong and Anita re-signed with Ajax. :jump:

Found an article in English..

http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=320500&CPID=9&clid=&lid=2&title=Chelsea+fail+with+Ajax+raid

Stanley Aborah (Ajax - Ghana/Belgium) on loan to FC Den Bosch.

ah, very surprising news : Chelsea has talked to David N'Gog's family...
Here is, in training camp against Yepes :
http://psgjunior.free.fr/Effectifs/Attaquants/NGog-David16.JPG

I saw Bisewar with the European Championships U-17 last season and he was amazing, great little dribbler, played on the wing, RW I believe. However that doesn't mean his game will translate well to the bigger level but he does have skill. IIRC he did seem to have one or two problems passing at the right time though.

Sarpong and Anita were also on that team BTW, Bisewar made the bigger impression in the one game I saw but that doesn't mean anything of course.

Here is a nice clip of Ben Arfa's first game this year, against Auxerre :
http://bensaad.info/Bonanza/hba_mini_show.wmv
If you have never seen Hatem play and you don't know what the fuss is about him, you'll get a bit clearer view after this.

I saw Bisewar with the European Championships U-17 last season and he was amazing, great little dribbler, played on the wing, RW I believe. However that doesn't mean his game will translate well to the bigger level but he does have skill. IIRC he did seem to have one or two problems passing at the right time though.

Sarpong and Anita were also on that team BTW, Bisewar made the bigger impression in the one game I saw but that doesn't mean anything of course.

Some of my Feyenoord friends told me to keep an eye out on Bisewar before the tournament got underway, as an introduction I got to see a small clip where he dribbled his way through several defenders, stopped, let them recover only to embarrass the same defenders once more. He's got a rediculous skillset to boot and honestly had me thinking this could be one of the greater players Holland has ever produced. Yet while decent, I had a pretty dissapointing opinion towards Bisewar after the end of the tournament. Most Feyenoord fans I've spoken agreed with me on that. I guess it's saying alot that he still manages to impress people when he's not playing up to expectations.

The Dutch had a few poor years in terms of game breaking talent (players who now are in the 22/25 age range, only ones who stand out are van der Meyde, Castelen, Huntelaar). But the under 17 generation is exceptionally skilled at every position and might equal, if not surpass the generation breaking through right now (Goossens, Anita, Sarpong, Marcellis, Bisewar, Aissati etc vs Robben, van der Vaart, van Persie, Heitinga, Owusu, John, Emanuelson, Babel, Kalou, Vermeer, Vlaar, de Guzman, Afellay, Medunjanin, etc)

Helicecopter..
Been working on it and the list of names is ready. Play descriptions will take a while. :pout:

:jump:

:pout:

:jump:


100+ players and about 80% of them done...
List will be ready next monday :)

100+ players and about 80% of them done...
List will be ready next monday :) :eek: :eek: :bow:


:hyper:

My list has been hampered by a significant delay due to school work. Not sure when I'll find the time to finish it :(

Still waiting for Frolov to enlighten us about Feyenoord's hope for the future; Diego Bisewar pic (http://files.datawire.nl/uploads/images/Du786OoDpoVV3WKTWcOQXQ/727-8Z47rLmvHvHTyFrdgxU7KQ.jpg)
Frolov doesn't know anything about it, sorry. :(

Of course I know Feyenoord has a bunch of high end talents but I've only seen flashes of them and I haven't read much about them either. The Premier league, Primera Division, Serie A, The Bundesliga, Feyenoord, The Dutch league, The NHL..there are only 24 hours in one day and I do my best to watch as much as possible.

I just wait when these talents crack the Feyenoord line-up. :propeller

Q&A with Messi:
http://www.alchemyworx.com/skysports/ezine/nov_05/wk36/lp/digest4.htm

(On a side note, I am for some reason unable to use copy-paste, so I have to type everything out if I want a duplicate. Anyone know what could be wrong?)

What club did you support growing up?
In Argentina, Newell's Old Boys. I am sad that they are currently in such a bad position but I hope that they recover next weekend against Rosario Central in the derby. And in Spain, of course Barcelona.

What are your aims for next season?
I am enjoying very much what is currently happening to me at Barcelona and with the national team.

Where do you see yourself (playing) in 2010?
Whoa, it's impossible to know.

Who is the most difficult opponent you have played against?
The Colombian Under-20 national team in the World Cup.

Who is the most skillful player you have played with?
Ronaldinho and Sergio Aguero from Independiente. I would love to have Aguero at my side at Barcelona. We have a full understanding in the pitch.

If you could change one thing about football what would it be?
People being so anxious for seeing their team winning from the first minute that a match has started.

What is your opinion on the youth system in this country?
In Spain, it's great. I am very thankful for all what has been given to me here. I have learnt many things.

Are young British players able to get a fair chance to impress?
Of course they are. In fact they already have some young players that impress.

What would your best piece of advice be for young footballers?
To trust only in people that have been always by your side and not by people that approach you when you start to become famous.

What would you say your strengths and weaknesses in football are?
Well, for what the press says, my strengths are my dribbling and that I am very fast with the ball at my feet. My weaknesses are that I have to be a little bit less anxious when I have the chance to play. (...)

Edit : copy :dunno:

Pretty boring interview, IMO..

Q&A with Messi:
http://www.alchemyworx.com/skysports/ezine/nov_05/wk36/lp/digest4.htm

(On a side note, I am for some reason unable to use copy-paste, so I have to type everything out if I want a duplicate. Anyone know what could be wrong?)I experienced the same problem with that page and i couldn't copy-paste anything anymore before closing it. :dunno:

Thanks for the link though. ;)

Pretty boring interview, IMO..
But it's not an interview..

On a different