World Soccer Presents - Rise of Ronaldo (2022)

12 RISEOFRONALDO

THERISE

extradimensioncomparedtotraditional
deep-lyingBarcaplaymakerssuch as
PepGuardiolaandXavi.Theplayer of
thetournament andtopscoreratthe
2003 WorldUnder-17Championship.

JeffersonFARFAN

26. 10 .84;PSV(Ned)
    Peru
    Peru’sanswerto WayneRooney.Farfan
    isa squatly-builtsecondstriker who
    catchestheeyewith hisuninhibited
    forwardchargesandwhiplashshooting.
    ProbablyquickerthanRooney,though
    hestillhasplentytolearn aboutplaying
    withhisbacktogoal.But Farfanis no
    strangertoresponsibility. Hisgoalstook
    AlianzaLimatotheirlatest leaguetitle,
    a contributionmoreinkeepingwiththat
    ofa seasonedinternationalstriker.Peru
    coachPauloAutuoriunleashedhimwhen
    South America’sWorldCup qualifiers
    gotunderway last September. Farfan
    hasnotdisappointed andwentintothe
    CopaAmericawithfiveinternational
    goalstohisname.Hisexploitsattracted
    interestfromalloverEuropeand,after
    a protractedwrangle,PSV wonhis
    signature. Farfanseemsunflustered.
    “I’llalwaysenjoymyselfplaying
    football,”hesays, andthatshould
    alsoapplytothosewhowatchhim.

AhmedFATHI

11. 1 0.84; Ismaili
    Egypt
    Theoverlappingright-backwas another
    ofthe findsofthisyear’sAFCONfinals,
    havingalsoimpressedattheWorldYouth
    Cupin theUAElastNovember. Fathinow
    hassevencapsforthe seniornational
    side,havingmadehisdebutlast year
    against Francein Paris.HelpedIsmailito
    theAfricanChampionsLeaguefinallast
    Decemberandissaid to be headingto
    ParisSaint-Germainsoonfor£1million.

FredyGUARIN
30.06.86;Envigado
Colombia
Theleaderofanextremelypromising
Colombiangenerationwhoreachedthe
semi-finalsoflast year’sWorldUnder- 17
Championship.Aneffervescentcentral
midfielderwithspectacularlong-range
shooting,hewillbeexpectedtoproduce
whenColombiahost next year’sSouth
AmericanUnder-20Championship.

BabacarGUEYE
02.03.86;Metz(Fra)
Senegal
Africa’snew strikingsensationhas
cushionedtheblowof theabsenceof
suspendedEl HadjiDioufatthe startof
Senegal’s 2 006 WorldCupqualifying
campaign.Made 23 appearancesfor

MetzinFrance’sLigue1 last season,

12 inthestartingline-up,thoughhe

scoredonlyonce.Hisinternational

returnhas beena lotmoreprolific.

LabinotHARBUZI

4. 04 .86;Feyenoord (Ned)
   Sweden
   ThisSwedishattackingmidfieldprodigy
   ofYugoslav originshadscoresofclubs
   covetinghimafter breakingintothe
   Malmo firstteamattheageofjust 15.
   Hefinally optedtotakethewell-trodden
   route from SwedentoFeyenoord.Has
   greatvision,touchandindustriousness.

SergioJAUREGUI

1 3. 03 .85;Blooming

Bolivia

Ruggedcentre-backwhoisalready

featuring in hiscountry’sseniornational

team. Forovera decadeBolivia’sdefence

hasbeen builtaround thelikes of Juan

ManuelPena,OscarSanchez and

Marco Sandy. Finally, theyseem

tohavea naturalsuccessor.

JUANFRAN

09.01. 85 ; RealMadrid

Spain

Veryskilful,dynamicright-sided

midfielderreportedlyattractinginterest

fromChelsea.A member of theSpanish

Under-20sidethatfinishedrunners-up

atthe 2 00 3 WorldYouth Cup.

HoseinKAEBI

23. 1 2.85; Foolad
    Iran
    ThetalkofIranianfootball fortwoyears
    sincemakinghisdebutfor thenational
    sideasa16-year-oldagainst Slovakia
    inFebruary 20 02.Themidfielderhas
    alreadyattracted interest from European
    clubsandhashadatrialwithWolves
    inEngland.Kaebiisseenasa keyplayer
    forthefuture of thenationalteamwith
    hisleadership andskill on theball.

SalomonKALOU

05.08.85;Feyenoord (Ned)

IvoryCoast

YoungerbrotherofBonaventure,who

frustratedcoachesatFeyenoordandis

nowat Auxerre. Salomonisalsoa right

wingerwith thesamequickqualities.He

hasa contractuntil 2007 atFeyenoord

butwas loanedtoExcelsiorthispast

seasontopickupsomefirst-team

experience.Sayshehasmodelled

hisgameonthatofThierryHenry.

VincentKOMPANY

10 .04.86;Anderlecht

Belgium

Athletic,quickand powerful,the teenage

centre-backcouldnot have dreamtofa

better first seasonwiththeAnderleh

pros,playinga keyroleasthe Brussels

clubwonthedomesticleagueand

breakingintotheseniornationalte

LookslikeayoungMarcelDesailly.

NikoKRANJCAR

13 .08.84;DinamoZagreb

Croatia

Brilliantplaymakercastfromthesa

mouldasgreatcompatriotZvonimir

Boban.Matureandanatural leader,

hewas only 19 whenappointed

captainofDinamoZagreb.

ObafemiMARTINS

28. 1 0.84; Internazionale(Ita)
    Nigeria
    RecentlycappedbyNigeriaaftergiing
    thecountry’sselectorstherunaroud
    forayear. He turns 20 inOctoberbut
    hasalreadyfeaturedinthe Champin
    LeagueandscoredinSerieA.Namd
    2003 AfricanYoungPlayerofthee

JeremyMENEZ

30. 1 1.86;Sochaux
    France
    The FrenchUnder- 1 7 strikerwastipped
    earlierthisyeartobeenroute for
    Manchester UnitedorArsenal, onlyt
    decidetocontinuehisdevelopment
    withSochaux.Has nowsignedhisfis
    procontractwith theeasternFrenc
    club.Opportunistic,strongandmobil.

DayroMORENO

16 .09.85;OnceCaldas

Colombia

Right-sidedattackerwhoplayed his

toprominenceinhisclub’s triumphn

runin thisyear’sCopaLibertadores,

featuringstronglyinthe home gams

A wonderfullyfluentmover in open

spaces,at thisstagehelooksmore

ofa makerthana takerofchances.

TakayukiMORIMOTO

7. 05 .88;TokyoVerdy
   Japan
   OssieArdilesgaveMorimotohisJ.Leg
   debutthisseason,against Jubilolwata
   bringingthe strikeronasa subandin
   theprocesshandinghimthehonour
   becomingthe youngest playerto ap
   inJapaneseprofessionalfootballage.
   Morimoto thenbecamethe J.Leagu’
   youngestscorer, hittingthewinnerv
   UnitedIchiharatwo daysbefore his
   birthday.Withhisshavenhead,powrl
   buildandtrickery runningatpace, e
   hasdrawncomparisonstoRonaldo.

SamirNASRI

26.06.87;Marseille

France

Theattackingmidfielderscoredplet