Paul Pogba is the early leader for the Professional Footballers’ Association’s Player of the Year Award
Paul Pogba has an early lead for the Professional Footballers Association’s award for Player of the Season in the English Premier League. In his first two games back with Manchester United after the same club hilariously let him go to Juventus for free, Pogba has looked like a professional playing an exhibition game against amateurs. A British pundit commented that Pogba looked like the best kid on the school playground dominating all of the other kids.
If Pogba weren’t so effective, he could almost be accused of playing too selfishly, but he’s involving his teammates too much to accuse him of this. His ability to dribble through crowds and embarrass opponents with the ball at his feet gives him free license to play the way that he’s playing. His individual play has been very effective because when he has the ball Manchester United is constantly getting in scoring positions. He has played so well that his teammates have all adapted to just letting him run the show. Even Ibrahimovic has been playing in his trademark style without getting in Pogba’s way.
The only minor critique that could be made of Pogba is that he’s not utilizing his left foot enough, but his technique and ability with his left foot have already been on display plenty of times. Pogba should use his left foot more since greats like Zinedine Zidane, Brazilian Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and so many others used both feet to dominate opponents and win titles and awards.
Although Pogba’s ability as a two-way midfielder is so impressive, it’s difficult to not focus on his dribbling brilliance. Only Neymar, Lionel Messi, and few others are better 1v1 dribblers than Pogba, and Pogba also shields the ball so well that opponents frequently can’t even get close to the ball when Pogba is static with the ball.
Pogba was always expected to be outstanding in the EPL, but he has been embarrassing opponents so far. Once Manchester United face off against better opponents, Pogba will likely have to dribble less and pass sooner, but that’s not a problem for him.
Paul Pogba should be praised more for his technique and creativity, but his physique and athleticism often receive more commentary from journalists and commentators.
The French midfielder is already a master with the ball, but he should use his left foot more. Pogba does have an excellent left foot, and using it more frequently would make him more effective and more unpredictable. Every year, Pogba has displayed more ability to beat multiple defenders off the dribble, and this is just one example of how his skill-set is much more advanced than he gets credit for.
A complete midfielder would be a better description of Pogba than an athletic and physically imposing midfielder. Pogba isn’t a player that can be categorized easily because he’s a Number 8 midfielder that also plays like a Number 10. At Juventus, Paulo Dybala is deployed as a second striker or trequartista, so this makes Pogba less of a Number 10 than his Number 10 jersey suggests. As a Number 8, Pogba is free to defend when he sees fit and attack and create when he sees fit. Raving about Pogba’s physical gifts is warranted, but his technique and skill are equally as praiseworthy.
The French midfielder will continue to improve his ability to control games, and that’s what Pogba brings to his teams: the ability to take over and win games. It would be a shame to see Pogba go to Barcelona and Real Madrid if that meant that his game was stifled or forced into some cookie cutter mold. With Barcelona or Real Madrid, Pogba would likely be forced to defer too much to other teammates. It’s important to defer or take charge as situations demand, but being forced to a deferential role over some South American player would be a waste of Pogba’s talent.
Pogba should be allowed to lead his team even if there were more than one leader, but Pogba’s skill shouldn’t be undervalued just to have a hardworking midfielder. Juventus values Pogba, and any description of Pogba where his physique and athleticism are mentioned without mentioning his masterful skill are incomplete and biased descriptions.
The French midfielder has a rubberband-like flexibility like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and that ability allows Pogba to deftly control the ball in almost any situation. In addition to being a master of controlling the ball, Pogba is also an expert shielder of the ball, and he often makes defenders look helpless as they try to take the ball off him.
To go along with the dribbling, control, physicality, and running, the French midfielder is also a world-class passer and dead ball specialist, and these qualities make him a player with no real weaknesses. He can beat you off the dribble or beat you with passes, and the goal is under threat when Pogba is within 45 meters of it.
Who knows why journalist Mina Rzouki makes a point of always highlighting Pogba’s physicality while taking subliminal shots at his footballing mind and technical skill? This characterization of Pogba is way off base and fails to accurately describe the player.
The Ballon d’Or is certainly a possibility for Pogba, and he is the best midfielder in world football.
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:
There’s about to be a regime change in World Football, and Neymar, Paul Pogba, and Raphaël Varane will be the undisputed best footballers in the world at their respective positions: forward, midfielder, defender.
Neymar is widely considered the heir apparent to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but, for this writer, Neymar already wears the crown.
The French midfielder Paul Pogba of Juventus continues to dazzle fans, players, coaches, and the media with his incredible technical ability and completeness as a midfielder, and all of this skill is present in a 6’5” frame that displays power, speed, and rubber band-like flexibility.
This season, Raphaël Varane – another French player – has oddly been the third choice center back for Real Madrid under Carlo Ancelotti after Sergio Ramos and Pepe, but Ancelotti has also shown a tendency to use Varane in the biggest games. Last season, Varane started for Real Madrid when the stakes were the highest.
For this writer, only Thiago Silva is superior to Varane, and the argument can easily be made that Varane is amongst the top three center backs in the world. Varane also excels as a right back – and one would imagine as a left back as well.
While Neymar is the most famous of the three, both Pogba and Varane are household names for soccer fans, and both are considered world-class footballers of the highest order.
As each day goes by, Neymar, Pogba, and Varane become the best footballers around at their respective category of position.
Let’s look at each player in greater detail:
FORWARD: NEYMAR (Brazil, Barcelona)
Neymar is the crown jewel of world football. His overall skill, dribbling, and creativity have no rival, and the speed and spontaneity of his attacking make him impossible to shut down.
While Messi is an incredible passer who constantly breaks down defenses with perfect passes, Neymar has a more versatile arsenal of passing skills. Messi’s perfectly weighted chips and balls played over the top require unbelievably skill, but Neymar’s passing skills are more complete and advanced due to his use of both feet.
Neymar uses both feet interchangeably to dribble, pass, and score, and his ability to beat defenses by himself or by orchestrating the attack make him a once in a generation player.
The Brazilian prodigy is mostly known for his electrifying speed, his tricks, and his ability to score, but Neymar is a very complete attacker that is a deadball and penalty kick specialist, in addition to being a playmaker that makes his teammates better.
Finally, Neymar has always been a big-game player that always delivers despite the pressure. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have always seen much better success in club soccer than in international soccer, but Neymar has always excelled and put up big numbers on both the club and international level.
Neymar is the future King of World Football, and he has the potential to go down as the best footballer of all-time.
MIDFIELDER: Paul POGBA (France, Juventus)
Paul Pogba has always been seen as a prodigy that was a complete midfielder blessed with the physique and athleticism of an NBA shooting guard, but the French midfielder continues to show more and more trickery and creativity in his touches, dribbling, passing, and shooting.
Some of Pogba’s first big-time highlights were his rocketed goals from distance with either foot, but now Pogba is showing a degree of dribbling in tight spaces and in the open field that is often reminiscent of Neymar.
In addition to being a powerful and technical two-way player, Pogba has now become something of a magician that plays like a Number 10 but tackles and defends like a world-class center back.
If you add to all of this that Pogba is so influential all over the field and so tireless in his work rate, the Frenchman becomes a player that can boss games by himself and determine the outcome of games single-handedly.
Paul Pogba is a monster of a midfielder, and the undisputed best midfielder of his generation.
DEFENDER: Raphaël VARANE (France, Real Madrid)
Like Neymar and Pogba, Varane looked world-class as a teenager. It was simply impossible to watch Varane play against elite players and not see a center back that was basically perfect with his tackling and technical ability, and he is close to unbeatable in a foot race.
Varane is about 6’4”, and this size and speed combined with his calmness on the ball make him the heir apparent to Thiago Silva. Varane is already a proven performer at the very highest level, and he not only performs well as a defender, but he often outshines every other defender by some distance.
In many games, Varane shuts every opposition attacker down and makes it almost futile to even attempt to get past him. If you get past him, he’ll catch you and win the ball back with a clean tackle or takeaway, but most of the time opposing players can’t beat him 1v1.
The overall skill and grace Varane shows in his technical ability with the ball is a sight to see, and Varane’s skill and athleticism is all effortless. The French defender often looks like he is just jogging around when he easily outpaces attackers and passes the ball around with ease.
Raphaël Varane is a monster of a center back, and he is the undisputed best defender of his generation. Varane even looks much better than the legendary French defender Lilian Thuram.
The Effect on the Ballon d’Or Race
With both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo years away from slowing down, it will be interesting to see how Neymar, Pogba, and Varane affect the Ballon d’Or race. Neymar has already been knocking on the door for about two years, but now Pogba has to be considered a serious contender from now on. Varane will likely be at somewhat of a disadvantage as a defender, but his grace, speed, and solid defending will certainly make him an undeniable contender for years to come.
Neymar, the New King of Brazilian and World Football. (Photo: Jorge William / O Globo)
World’s Best XI (December 2013)
GOALKEEPER:Manuel NEUER (Bayern Munich)
The Bayern Munich goalkeeper and Germany number 1 is a total monster in goal. Victor Valdés is arguably playing just as well or better. Both Gigi Buffon and Iker Casillas are still arguably the two best goalkeepers.
RIGHT BACK:MAICON (Roma)
Maicon the Marauder is back to playing his best football full of attacking assaults and ferocious defense. Maicon’s supposed decline and drop in speed and fitness was off base. The Brazilian right back is still better defensively than Daniel Alves, and Maicon perhaps is more influential when playing for the Seleção than Daniel Alves.
CENTER BACK:Raphaël VARANE (Real Madrid)
The French prodigy is only surpassed by Thiago Silva, and both David Luiz and Dante are more experienced and arguably better.
CENTER BACK:Thiago SILVA (Paris Saint-Germain)
Hands down the best center back in the world. Almost universally considered the best center back in the world. The skill level of Brazilian center backs is becoming ridiculously good.
LEFT BACK:MARCELO (Real Madrid)
David Alaba has a major bone to pick here with Marcelo, and Alaba is equally as deserving. Nevertheless, Marcelo is a remarkably fast and skilled left back whose defensive skill and ability to use both feet have skyrocketed in recent years.
CENTRAL MIDFIELDER:Paul POGBA (Juventus)
The French prodigy is listed as a central midfielder because he is a totally complete midfielder who is hard to box up into a restrictive category such as defensive midfielder, box-to-box midfielder, or possibly as a soon-to-be regista.
CENTRAL MIDFIELDER:Arturo VIDAL (Juventus)
The Chilean box-to-box midfielder is regarded by many as the most complete midfielder in the world. The Juventus midfielder is arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world, and his technical-ability and his attacking skill are as good or better than his defending. Every club wants Vidal.
RIGHT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER:Cristiano RONALDO (Real Madrid)
Cristiano Ronaldo uses both feet with the same perfect technique and his speed is virtually unmatched. The Portuguese winger or forward is a goal-scoring machine and arguably the best and most-skilled player in the world.
CENTRAL ATTACKING MIDFIELDER:Thomas MÜLLER (Bayern Munich)
Thomas Müller is easily the most-gifted and best current German footballer. Müller can play any position in the attack, and as a central attacking midfielder his style of play is very similar to Kaká’s, which uses a combination of attacking at pace with exceptional passing and vision. Other players might be better pure playmakers, but Müller is a gifted playmaker and complete attacker without any flaws. Müller is a big game player, and he backs up what he says before games.
LEFT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER:NEYMAR (Barcelona)
Neymar is the New King of World Football. The Brazilian sensation is a dazzling footballer, and he is the jewel of world and Brazilian football.
STRIKER:Mario BALOTELLI (Milan)
For many people, several strikers are better than Mario Balotelli, but the Italian and Milan striker is technically-perfect with both feet and the best athlete in world football. Italy’s number 9 has the size and athleticism of an NBA player while still being a graceful magician with the ball at his feet. Balotelli is a big game player, and his abilities range from being a dead ball specialist to being a clinical finisher. Balotelli has a full arsenal of tricks and a thunderous shot with both feet. The Italian is the only striker with a chance of being in Ronaldo’s league as far as first strikers go.
Fabio Caressa once said that Balotelli could play every position in the attack.
Besides Brazil, France produces the best footballers.
It took a 3-0 victory over Ukraine to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, but France is easily one of the best national teams on the planet with young prodigies in the defense, in the midfield, and in the attack. These three freaks of nature are of course Raphaël Varane in the defense, Paul Pogba in the midfield, and the currently outside of the fold M’Baye Niang in the attack.
World Football is seeing an influx of extremely tall and graceful athletes with incredible technical ability and speed. The three French prodigies plus Mario Balotelli are soccer players with essentially the physique and athleticism of NBA players, and they are starting to raise the bar for all footballers in terms of skill, size, and speed.
While these three French players have been highlighted because of their youth and their phenomenal combination of masterful technical ability and off the charts athleticism, Les Bleus also feature Franck Ribéry (currently up for the Ballon d’Or), Blaise Matuidi, Samir Nasri, Mathieu Valbuena, and Karim Benzema.
To this list, one should add Yann M’Vila, Jérémy Ménez, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Yohan Cabaye, Gaël Clichy, Bacary Sagna, Patrice Evra, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Adil Rami, Christophe Jallet, and a whole host of other players.
France has truly elite players at almost every position, and Varane and Pogba in particular are 20 year olds who are essentially the best players in the world at their positions. Thiago Silva is the world’s best center back, but Varane is somewhat at his level.
The 18-year-old AC Milan striker, M’Baye Niang, is serving a ridiculous ban from the French Football Federation until the end of the calendar year, but Niang is a striker who has the technical ability, size, and untouchable athleticism of Mario Balotelli.
Anyone who has watched Niang play can see that the two-footed magic, the trickery, the speed, the passing ability, the work rate, and the aggressive attacking play are a nightmare for any defender to handle. Niang is a complete first striker with no weaknesses.
In the midst of having Ribéry as one of the favorites for the Ballon d’Or, France’s very young prodigies in addition to slightly older players like Matuidi, Benzema, Valbuena, and Ménez make Les Bleus a national side that no one will want to face in the 2014 World Cup.
With a defense anchored by a center back like Varane who is perfect technically and defensively and essentially unbeatable in a foot race and a midfield built around a totally complete midfielder in Pogba, the addition of Niang would make France a team with total masters in the defense, in the midfield, and in the attack.
Although Italy won the 2006 World Cup, France was the best team in that World Cup, and the France squad for the 2014 World Cup has yet to prove that it’s anywhere close to the same level as the 2006 team, which was almost entirely comprised of legends and masters.
The foundation of this France side is very, very strong, and it will be interesting to see which players prove to be the best options for France at the positions not occupied by Varane, Pogba, Matuidi, Ríbery, and Benzema.
Will France make its teenage prodigy, M’Baye Niang, the focal point of the attack? Only time will tell. Unleashing the AC Milan striker on defenders in the 2014 World Cup would be a wise decision for a national team with Varane and Pogba bossing the defense and the midfield.
France had a roller coaster of a World Cup qualifying campaign, but several of the best footballers on the planet such as Varane and Pogba are young French players who are already superstars.
The Brazilian prodigy, Neymar, will be the best player and the main attraction of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but don’t sleep on France when next summer comes around because French football is back.
Given France’s problems during World Cup qualification, World Soccer Source would be interested to see France slightly modify their line-up by fielding the following Starting XI:
This list includes some criminal snubs of players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
There is no excuse for snubbing them, but the reason that there were snubbed is because World Soccer Source believes this XI to be a more complete and well-balanced team without them.
This is extremely controversial, but World Soccer Source didn’t snub them for the sake of controversy; the intention was to have a balanced midfield and attack that included box-to-box midfielders like Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba, and Kevin-Prince Boateng who are exactly the type of players needed to win back possession in the midfield and heavily contribute to the attack.
With the exception of Julio Cesar and Hulk, one could almost just select the Starting XI for the Seleção in the 2013 Confederations Cup Final and essentially have the World’s Best XI.
Here is World Soccer Source’s World’s Best XI (Formation: 4-1-2-1-2):
GOALKEEPER: Gigi BUFFON (Juventus/Italy)
Gigi Buffon, along with Iker Casillas, has long been recognized as the best goalkeeper in the world, and he shows no sign of slowing down.
Snub: Iker CASILLAS (Real Madrid/Spain)
RIGHT BACK: MAICON (Roma/Brazil)
With Maicon’s return to the Seleção and his excellent form at AS Roma after serving a prison sentence with Manchester City, Maicon the Marauder, reclaims his spot as the most terrifying right back in the world. The Brazilian combines fantastic and intimidating defense with inspired runs down the sideline. Of all the right backs in the world, Maicon is the one that defenders really do not want to see coming at them. Stong, skilled, and fast, Maicon also brings with him a tendency to smash outside of the foot shots from distance that are usually dipping, swerving, and on target.
Snub: Daniel ALVES (Barcelona/Brazil)
CENTER BACK: Thiago SILVA (Paris Saint-Germain/Brazil)
Thiago Silva is internationally-recognized as the best center back in the world. A totally flawless defender with blazing speed, graceful defending, and technical ability. Easily the best center back in the world.
Snub: Raphaël VARANE (Real Madrid/France)
CENTER BACK: David LUIZ (Chelsea/Brazil)
There was a time when people criticized David Luiz for being a walking yellow card, but the Brazilian defender has become a more elegant tackler while still being the most technically-skilled center back in the world along with Thiago Silva. After David Luiz played his first game with Chelsea, no one made any comments about David Luiz being a soft Brazilian defender who would have trouble adapting to England again. David Luiz’s goal-line sliding save against Spain in the 2013 Confederations Cup Final was impossible.
Snub: DANTE (Bayern Munich/Brazil)
LEFT BACK: MARCELO (Real Madrid/Brazil)
The best left back in the world without question. Marcelo used to be somewhat lacking in his defensive abilities, and he used to be one-footed. Not any more. Marcelo is very hard to beat with pace, and he has developed a knack for dispossessing opponents only to take the ball and dribble and pass his way out of the back without losing possession. No left back in the world rivals Marcelo in the attacking category.
Snub: Mattia DE SCIGLIO (Milan/Italy)
CENTRAL MIDFIELDER: Paul POGBA (Juventus/ France)
The French phenomenon is so complete that no one knows what midfield position he is really playing. He isn’t a trequartista or a true number 10, but Pogba is a complete midfielder and a freak of nature. While not as athletic as Mario Balotelli, Pogba is an incredibly athletic and technically-skilled midfielder with no flaws. Standing at 6’4” with zero body fat, Pogba combines power with elegant passing and ball control. Pogba is so good that World Soccer Source selected him over Andrea Pirlo, who himself is one of the greatest midfielders to ever play the game.
Snub: Andrea PIRLO (Juventus/Italy)
RIGHT MIDFIELDER: Arturo VIDAL (Juventus/Chile)
The Chilean is a ruthless midfielder who defends without mercy and without being reckless. Vidal is as talented on the ball and in the attack as he is as at defending, and his style of play has earned him the nickname, “The Warrior.” Vidal is an essential component to making a Starting XI to beat any opponent because, like Paul Pogba, he is a totally complete midfielder who would start for any team in the world, including the Brazilian national team.
Snub: RAMIRES (Chelsea/Brazil)
LEFT MIDFIELDER: Kevin-Prince BOATENG (Schalke/Germany & Ghana)
Underrated and underappreciated, Milan fans are now seeing just how good Kevin-Prince Boateng is, and Milan fans are missing him. Boateng has proven that he can make a huge impact in any game against any opponent, and his playing style is one of the most unique in the world, as he combines trickery with physicality powered by a crazed mentality to win. Boateng is another complete midfielder who can score with either foot, take defenders off the dribble, and emphatically dispossess opponents with fantastic slide tackles. Boateng plays very much like a Brazilian, and Boateng’s unique combination of skills makes him a player who is ready and able to face any opponent at any time. Boateng has a fantastic collection of golazos to his name, and until he played for Milan, only Jürgen Klopp and those who had played with him knew just how good he was.
Snub: PAULINHO (Tottenham/Brazil)
PLAYMAKER: RONALDINHO (Atlético Mineiro/Brazil)
Ronaldinho is still way too good to keep off a World’s Best XI, and probably no footballer ever has been as technically-gifted as Ronaldinho. When Ronaldinho is inspired to play, no one in the world is better than he is. Ronaldinho’s vision and technical-ability is unmatched by anyone, and even now he continues to provide strong performances and a steady stream of goals, assists, and highlights. Until Ronaldinho is no longer physically-fit to compete at the same level, Ronaldinho remains the greatest playmaker and the most-talented player in the world. Ronaldinho’s ability to never suffer a serious injury is often over-looked by critics who call him fat and past his prime. The ability to avoid injuries is a testament to his fitness and longevity as a player. Avoiding injuries while being hacked and fouled so much is truly an art form.
Snub: OSCAR (Chelsea/Brazil)
FIRST STRIKER: Mario BALOTELLI (Milan/Italy)
Mario Balotelli is the best first striker since Ronaldo and Thierry Henry. There’s never been a footballer with Balotelli’s athleticism, and his physique has never been seen before in world soccer. The scariest aspect about Balotelli is that not only are his technical ability, physique, and athleticism basically better than everyone else’s, but he is a merciless competitor with ice in his veins. Balotelli brings everything to the first striker position: a sniper’s accuracy, a perfect first touch, unmatched speed and strength, and a full arsenal of tricks and striking techniques. The Italian prodigy is famous for his penalty kicks due to the fact that he’s never missed one in a competitive match and due to the fact that he looks into the goalkeeper’s eyes throughout the entire process of approaching the ball to strike it. Balotelli is the King of the Paradinha, and no defender in the world can really contain either his skill, his athleticism, his size, or his strength. The Milan striker and Italian number 9 shouldn’t be dismissed as just an incredible athlete with great technical skill because his technical skill matches any footballer on the planet. After UEFA Euro 2012 and after the 2013 Confederations Cup, most of Balotelli’s harshest critics faded to black.
Neymar is not only the best Brazilian footballer since Ronaldinho Gaúcho but the best footballer of any nationality since Ronaldinho as well. Neymar’s 1v1 dribbling abilities and tricks surpass those of Pelé, Diego Maradona, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi. In his first games with Barcelona, Neymar has been more dangerous and effective throughout matches than Messi, but Messi continues to have the ability to finish free kicks or score anything when there is a glimpse of the goal. With Barcelona, the Brazilian has been displaying his passing and his ability to improve his teammates, but he has also displayed the ability to penetrate European defenses and create scoring opportunities for himself better than Messi. Neymar’s performance against Spain in the Confederations Cup Final and his seamless transition to La Liga and European football show that Neymar is poised to have a breakout season in just his first season with Barcelona. As an attacker, Neymar’s ability to leave any opponent for dead is unmatched, and his finishing with both feet is off the charts. The Brazilian is without a doubt the greatest player of his generation, and he will only continue to improve and collect trophies and individual awards.
Snub: Thomas MÜLLER (Bayern Munich/Germany)
OTHER SNUBS: Lionel MESSI, Cristiano RONALDO, Andrés INIESTA, XAVI, Philipp LAHM, Luiz GUSTAVO, Franck RIBÉRY, FALCAO, Robert LEWANDOWSKI, Mario MANDZUKIC, Jordi ALBA, Leonardo BONUCCI, Giorgio CHIELLINI, Daniele DE ROSSI, Tony KROOS, Mario GÖTZE, Blaise MATUIDI, David ALABA.
Daniel Cuevas (20) scored the equalizer and celebrates with Benji Joya (8). (Photo: Jamie McDonald/FIFA/FIFA/Getty Images)
In the United States’ second U-20 World Cup game, Javan Torre started again at center back and the more highly-rated center back, Caleb Stanko, was benched despite outplaying Torre in the first game, and the United States tied France 1-1.
Torre may or not be one of the two best center back options at Ramos’ disposal, but he did fairly well against France.
Perhaps if M’Baye Niang were playing as a first striker for France, the combination of Niang and midfield extraordinaire Paul Pogba would have spelled a horror show for the United States’ defense.
As it was, Pogba displayed his usual effortless play even with Will Trapp and Benji Joya putting pressure on him.
Pogba wasn’t fazed or neutralized, but Joya showed his ability to play against elite players. This was a good barometer to prove to any of Joya’s doubters that he has the ability to play with the United States Men’s National Team.
In addition to Pogba, French striker, Yaya Sanogo (amongst others) was a handful for U.S. center back, Shane O’Neill, who was luckily available for this game, unlike the first World Cup match.
The U.S. had an equal share of possession against Spain, but against France, the U.S. saw far less possession. Unlike in the game against Spain, Will Trapp did a better job of tackling and playing deeper which is his job playing as somewhat of a midfield destroyer with the number 6 jersey.
On the other hand, Joya who was again used as a box-to-box midfielder played as well or better than he played against Spain.
Joya and Trapp did a good job of putting pressure on France’s midfield even though all of France’s players were tall, elite athletes who passed effortlessly and seemed to easily enjoy the lion’s share of possession.
But, the United States did pass well and combine well with each other, and the U.S. didn’t look outmatched, as the U.S. was able to advance forward with good team passing.
One of the most striking aspects of the game was how physically imposing and graceful almost all of the French players were, and despite this, the United States still was able to play with France and attack and defend them.
With one loss and one tie so far in the U-20 World Cup, the U.S.’ U-20 team has displayed a good level of soccer that technically looks better than the United States Men’s National Team as a whole, and the quality of play occurred against a fast and technically-skilled Spanish team and a French squad that was equally skilled but athletically far superior to Spain.
The size, skill, and athleticism of France was remarkable, but the U.S.’ players like O’Neill and Joya seemed unfazed by it.
Frankly, France’s U-20 squad looked unbeatable when the game started.
Based on how many goals Spain scored on the U.S., this French squad right after kickoff looked like they were going to dominate the United States, and they did dominate possession.
Despite the 59% to 41% possession difference, the U.S.’ front six were able to string passes together playing one-to-two touch soccer and get into the final third, and the defense was able to somewhat contain France.
This signals an improvement for American soccer.
Looking at the state of American soccer in general, it would appear that many of the U.S.’ U-20 players are ready to play alongside players like Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Tim Howard, Jermaine Jones, Geoff Cameron, Fabian Johnson, Benny Feilhaber, Juan Agudelo, Freddy Adu, Joe Corona, and Jozy Altidore.
Some combination of the best players from the U-20 team combined with the USMNT players listed above indicates an improvement in the overall technical ability of the United States.
One important thing to remember about the U-20 World Cup is that Brazil and Argentina didn’t qualify for it, which seems to indicate that their players of this age group are already being incorporated into their main national teams.
The United States and Jürgen Klinsmann would be wise to incorporate some of these players like DeAndre Yedlin, Benji Joya, Luis Gil, Shane O’Neill, Mario Rodriguez, Alonso Hernandez, and José Villarreal into the USMNT for the Gold Cup or for upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
*Note: Lionel Messi was not included in this list because the list is intended to be a Best XI of players who are young prodigies who are new to the scene or underrated. Lionel Messi is widely considered the best player in the world, and he belongs on a list of simply the Best XI.
*Note: Leonardo Bonucci seemed to not really be young enough or underrated enough to be part of this list. Bonucci would likely be the starting center back with Thiago Silva on a World’s Best XI list. Salvatore Sirigu is older than some of the other players because he is a goalkeeper, and 25 is fairly young for an elite goalkeeper.
The World’s Best XI: The Young, The Underrated, The Sleepers, and the The Newcomers
The World’s Best XI: The Young and the Newcomers
*Many people may call the formation above narrow, but anyone who thinks that should try breaking down the back six players or stopping the five attackers. This formation uses two center forwards (a.k.a. first-strikers)
Many of the top, so-called “young” goalkeepers are around 25 years old, and this is the case with Salvatore Sirigu. The Italian Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper was part of the project to stock Paris Saint-Germain with elite players to bring PSG back to elite status and prominence, and the fact that Sirigu was sought out says a lot about his ability. Based on Salvatore Sirigu’s play with Paris Saint-Germain, the Azzurri net will be in good hands when Gigi Buffon retires or is unavailable. Tall and athletic with good reflexes, Sirigu fits right into a club team stocked full of world-class players.
Right Back: Raphaël Varane (Real Madrid; France)
Raphaël Varane is a 19 year old starting center back for Real Madrid who can play anywhere in the defense and even as a central midfielder. Varane’s ability and defensive prowess have stood out on more than one occasion while playing against the pass masters of Barcelona, not to mention Lionel Messi. Tall, skilled, fast, and 19, Varane will be the cornerstone of Real Madrid’s and France’s defense for years to come. There’s a new crop of elite defenders on the world stage, and Raphaël Varane is one of the best defenders in the world regardless of age. Varane was an easy and automatic pick for a Best XI list of new, young, or underrated players.
Center Back: Dedé (Vasco da Gama; Brazil)
Dedé is widely regarded as the best Brazilian defender playing in Brazil, and perhaps only Thiago Silva is a better Brazilian defender than Dedé. Dedé is an enormous human being, especially for a soccer player, and his technical ability and dexterity with his feet is not hindered by his height and incredible physical strength. Until Dedé plays outside of Brazil in Europe, he will continue to be underrated, but Dedé is wanted by almost every top club in the world. All the hype about Dedé is true, and the stamp of authenticity is the almost universal belief among the Brazilian people that Dedé is the best defender playing in Brazil. Dedé is an imposing figure and a scary individual. Dedé will be feared for years.
Left Back: Angelo Ogbonna (Torino; Italy)
Angelo Ogbonna, like Dedé and Varane, is the most sought after young defender in the world. Ogbonna is a world-class athlete with natural technical ability who runs and moves with grace. Ogbonna plays as a center back or left back, and whoever buys Ogbonna from Torino will be dropping a lot of cash. Expected to partner with Leonardo Bonucci in the center of the Italian defense, watching Ogbonna in action is quite the sight to see. Ogbonna is easily one of the very best defenders in the world.
Central Midfielder: Paul Pogba (Juventus; France)
The French midfielder playing for Juventus like several of his countrymen on this list is a teenage prodigy who was ready to play at the highest level the first time he was given the chance. Pogba is a central midfielder that gives a team everything: passing, defense, speed, goals, running, vision, strength, and mental toughness. Pogba’s skill-set is not confined to a single midfield position, as Pogba has everything. Pogba has no single position that can be classified as his natural position, except that he is a central midfielder. Pogba’s play at Juventus as a teenager speaks for itself, and his spectacular highlights in addition to overall performances throughout games make Pogba already one of the best midfielders in the world. Read more about Paul Pogba here:
Central Midfielder: Paulinho (Corinthians; Brazil)
Paulinho has garnered worldwide praise for his play at Corinthians, and he is now a fixture on the Brazilian national team where he (along with Ramires) wears the number 8 of the box-to-box midfielder. The Seleção has played Ramires and Paulinho together as two box-to-box midfielders on some occasions as opposed to using a box-to-box midfielder with the more defensive number 5 or cabeça de área who roams the back of the midfield in front of the defensive back four. Given Paulinho’s overall ability and strong defensive skills in addition to his speed and stamina, many clubs have sought out Paulinho’s services, none with more determination than Inter Milan. Paulinho is a complete central midfielder who provides everything: defensive coverage, quality passing, speed, technical ability, 1v1 ability, and goals.
Attacker: Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich; Germany)
Thomas Müller started for Germany and scored five World Cup goals and provided three assists at the age of 20 at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Additionally, Müller is a starter for Bayern Munich where he plays the role of two players as a playmaker and a striker. Still, Thomas Müller has his share of critics, even though his record speaks for itself and his ability is self-evident by anyone who looks at it. There are those who are already pushing for Marco Reus or Tony Kroos to take his starting spot for Germany, but Müller won the World Cup Golden Boot at age 20 in a tournament where many professionals complained that the official ball was difficult to control. Müller has speed, creativity, two-footed skill and finishing ability, exceptional passing, and a nose for goal. 126 appearance for Bayern Munich and 44 goals plus 39 appearances for Germany and 11 goals at 23 years old speak for themselves.
Playmaker: Oscar (Chelsea; Brazil)
Neymar gave Oscar the nickname, “Oscraque,” while Neymar was still playing with the playmaking prodigy, Ganso, and that’s all anyone needs to know about Oscar. Oscar stepped into English Football like it was nothing, despite all the naysayers saying the physicality of the English Premier League would be hard for Oscar to deal with. Oscar was not the first world-class playmaker to grace the English Premier League, but he did put everyone in the English Premier League on notice that there was a young Brazilian prodigy orchestrating the attack for Chelsea with a level of skill and creativity nowhere to be found in the EPL.
Attacker: Neymar (Santos; Brazil)
This writer has never seen a player who attacks defenders like Neymar or who has the same 1v1 dribbling ability, and this includes Pelé, Diego Maradona, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Neymar will be the best player in the world soon, but the incredible skill of Mario Balotelli (discussed below) should not go overlooked. Neymar’s dribbling ability is already at a level really unseen before, even be Ronaldinho. While Ronaldinho destroyed defenders at pace or from a standstill in his prime, Neymar seems to combine two to three tricks in one sequence, which are effective and not just for show. Much of the focus on Neymar is his speed, quickness, incredible dribbling skill, and his goal-scoring ability with both feet, but Neymar is a magnificent passer who goes all over the field to receive the ball and play excellent passes to his teammates. Words do not do Neymar justice, and Neymar must be seen on video or in person to fully appreciate. Neymar is a sight to behold, and he will eclipse Messi, even when one looks at video of Messi in his prime. With all of the new talent on the world scene, Neymar might not receive four Ballons d’Or as Messi has, but Neymar’s skill looks more complete than Messi’s. Read more about Neymar here:
With the exception of Neymar, Mario Balotelli is possibly the best player of his generation skill-wise, and he lives to silence his critics in big games. Super Mario is almost always more technically-skilled than his teammates or opponents, and his size and athleticism are a new frontier in world soccer. A first striker in the mold of Ronaldo, Balotelli is also a dead ball specialist. Balotelli strikes fear into the hearts of his opponents, and his so-called mental problems and off field problems are normally pure fiction. Now back at the club that he supported as a child, AC Milan, where he is performing well, Balotelli should no longer have to answer his critics after his masterclass against Germany in the semifinal of UEFA Euro 2012. Mario Balotelli is without a doubt the most talented first-striker since Ronaldo and Thierry Henry. Balotelli’s only competition for the title of the best first-striker in the world is his teammate, M’Baye Niang. Perhaps, Niang possesses better 1v1 dribbling skills than Balotelli, but Balotelli’s are off the charts. Read more about Mario Balotelli here:
M’Baye Niang is a 6’4” teenage striker who combines supersonic speed with a magnetic first touch and 1v1 skills and tricks that are only rivaled by Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mario Balotelli. Many observers cannot discuss M’Baye Niang without discussing Mario Balotelli because of obvious physical similarities, but M’Baye Niang is a prodigy and a phenomenon in his own right. Niang uses both feet interchangeable, and he attacks defenders and plays at one speed: full speed. Keep an eye on M’Baye Niang because in his first Champions League game, which was against Barcelona, he left Carles Puyol for dead and was the catalyst of the second and decisive goal. Niang is an elegant player who provides electrifying and effective play. Like Mario Balotelli, M’Baye Niang is a first-striker in the style of Ronaldo and Thierry Henry. Niang also looks to be a player who excels at dead balls and passing. Unlike his teammate Mario Balotelli, Niang appears to enjoy tracking back on defense to hound the opposition and regain possession.
Lucas Moura is another electrifying young talent whose skill is unquestioned. Lucas electrifies with his speed, skill, dribbling, and overall attacking skill. Lucas should be an almost certain starter for the Seleção in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Andrea Pirlo’s movement off the ball and constant movement all over the field seems to leave space for another midfielder who plays deep in the midfield, Paul Pogba, to have plenty of space to operate without getting in Pirlo’s way or hindering Pirlo’s play.
Therefore, less attention should be focused on what position Pogba is actually playing and more attention should be focused on the qualities that he brings to Juventus.
Italians have a variety of names for all of the positions in soccer, and in the midfield, mediano, mezz’ala, centrale, trequartista, and mezzapunta are some of the position names heard the most.
Paul Pogba is hard to characterize with the exception that he is not a trequartista or mezzapunta which are two names for the same advanced-playmaker role or the proverbial number 10 role. Andrea Pirlo, who now plays as a regista or a deep-lying playmaker who lines up at kick off directly in front of the defense, was originally used as a trequartista or mezzapunta until Milan moved him back to his now favorite regista role.
Pogba is some combination of a mediano, centrale, and (maybe down the road) a regista.
A mediano is a defensive midfielder who essentially plays as a midfield destroyer with the obvious caveat that anyone playing as a midfielder at the elite-level is expected to have advanced technical ability so as to not be a passing liability.
A centrale is a box-to-box midfielder along the lines of Arturo Vidal or Kevin-Prince Boateng, even though Boateng is often forced to play out of position as a pseudo-trequartista. In the past, players like Patrick Vieira and Michael Ballack were classic centrali (plural of centrale) and certainly someone like Ramires also would be classified as a centrale. Calling Paul Pogba a regista at this point is a stretch, but he has certainly shown the passing elegance and accuracy to play the sort of balls that a regista plays with ease.
Forcing Pogba into a box or trying to classify him as one of the three midfield positions mentioned above is not as important as the diverse arsenal of qualities that he brings to a midfield even as good as Juventus’.
Nobody really knows what midfield position Paul Pogba is actually playing for Juventus, and it does not matter because he is the total package and a complete player who provides everything one could ask for in a midfielder.
Pogba is a complete midfielder who provides so many different qualities that letting him play his game as opposed to forcing him into a set midfield role is probably the best policy, especially since Pirlo covers so much territory and knows exactly where to go on the field to compliment his teammates and orchestrate play.
Pogba is special because he provides goals, two-footed play, precision passing, strong and elegant tackling (both standing challenges and slide tackles), rock solid shielding of the ball, guile and trickery on the ball, and tireless running. Pogba scores volleys from distance with both feet. He plays soft chips that meet their target in stride. He plays one-to-two touch soccer, and he recovers the ball almost as soon as he or his teammates have lost possession. Pogba’s play is causing Antonio Conte to consider making more adjustments to his line-ups than Conte even had to consider in the past.
Pogba has created debate in soccer circles about what position he plays, how good he is, and which player he plays like. There have been numerous comparisons to Patrick Vieira due to obvious physical similarities and the fact that Pogba is a French midfielder, but Pogba appears to have a more refined technical skill-set than Vieira in addition to superior athleticism that most noticeably shows up in the form of agility and gait.
Pogba is around 6’4” as a 19 year old, so it is safe to assume that Pogba will just grow taller and stronger while maintaining his lean and muscular frame. By way of a comparison to basketball, there is no reason to assume that Pogba will lose some agility or athleticism as he grows taller because basketball players of a similar age and that level of athleticism do not lose their athleticism and agility when they grow a few inches taller.
For some coaches, fans, and players, versatility in a player is sometimes viewed as a negative attribute as some people believe versatility usually means that a player is merely good in a variety of categories and in a variety of positions as opposed to being great at a certain position or at a certain aspect of soccer.
Pogba appears to excel at almost all of the fundamentals that a player is measured by, and he plays like a midfielder that can be devastating in the defense and in the attack. With a player who provides so many qualities, a coach can, to some extent, free the player up to roam the field wherever he is needed providing defense when defense is needed and attacking ability when attacking is needed. Pogba already knows how to play effectively and where to go on the field, but playing alongside Pirlo with undoubtedly numerous French and non-French legends offering him advice can only make Pogba better.
Excluding the defenders, Juventus had been utilizing Andrea Pirlo as a regista directly in front of the defense with Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal playing in front of Pirlo as something like centrali (box-to-box midfielders) or mezz’ali (outside midfielders who tuck in). With Juventus’ use of three defenders who are essentially center backs playing as right, center, and left defenders with two terzini fluidificanti or old school wingbacks playing in front of them essentially to the right and left of Marchisio and Vidal, Juventus has been playing something resembling a 3-5-2 formation.
This formation did not leave space for Paul Pogba in the starting line-up, but he has nevertheless been incorporated into the starting line-up or used as a substitute. With the rise of Paul Pogba characterized by a string of commanding performances and fabulous goals, Juventus has even more formation options than the club initially planned on using.
Now Juventus and Antonio Conte have the difficult job of deciding which regular starter or starters will be the odd men out in certain games. Perhaps the injury to Giorgio Chiellini and Kwadwo Asamoah’s participation in The African Cup of Nations increase the amount of formation options with Pogba, but Conte and Juventus still have the dilemma of deciding which of the following midfielders should start: Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, Claudio Marchisio, Paul Pogba, and Sebastian Giovinco (who is both a trequartista and a second striker).
Paul Pogba’s quality and athleticism are forcing Juventus to rethink their formations, and Pogba is one of several prodigies who are popping up on the world football landscape along with M’Baye Niang and Stephen El Shaarawy, who are all playing in Serie A.
The ascension of Pogba is both a surprise and foreseeable occurrence, as France has consistently produced soccer superstars, and France has two new teenage prodigies in Paul Pogba and M’Baye Niang, who should both prove to make France a formidable opponent for many years.
With the advent of Mario Balotelli, Paul Pogba, and M’Baye Niang, European soccer is seeing athletic specimens and freaks of nature who move with dazzling grace and speed. They are too good, too strong, too fast, and too tall to leave single-marked, and they are going to be around for a long time.
