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The Japanese started the match very well by defending around their 18 yard box, counter attacking superbly & having their attacking players, namely Keisuke Honda & Shinji Kagawa, taking on the Cote D'Ivoire defenders. This resulted in a special goal from Keisuke Honda that completely shell-shocked Les Elephants. Even right back Atsuto Uchida got in the mood, by bombing forward & almost doubled Japan's lead.
The 2nd half was another story. Cote D'Ivoire were more direct & confident on the ball, while Didier Drogba's introduction undoubtedly had a psychological effect on the match. The Japanese midfield also lost its way. Honda had no room to manoeuvre, while Shinji Kagawa disappeared completely.
The Japanese team's manager Alberto Zaccheroni will need to figure out how to incorporate Kagawa & the rest of the team to help Keisuke Honda carry the load in time for Thursday's match against Greece. If they do not, team Japan can kiss their hopes for the next round goodbye.
2. THE DROG EFFECT
Call it psychological or otherwise, but Didier Drogba's introduction had a major effect on Les Elephants. The grizzly veteran, wearing a new Arda Turan-like beard, stepped onto the pitch & made an immediate impact. A hard nosed run along the right side of the 18 yard box of Japan put Zaccheroni's men on notice & freed up room for Drogba's team-mates, such Bony & Gervinho. Moments later Bony scored to tie the game & you could tell Japanese were starting to collapse. The Samurai Blue fears were confirmed when 2 minutes later in the 66th minute Gervinho scored the eventual match winner.
While this result is undoubtedly an uplifting one for Sabri Lamouchi's men, it poses him a bit of a conundrum as well: do you start Didier Drogba in the next match against Colombia? There was an undeniable lift from Drogba's presence on the field, but who do you take off in his place? Wilfried Bony is a dangerous & coveted striker who will convert most of his chances when he gets them. Gervinho offers speed that most other players just do not have & is able to dribble past defenders or make great runs behind them. Salomon Kalou is another option, but Kalou is very active in tracking back for defensive responsibilities, which will be needed against Colombia & Greece. Not an easy decision for Lamouchi at all.
3. AURIER ANNOUNCES HIMSELF
Didier Drogba's introduction to the match had a massive effect on Cote d'Ivoire's play & subsequently the win, but so did a little known right back's play. Serge Aurier, the 21 year old who currently plays for Toulouse in France, set up both of Les Elephants goals in the 2nd half with 2 pin-point crosses that Bony & Gervinho both converted. But even beyond those 2 goals, Aurier had already made his mark on the match in 1st half, by bombing up the pitch, linking up quite well with Gervinho & delivering 2-3 perfect crosses that his team-mates could not convert.
The muscular full back has recently been linked to the likes of Liverpool & Arsenal, but expect that list to grow after today's stellar Man of the Match performance.
The World Cup is a one of a kind sporting event, where nations sit on edge of their respective seats as their teams duke it out on the pitch for soccer supremacy. On July 13th, FIFA President Sepp Blatter will hand the Jules Rimet trophy to the winning team's captain, but that one nation will not be the only winner flying home from Brazil this July. Little known footballers from all corners of the globe will show off their skills over the next month, with new endorsements, new club contracts & moves to bigger clubs soon to follow. Some of them will go home even more rich & more famous than they are now!
So who are those little known footballers that are ready to show off their immense skill & take the leap to the next level? Here is my list of the Top 5 footballers who are ready to hit the big time!
#5
DAVID OSPINA (COLOMBIA)
Colombia's custodian will have to come up big for the South Americans to make it out of their group which features Ivory Coast, Greece & Japan. While the group may not seem all that difficult, it will be a very difficult group to navigate for Colombia since all the teams are quite equal in ability & also because Los Cafeteros will be without their lethal goal scorer (& holder of one of the 5 greatest names in sports) Radamel Falcao. Without Falcao in the line up & the expected drop in goal production, conceding less goals will be even more important for Colombia. That is why Ospina, who played in France for Nice this past season, will need to be on his A game.
Colombia has not played in the World Cup since 1998, so the pressure will be on. But in Ospina Colombia have the right keeper for the job as he plays an aggressive keeper with world class reflexes. If extra incentive is needed: Ospina is a free agent & looking for a new club after the World Cup. An impressive performance in Brazil will certainly help with that!
#4
JOEL CAMPBELL (COSTA RICA)
If scoring an impressive goal against Manchester United in the Champions League wasn't enough, 2014 could get even better for Costa Rica's Joel Campbell. Campbell, who is Arsenal FC player, but has never actually played a match for them, will be leading a largely untested Costa Rican side into Group D with Uruguay, England & Italy. If Campbell & his mates can make it out of that group, expect a Disney film based on them to follow! I wouldn't put my money on it though, as the likelihood of Costa Rica making it out of Group D is likely as David Moyes returning to Manchester United this season. Even though Costa Rica is expected to be at the bottom of Group D, the team is fully capable of shocking 1 of the 3 other teams in this group. If that is to happen, it will have to happen through Campbell as he can change a match with his speed & attacking prowess, particularly on the counter-attack. Warning to England's Gary Cahill: don't let Campbell get on his left foot or otherwise you could be featured on a lot of highlight packages!
#3
ANTOINE GREIZMANN (FRANCE)
The winger from Macon, France was not even a certainty to make the World Cup squad a couple of months ago. How things can change quickly! The Real Sociedad speedster has now been thrust into the spotlight & is expected to fill Franck Ribery's position on the right wing, as Ribery will sit out the World Cup with a back problem.
Filling in for Ribery will not be easy, as the Bayern Munich man placed 3rd in FIFA World Player of the Year voting, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi. Ribery, without a doubt, would have been one of the most skilled players in the World Cup. But Greizmann is no slouch either. The 23 year old has impressed with Real Sociedad since 2009, racking up 49 goals in 179 matches & possesses superb speed, dribbling skills & a mean left foot. It is rumoured that the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Liverpool & Manchester United are interested in signing Greizmann after the World Cup. For how much? That depends on his performance at the World Cup. Expect a high price.
#2
MIRALEM PJANIC (BOSNIA-HEREZGOVINA)
The 24 year old Roma midfielder is already one of the most versatile midfielders in Europe. A superb tactician with pinpoint passing and an eye for goal, Pjanic gives Bosnia-Herezgovina many options from midfield. Pjanic will serve as play maker for striker Edin Dzeko, who scored 16 goals for English Champions Manchester City this past season. Adding a superb play maker like Pjanic could improve Dzeko's game even more, especially against the likes of Nigeria & Iran.
Despite this being their 1st World Cup as an independent nation, Bosnia-Herezgovina have a solid & experienced line up anchored by Pjanic. But don't let the baby face fool you, Miralem has a pretty fierce mean streak as well. Want proof? Just look up his play & some of the tackles in a "friendly" against Toronto FC last summer. The man likes to win & if he can build a unique rapport with his teammate Dzeko, we may even see the debutantes go deep into the World Cup's knockout stages like Croatia did in 1998.
#1
JULIAN DRAXLER (GERMANY)
Don't let his boyish looks fool you. Despite looking like the German version of nerdy Hollywood actor Michael Cera, Julian Draxler is anything but innocent on the soccer pitch. Draxler possesses speed, excellent footwork, the ability to take defenders on & make them look foolish while doing so & an eye for goal. Having made over 100 appearances for his club team Schalke & 11 caps for Germany at the age of 20, Draxler is already an established talent in Europe at such a young age.
With winger Marco Reus injured in a friendly last week & subsequently being forced to sit out the World Cup because of it, Draxler is likely to see more playing time. With Real Madrid & Arsenal sniffing around Draxler earlier this year, the young German midfielder could be destined for bigger and better things very soon, particularly if Brazil 2014 turns into his coming out party!
Do you agree with this Top 5? Leave your comments below!
