Hundreds of players from soccer’s leading continent will be in action in South Africa between June 11 and July 11, but 10 of them will carry the marks of the most dangerous European players in the competition.
David Villa, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gianluigi Buffon, Arjen Robben, and Wesley Sneijder are all anticipated to excel on the global stage, due to their height in football today. These stars emerge from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, and as a result, it is not surprising that each and every one of them in the list above features in a top seed country at the 2010 World Cup.
Below, we take a brief look at their profiles at club level and at international level, as we discover their standards and expectations ahead of the summer tournament. Readers must note that players and their information are arranged in the alphabetical order of their countries.
England – Frank Lampard
The 31-year-old English and Chelsea midfielder looks more active than ever since the beginning of the 2009 season. He has made 14 assists and scored 22 goals in 36 appearances for Chelsea in the Premier League, leading the Londoners along with Didier Drogba to the title for the first time since 2006.
Lampard has also started 3 games for England during the 2009-10 season, and he netted 2 goals for the Three Lions. During the World Cup 2010 qualifications, Lampard got on the scoring 4 times in 10 appearances. He played a nice role for his national team, and having memories of a goalless performance in Germany 4 years ago, he will now come out at his best in an attempt to give glory to England.
England – Steven Gerrard
The Liverpool and England midfielder who will be 30 years of age on May 30 is one of the best football stars in the world. His goalscoring skills were nevertheless not exhibited in the 2009-10 season as he suffered a set of injuries, but his strong influence in the Liverpool club is still incontestable as a captain.
Gerrard has made 7 assists and scored only 9 goals for the angry Reds this season in 33 starts, but analyzing the fact that he has not being lucky enough to get his name in England’s late matches, excelling at the South African 2010 World Cup will be his main concern. Gerrard stole 3 goals in 7 appearances during the World Cup 2010 qualification, and this certainly isn’t a bad attainment at all for a center midfielder. Fans should watch out for him in South Africa this summer, as he could explode and take the headlines by storm.
England – Wayne Rooney
Speaking about Wayne Rooney, doubts upon his skills are buried. The Manchester United striker has proven over and over again that he could soon become the FIFA World Player of the Year, through his games in the 2009-10 season.
The 24-year-old English forward has scored 26 goals and made 3 assists for the Red Devils in the Premier League to give the second place to his side in spite of his sudden ankle injury. Additional goals in other competitions have even raised his total amount of goals for his club in the recent season to 38.
The newly-crowned Barclays Premier League Player of the Season played a great role for England in the qualification for the 2010 World Cup, with 9 goals in 9 appearances for the Three Lions to earn tickets for South Africa. In the end, many expect Wayne to be the Player of the Tournament come July 2010.
Italy – Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon is probably the best keeper in the world. The 32-year-old player has made 123 saves in all, both for his country and his club only in the 2009-10 season; and this fact excludes recoveries and the catching of back-passes.
Therefore, even the best strikers in the world should fear the Italian goalie who was awarded the Onze d’Or in 2003 and in 2006. Buffon was also regarded as the best goalkeeper of the 2006 World Cup in which Italy lifted the cup, and his contribution was important during the qualification for the 2010 edition as Italy conceded only 5 goals in 10 matches.
Netherlands - Arjen Robben
The Netherlands forward is certainly one of the best in dribbling and striking. The former Real Madrid star has scored 16 goals and made 7 assists in only 24 appearances for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. He featured 6 times for the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup Qualifications, and he somehow managed to get his name on the scoring sheet once. Robben pushed his side to the UEFA Champions League final where the Germans face Inter Milan at the Bernabeu Stadium, and with such influence and capabilities, it would be useless to omit him from the list of dangerous European players prior to the 2010 World Cup.
Netherlands - Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is also a great star for the Netherlands. The 25-year-old midfielder who was dominant in Inter Milan’s semifinal first-leg clash against Barcelona in April may not have the great goalscoring gift, but when it comes to managing, controlling or orchestrating, he is just unmatchable.
Sneijder did not score in the Netherlands’ campaign during their qualifying section of the 2010 World Cup; nonetheless, he played 4 games as a deep midfielder and was hence worth understanding from his fans. Sneijder also helped Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan to win the Coppa Italia in the 2009-10 season, and remembering his great performance during the Euro 2008 tournament, one can expect the midfielder to remarkably strengthen his national team in South Africa.
Portugal – Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese and Real Madrid star is arguably the best player on earth. The former winner of the Ballon d’Or is currently the highest-paid player, and he is regarded as an expert in penalties, long-range shots, free-kicks, corners, headers, tap-ins and one-on-one opportunities.
He is Lionel Messi’s greatest rival in football, but regardless of the fact that Ronaldo has scored 33 goals for Real Madrid in only 32 appearances in the 2009-10 season, he wasn’t able to get a single goal for Portugal while his country was still searching for tickets for the 2010 World Cup finals. Considering his amazing improvement, effort, and power, Ronaldo could use the help of Nani, Bosingwa, Pepe, Simao, Quaresma and Thiago in the Portuguese side to shine at the World Cup and steal the Golden Ball honor.
Ronaldo faces Brazil, Ivory Coast and Korea DPR in his table; however, he will have no right to allow Portugal to experience an exit in the group stage. Certainly, the situation will depend on his determination and physical shape.
Spain – Andres Iniesta
Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta does not have statistics as impressive as his challengers in South Africa; but he unquestionably has what he needs to raise his name above many other midfielders in football. Iniesta was selected as potent 2009 Ballon d’Or nominee along with Xavi Hernandez and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Iniesta got the equalizer for Barca at the Stanford Bridge against Chelsea which sent them into the 2009 Champions League final, from where they were gifted with the chance of winning 6 cups. He also appeared to be one of the most outstanding players in the Euro 2008 tournament based on statistics, and his influence is hence something that Spanish coach Del Bosque will require at the 2010 World Cup. Iniesta appeared 6 times for Spain during the qualification for the finals, and he scored one goal and made a memorable assist. Fans should obviously look ahead to a sumptuous show from the expert.
Spain – David Villa
Valencia and Spanish striker David Villa was one of the most amazing players of the Euro 2008 tournament. The 28-year-old forward is the second best overall goalscorer for Spain in the history of La Roja, and he is presently one of the best strikers on the planet.
Villa seals his name among soccer’s greatest attackers ever with 31 goals and 3 assists for his club as of May 13, alongside 7 goals in 6 appearances during the World Cup Qualifiers. Defenders should be aware of his moves and stunners, since he is one of the fiercest players at the 2010 World Cup for Europe.
Spain – Xavi Hernandez
Xavi Hernandez is nowadays considered as the best midfielder in the world. The maestro is said to be the most creative assist maker and ball deliverer, and this fact is the evidence of his possession of the Euro 2008 Player of the Tournament award.
The Barcelona star was a major member of the club’s success in the world within the year 2009, and he has been at his very best for both Spain and the Azulgranas. Football supporters can be assured that if the veteran star he is good form, then he might influence Spain’s result in a positive manner.
