World Soccer

Doentes Por Futebol Translation: The Moment of Truth For Neymar

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Doentes Por Futebol recently published a fascinating opinion piece by Victor Mendes Xavier on the impact Lionel Messi’s injury will have on Neymar and Barcelona’s tactical setup without Messi. The article is entitled “A hora da verdade para Neymar.” The English translation of the title is, “The Moment of Truth For Neymar.” You may notice that “the hour (or time) of truth” is translated into English as “the moment of truth,” which is a common figure of speech.

The piece highlights how Neymar will be expected to take up the main offensive role at the club, and the article also highlights the greater freedom Neymar will have on the field in general and in the attack. Victor Mendes Xavier also points out how Neymar will be able to drop into the midfield to combine and link up with the midfielders without giving up his role as a forward.

Here is a link to the article on the outstanding site and excellent social media follow, Doentes Por Futebol, which of course means “Crazy About Soccer.”

http://doentesporfutebol.com.br/2015/09/a-hora-da-verdade-para-neymar/

Here is a translation of the opinion piece with the original text below:

The Moment of Truth for Neymar

“The injury to Messi fell on Barcelona’s world like a bomb. Without his main star, Luís Enrique will need now more than ever one name in particular: Neymar. More so than Suárez, the Brazilian has the air of the lead man, decisiveness and skill, that in the end, made the club rip him away from Santos looking for a “Second Messi” on the roster. Obviously, the Argentine is irreplaceable and unique. But Neymar has the qualities to be a provisional leader for Barça.

Luís Enrique knows this. Two weeks ago, in the matchup against Átletico de Madrid, when Messi started on the bench, the Spaniard put the Number 11 in charge of leading the attack. Neymar, in theory, started out left, but, without the Number 10, gained even more freedom of movement. His movements down the middle, just like Messi’s, were greater, the partnership with Iniesta was more evident, and the interplay between the lines left the Atlético de Madrid center back pairing uncomfortable.

In the coming weeks without the Number 10, Lucho will study changing the formation, right away. Based on a piece in Mundo Deportivo, the Asturian plans to discard the 4-3-3 in favor of a (diamond) 4-4-2 with a more populated midfield: Busquets and Mascherano as a double pivot; Iniesta and Rakitic out wide on the flanks. In this formation, Neymar and Suárez would move all over the attack. Better for Neymar, who would have the option of interacting with the midfielders without necessarily having to compromise his role as a forward. Closer to goal, it’s almost certain that he will shine.

Neymar will have two months to display his true footballing range, which is greater than he has enjoyed thus far at Barcelona. Keep an eye on him.”

Original Brazilian Portuguese text:

“A lesão de Messi caiu como uma bomba no ambiente barcelonista. Sem seu principal astro, Luis Enrique irá necessitar mais do que nunca de um nome em especial: Neymar. Mais do que Suárez, o brasileiro tem uma aura de protagonista, decisão e técnica que, no fundo, fez o clube tirá-lo do Santos buscando um “segundo Messi” no elenco. Obviamente, o argentino é insubstituível e único. Mas Ney tem condições de ser um líder provisório do Barça.

Luis Enrique sabe disso. Há duas semanas, no duelo contra o Atlético de Madrid, quando Messi começou no banco, o espanhol encarregou o camisa 11 de liderar o sistema ofensivo. Ney, teoricamente, partiu da ponta esquerda, mas, sem o dez, ganhou ainda mais liberdade de movimentação. Seus movimentos à medular, tal qual Messi, foram maiores, a parceria com Iniesta ficou mais evidente e o jogo entre linhas deixou a dupla de zaga colchonera desconfortável.

Nas próximas semanas sem o 10, Lucho estuda mudar o sistema, pelo menos momentaneamente. De acordo com uma publicação do Mundo Deportivo, o asturiano pretende deixar o 4-3-3 de lado para formar um 4-4-2 com um meio-campo mais povoado: Mascherano e Busquets no doble-pivote; Iniesta e Rakitic abertos pelos flancos. Dessa forma, Neymar e Suárez se moveriam por todas as partes do ataque. Melhor para Ney, que teria a opção de dialogar com os meias sem necessariamente ter que cumprir funções de ponta. Mais próximo do gol, é quase certo que ele irá brilhar.

Neymar terá dois meses para mostrar sua verdadeira dimensão futebolística, que é maior do que a desfrutada até agora no Barcelona. Olho nele.”

 

Juventus Find a Regista and Holding Midfielder in Mario Lemina

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In their recent player ratings for the Juventus-Frosinone match, Tuttosport described Mario Lemina as playing the role of a regista di contenimento, which would be a deep-lying playmaker and holding midfielder at the same time.

Since Andrea Pirlo’s departure for MLS, Juventus has been looking for a midfielder to play in front of the defense, and they purchased German defensive midfielder, Sami Khedira, for this very purpose.

With Khedira injured, the versatile central midfielder Claudio Marchisio was going to be played in this role in front of the defense, but now Marchisio himself is injured.

Given Marchisio’s engine and facility as a box-to-box midfielder, it would be a shame to park Marchisio in front of the defense, but now Lemina (himself a box-to-box midfielder) has proven to be an effective holding midfielder with the ability to boss a midfield.

So the center midfielder can give Juventus a player to win back possession in the center of the midfield, and a central midfielder to act as a pivot to direct Juventus’ passing game from just in front of the defense.

With a player like Lemina in this role, Paul Pogba is set free to roam all over the midfield and attack where he sees fit, and Lemina opens up the possibility to start the electric Roberto Pereyra who brings so much dynamism, running, creativity, and attacking prowess.

Once thought of as an afterthought to Juventus’ summer signings, Lemina might now be a key player in the Juventus squad and midfield. Even when Khedira returns from injury, can he match the athleticism and skill of Lemina who might be better equipped to defend elite attackers and quickly open up the game for other Juventus players to attack?

Lemina brings an impressive array of skills and qualities plus an ease with having the ball on either foot.

Sometimes the less-heralded players surprise you, and Juventus might have a commanding midfielder on their hands in Lemina whose completeness as a center midfielder allows him to bring technical skill, strong defending, and standout athleticism to the holding midfielder and deep-lying playmaker role.

Massimiliano Allegri certainly has many lineup decisions to make in his midfield and elsewhere, and now Lemina’s play might cause him to have to think about his best lineup even more.

The New French Defense: Raphaël Varane and Kurt Zouma

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After the emergence of Raphaël Varane onto the world stage as a prodigy of a central defender with lightning pace, effortless technical skill, and strong defensive instincts and fundamentals, there was a question about whom would partner Varane in the center of the French defense.

Kurt Zouma is the answer to that question. Zouma is a monster of a central defender not only in his physique and athleticism, but also in his technical skill and ability as a man-marker and tackler.

Zouma has also proved to be a big threat offensively on set pieces. Let’s see what else the central defender (and defensive midfielder) shows in the attack.

The French National Team released some videos of Varane and Zouma juggling (along with Paul Pogba) and frankly they were scary good.

While most professional players playing for top clubs all display impressive technical skill as a given, the type of juggling that Zouma and Varane were doing looked worthy of a Ronaldinho or Neymar freestyle performance.

Even right now, the Zouma and Varane pairing has to be considered arguably the best center back pairing on the international level – and maybe the club level as well. It’s hard to think of a better pairing, especially since Brazil has been changing up their center backs and snubbing Thiago Silva (the best defender in the world).

Why is Zouma and Varane the best center back pairing in the world? Because Varane was already considered one of the top three or five center backs in the world, and now Zouma has been a standout for Chelsea. So what you have now is central defenders that are considered prodigies and both of them are very hard to beat for pace. They are also very comfortable with the ball at their feet.

With UEFA Euro 2016 coming up next year and the 2018 World Cup a few years away, it’s hard to see a better center back pairing in all of world football. Those two young defenders could be France’s central defense for the next decade.

The Zouma and Varane pairing should come to be considered the most formidable in soccer, and after France made a deep World Cup run in 2014, maybe France is an early favorite for the 2018 World Cup.

How Mario Balotelli Can Reach Elite Status

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There is so much attention, criticism, and excitement around Mario Balotelli when he plays that it’s hard to treat him like any other soccer player.

The inconsistency with which Balotelli displays his amazing technical skill, athleticism, and physique infuriates spectators, teammates, and coaches alike. The ability and athleticism he showcases cause people to expect a world-beating performance from Balotelli every game, and this is why he is so criticized.

As an attacking player, Balotelli has everything that you could ask for. He has a velcro first-touch, and he’s basically technically-perfect with both feet. His passing and dribbling are world-class, and his shot is almost second to none in power and placement.

But, Balotelli doesn’t maximize and capitalize on his talent, which is good enough to dribble past anyone, unlock defenses with passes, and score on any goalkeeper. Too often Balotelli isn’t totally committed and focused on being 100% involved in games.

If Balotelli were always or almost always fully engaged in games, then his statistics and influence would be much better than they currently are.

It’s important to remember that people’s expectations are almost higher than they are for any other player. People see a phenomenal talent and athlete inside of an imposing physique, and they expect the world.

The best thing Balotelli can do for his play and his career is to solely focus on always making himself very involved in games, and he should impose his will on games.

One of the most impressive things about Balotelli is how his talent and physical gifts always make him a threat that opposing players immediately recognize. If you watch Balotelli in a game, then basically all you see is Balotelli. He is the killer shark in the water that everyone immediately notices.

For Balotelli, actively focusing on not becoming irritated and rattled by opposing players and fans should be his first priority. If he does this, then he can be totally focused on the game.

The type of focus and the level of restraint needed from Balotelli is somewhat unfair as almost no other player has to try so hard to not be reactive.

Nevertheless, Balotelli is an amazing talent that hopefully all soccer fans can come to enjoy, and if he is able to just be very involved in every game while blocking out all of the provocations, then he can reach the level where is acknowledged as a world-class player, instead of just a world-class talent.

As everyone knows, the talent is definitely there. Most professionals will never be able to do the stuff that Balotelli can do. For soccer’s sake, let’s hope that he can tune out and ignore all of the things that rattle him and take his focus off his play.

Say what you want about Balotelli, but he is a force of nature that all soccer fans can’t take their eyes off.

What’s the Best Paris Saint-Germain Lineup?

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The keys to Paris Saint-Germain’s lineup for the 2015-2016 campaign will be starting Javier Pastore as a No.10, starting David Luiz as a defensive midfielder so that Marquinhos can start with Thiago Silva at center back, and starting the active Edinson Cavani as the center forward over Swedish legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Pastore along with Blaise Matuidi and Marco Verratti is the key to PSG’s Front Six, and the lineup should be built around him as there are so few playmakers in today’s game like him that can truly decide matches.

The toughest decision for Laurent Blanc will be deciding whether to start Lucas Moura or Ángel Di María with Cavani up top.

Moving David Luiz out of the defense and into the anchor role of the PSG midfield allows Marquinhos to start alongside Thiago Silva at center back, and make no mistake, Marquinhos is a better central defender than David Luiz.

With David Luiz in front of Thiago Silva and Marquinhos, PSG has arguably the toughest defense to break down in world football. If you factor in Verratti and Matuidi roaming around the midfield as well, PSG has a squad that will be very difficult for even the elite Champions League teams to penetrate.

With Pastore, Cavani, and Lucas or Di María in the attack, PSG has the best attacking trident in the world after Barcelona’s trio of Lionel Messi, Luís Suárez, and Neymar.

The level of passing and attacking creativity that PSG’s Front Six will be able to showcase this season will be a sight to behold. PSG will just have to come to terms with having more superstars than starting spots, and the group will have to buy into the team concept.

Lucas and Di María will need to accept sometimes starting and sometimes not, and at times PSG’s midfield will be rotated and tweaked. Even Pastore might have to occasionally play just part of games if that is needed, but Lucas or Di María should be sacrificed first as Pastore is the orchestrator of the attack and the creator of goals.

Rounding out the lineup, Serge Aurier looks like the go-to starting right back with Maxwell at left back. Kevin Trapp is the clear first-choice goalkeeper for Blanc, but Salvatore Sirigu shouldn’t be taken lightly.

With this lineup as well as with some of its variations, Paris Saint-Germain is clearly amongst the top four club sides in the world with Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.

Below is the lineup discussed above (4-3-1-2 Formation):

Goalkeeper- Kevin TRAPP

Right Back- Serge AURIER

Center Back- THIAGO SILVA

Center Back- MARQUINHOS

Left Back- MAXWELL

Right Midfielder- Marco VERRATTI

Center Midfielder- DAVID LUIZ

Left Midfielder- Blaise MATUIDI

Attacking Midfielder: Javier PASTORE

Forward- Edinson CAVANI

Forward- LUCAS Moura / Ángel DI MARÍA

 

Why Javier Pastore Should Remain an Indispensable PSG Starter

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Javier Pastore is not only the key playmaker for Paris Saint-Germain, but he is also the player that connects PSG’s midfield to its attack. No matter what formation PSG uses, the Argentine virtuoso should remain a reference point in the squad.

All of the passing, industry, and defending of PSG’s central midfielders is fruitless if Pastore isn’t included in the starting lineup to be the key linking player to create scoring opportunities.

Paris Saint-Germain under Laurent Blanc has regularly used a 4-3-3 formation with Javier Pastore often lining up out left in the Front Three, but with the arrival of Ángel Di María, it’s key that Pastore keeps his starting spot.

Blanc and PSG have many ways to accommodate Pastore’s unique genius, and one controversial but wise way is to pick either Edinson Cavani or Zlatan Ibrahimovic but not both for the starting lineup. This is assuming Ibrahimovic doesn’t switch clubs.

Rather than forcing Cavani out to the right or left wing in the attacking trident, Cavani should be deployed in his natural position as a center forward with Pastore either lining up as a trequartista or as a right or left wing.

Keeping three center midfielders is crucial to PSG winning the battle for the midfield against top opponents, so Pastore must be used either as a forward or as a Number 10.

Di María can play as a wing on either side or as a second striker. Playing out left gives PSG a left-footed attacker on the left side of the field, but starting out right allows Di María to cut inside onto his stronger left foot. Either way, Di María is a deadly and decisive attacker.

Pastore plays like a Number 10 no matter where his position is on paper, so it makes little difference if Pastore is listed as part of an attacking trident or as an attacking midfielder sitting just behind the two strikers.

Blanc will have a problem deciding whether to start Lucas Moura or Di María or both, but no matter what he decides, Pastore shouldn’t be sacrificed.

Both Cavani and Ibrahimovic can score with the best of them, and if both players are still playing for PSG, then starting Pastore is more important than starting both Cavani and Ibrahimovic. The argument can even be made that PSG played its best soccer when Ibrahimovic wasn’t in the lineup.

Instead of starting Pastore in a thee-man midfield, a strong PSG midfield could consist of Marco Verratti, David Luiz, and Blaise Matuidi with Pastore as a Number 10 or part of an attacking trident.

If PSG wants to have a 50/50 balance between ball recovery and attacking play, then Pastore should be deployed in a more advanced position than those three midfielders.

In fact, despite the tactical point made previously, a strong argument can be made that just Verratti and Matuidi without a third central midfielder is enough defensive firepower for PSG’s midfield to boss the battle of the midfield, as Pastore has become a two-way midfielder in his own right that provides lots of running and even defending.

During this summer’s Copa America, the Argentine attacking midfielder was even dropping back deep into the midfield to influence the game.

El Flaco can play in front of Verratti and Matuidi as an attacking midfielder in a three-man midfield, and this formation allows both Lucas Moura and Di María to start. Assuming both provide plenty of high pressing, PSG’s lineup shouldn’t be too heavily tilted toward the offensive.

In order for PSG to go even deeper in the Champions League in 2015-2016, Pastore needs to not be viewed as something of a luxury player that is not key to PSG’s success.

Pastore proved his worth last season for PSG, and he was arguably the best player at the 2015 Copa America.

Looking over all of the lineup options available to Blanc, perhaps a 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-1-3 formation would better utilize PSG’s cluster of stars. In those formations, Pastore would play as the center attacking midfielder with Verratti and Matudi behind him and Di María and Lucas to his left and right.

Blanc will have plenty of 50/50 lineup decisions to make this campaign, but Pastore shouldn’t be one of them.

 

The New Look French National Team

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Raphaël Varane and Paul Pogba. (Photo: AFP)
Raphaël Varane and Paul Pogba. (Photo: AFP)

 

Monsters in the midfield. Monsters in the defense. Watch out, Germany. France is still a real threat.

Paul Pogba and Raphaël Varane, arguably the best midfielder and the best central defender in the world. Both French. Both 22 years old.

UEFA Euro 2016 is next year, and the French National Team has built on its 2014 World Cup success to have an even stronger national team that must be regarded as one of the very best.

With Kurt Zouma and Raphaël Varane in the center of the defense and a midfield comprised of Blaise Matuidi, Morgan Schneiderlin, Geoffrey Kondogbia, and Paul Pogba, Les Bleus are a stacked and formidable squad poised to threaten Germany.

Not only is the entire spine of France virtually impenetrable, but every one of those midfielders and central defenders is technically-gifted – and all but Schneiderlin are truly world-class athletes.

Varane is a phenomenally smooth defender with explosiveness and refined fundamentals, and Zouma gives rivals night terrors.

While Varane is hard to wrong foot and next to impossible to outpace, Zouma is just plain scary to face.

With Varane, France already had arguably the best defender in the world, and Zouma has looked equally as good for Chelsea.

The French midfield is a four-man wall of center midfielders, and only Schneiderlin is strictly a defensive midfielder as opposed to the other three midfielders who are all complete center midfielders with the versatile to change positions during games.

Both Matuidi and Kondogbia are left-footed, but either one can line-up slightly right of center in the midfield. With Pogba best used in a more advanced position in the midfield, Matuidi or Kondogbia will have to be deployed as the right midfielder on paper.

With the exception of Schneiderlin, France’s midfield should prove to be a fluid trident of Matuidi, Pogba, and Kondogbia – any of them can play anywhere in the midfield.

While Antoine Griezmann deserves to start with Karim Benzema in the attack, Kingsley Coman of Juventus might just have too much skill, creativity, and speed to leave on the bench. Griezmann is an excellent passer and dribbler that leaves defenders for dead, but Coman is an a phenomenon like Varane and Pogba.

It’s unfair to Griezmann, but Coman might deserve to start over him for Les Bleus.

France has been excelling with the 4-3-3, and they should stick with this formation for consistency. In this set-up, Pogba can be thought of as part of the Front Three as a trequartista that defends.

 

In front of the Back Four, the two blocks of three would look as follows:

Matuidi  Schneiderlin  Kondogbia

Benzema  Pogba  Griezmann/Coman

 

As for the full 11, here is arguably France’s best line-up:

GK- HUGO LLORIS

RB- BACARY SAGNA

CB- KURT ZOUMA

CB- RAPHAËL VARANE

LB- LAYVIN KURZAWA / LUCAS DIGNE

RM- BLAISE MATUIDI

DM- MORGAN SCHNEIDERLIN

LM- GEOFFREY KONDOGBIA

AM- PAUL POGBA

F- KARIM BENZEMA

F- ANTOINE GRIEZMANN/KINGSLEY COMAN

 

Brazil’s New Attackers

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While the search for the Seleção’s Number 9 continues, two Brazilian attackers stand out as worthy of lining up to the right and left of Neymar.

Lucas Moura and Felipe Anderson are worthy to line up next to Neymar.

The Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) must make sure that Lucas Moura and Felipe Anderson are put on the Seleção. These players embody the spirit of Brazilian soccer, and Neymar could use some more attackers that can shred defenders by themselves.

Time for Brazilian soccer to return to the electrifying and creative style of attacking play that made Brazil the undisputed best national team in the world in the past.

Lucas, Neymar, and Felipe Anderson can take Brazil back to futebol arte.

Assuming Brazil uses two excellent center midfielders and a quality Number 9, then the trio of Lucas, Neymar, and Felipe Anderson should make the Seleção a team to truly fear once again.

Brazil has been falling short of expectations, but the doomsday prophecies of Brazilian soccer are off base.

Brazil’s problems lay with finding a better starting line-up, and the main question marks are in the defensive midfield roles and the center forward position.

After all, Danilo, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, and Marcelo is an excellent Back Four, and Lucas, Neymar, and Felipe Anderson is an outstanding trio of world-class attackers.

While Lucas is a game-deciding attacker, his game is most associated with phenomenal dribbling and speed. Lucas is an excellent passer and finisher, but his speed and dribbling are huge x-factors.

Felipe Anderson combines playmaking with goal-scoring skill, and like Lucas and Neymar, he is virtually unplayable when he’s on his game.

Last season in Serie A, Felipe Anderson was the proverbial man on fire, and he and Lucas should help Neymar and the Seleção bring futebol arte back.

 

Javier Pastore, Proof of Number 10s

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If you thought all of world soccer’s Number 10s were gone, then have no such fears. Jorge Valdivia isn’t the last of the 10s.

Javier Pastore is carrying the torch. Someone will take it up after him.

El Flaco is a pure Number 10, and he not only creates and keeps possession, but he’s also full of running and defense. At the peak of his powers Zinedine Zidane was all over the field, constantly involved with everything.

Alternating between Paris Saint-Germain’s Midfield Three and Front Three, the Argentina playmaker has become a key component of the Albiceleste.

The increased running and defending adopted by Pastore has made the Argentine more indispensable, and these improvements in his play have made him more influential all over the field.

Pastore also has a level of speed and quickness that is quite uncommon amongst pure 10s, and this allows him to burst into the penalty box to score and set up goals.

After Argentina’s Copa America semifinal goleada over Paraguay, the Argentine publication, Canchallena, gave Pastore an extremely high rating of 9, an almost unheard of rating.

On the Argentinean National Team and for Barcelona, Lionel Messi essentially plays as an attacking midfielder, forward, and wing at the same time, but Pastore knows how to play with Messi, which makes him not superfluous alongside Messi.

This ability to thrive with Messi was one of the reasons for Pastore’s amazing rating of 9 for the Copa America semifinal.

The Córdoba, Argentina native has done what more playmaking magicians need to do to not be kept out of the starting line-up: run all game and win back possession.

Pastore’s now two-way play hasn’t resulted in a dip in his creativity in his passing and dribbling, and this quiver of qualities has him now fulfilling his promise.

The Argentine knew that coaches, fans, and the media would criticize him if he didn’t change his style of play, and luckily this change didn’t mean that he was no longer the technical genius that made him special.

Many have lamented the disappearance of world soccer’s Number 10s in the style of Zinedine Zidane, Juan Roman Riquelme, and Jorge Valdivia, but Pastore plays in this style, which has delighted the likes of Eric Cantona and Thiago Silva.

With the 2014-2015 season with Paris Saint-Germain and this Copa America, Javier Pastore has officially arrived as an elite attacking midfielder.

Long Live Javier Pastore, and in a world where Number 10s are being pushed out of line-ups and off rosters, may there be more creative midfielders like him.

The Top 10 Copa America Players

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By: COLIN REESE

 

1. Lionel MESSI (Argentina)

The Argentina attacker is the undisputed best player in the Copa America and in world football. Messi not only blazes through seas of defenders off the dribble, but the Argentine can also unlock any defense with his passing and with what Ray Hudson calls his fly’s eye vision. Messi’s peers refer to him as an alien, and everyone knows Messi is the best.

 

2. NEYMAR (Brazil)

The Brazilian and Barcelona forward has reach a level just below Messi, and like Messi, his game is not only based on dribbling and goals but also on exceptional passing as well. Neymar’s star continues to rise, and he’s currently carrying the Seleção on his back. Neymar is known for his individual skill, but he is an outstanding team player that displayed his ability to play team soccer by how he played with Messi and Luís Suárez last season for Barcelona.

 

3. Alexis SÁNCHEZ (Chile)

Alexis Sánchez or Electric Sánchez – another Ray Hudson nickname – uses a low center of gravity combined with speed and technical ability to attack the opposition without mercy. The Chilean forward seems to always stay on his feet or pop right back up to continue to assault opposition defenses. Easily the best player in the EPL last season, Sánchez is among the top 10 players in all of world football.

 

4. Arturo VIDAL (Chile)

King Arthur has to be considered either the top midfielder in the world or amongst the top three or four midfielders. Vidal is a complete midfielder that not only has a knack for scoring goals and burying penalty kicks, but he also runs and defends without tire. The only other midfielders in the Copa America close to Vidal’s level are Javier Mascherano and Javier Pastore of Argentina.

 

5. Javier PASTORE (Argentina)

The Argentina attacking midfielder improved his efficacy and influence by leaps and bounds this past club season with Paris Saint-Germain. Known for his technical ability, vision, passing, and dribbling, Pastore has now become a midfielder that wins back possession, runs all game, and stamps his influence all over the field.

 

6. Ángel DI MARÍA (Argentina)

The Argentina winger attacks with captivating speed and skill, and he has a cannon of a left foot that also strikes with placement and grace. The fact that Di María is starting for a national team with so much competition is a testament to how skilled of an attacker he is.

 

7. Jorge VALDIVIA (CHILE)

El Mago Valdivia is amongst a small few true Number 10s in world football. The Chilean playmaker has a rare ability to orchestrate an attack and play with a level of passing skill and vision that few today can match. Valdivia almost looked like the last of the true Number 10s until Pastore fulfilled his potential this past club season.

 

8. Sergio AGÜERO (Argentina)

The EPL’s top scorer is younger than Carlos Tevez and better than Gonzalo Higuaín, and all of these qualities represent just how talented he is. His goal off a crazed diving header against Uruguay showcased that not only is he skilled and quick, but that he also buries the ball in the back of the net when even half a chance to score presents itself.

 

9. JAMES RODRÍGUEZ (Colombia)

Known simply as James, the Colombian attacking midfielder’s game is still improving and becoming complete but his scoring ability and creativity are world famous. The 2014 World Cup golden boot winner will only get better for Colombia and for Real Madrid. His star is still on the rise.

 

10.  DANIEL ALVES (Brazil)

Daniel Alves is an under appreciated right back that is somewhat of a scapegoat and whipping boy for Barcelona and Brazil fans, but his past season with Barcelona was perhaps his best ever. The Baiano still has several years at the pinnacle of world soccer.