 Jozy Altidore of Villarreal |
"There's speed combined with his physical qualities and a very good sense for goal. When he's facing a defender, he's very good going at him, which is kind of unusual for a player that size. You don't see those kind of qualities often"
Bruce Arena, former USA coach
"He's gonna be unbelievable"
Mo Johnston, former Red Bulls coach
"He's still a kid. He has an enormous amount of talent. He can be as good as he wants. He's a big asset for MLS and American soccer"
Juan Pablo Ángel, Red Bulls player
A veteran of every level of his country's youth national team, Jozy Altidore is considered one of the hottest properties in U.S. football.
The Jersey-born powerhouse has bags of pace, power and a killer's eye for important goals.
Critics reel off the names of onetime MLS starlets who faded after making a good first impression. But there is reason to believe Altidore is different, for he has a lot more going for him than that instinctive scoring touch.
It's no secret that the best players in any sport are the ones who are strongest mentally. And despite his early success, Altidore apparently operates with a complete absence of ego.
His coach at Red Bulls, Bruce Arena, is understandably protective of the Haitian-American phenom as the club have a vested interest in keeping the young star grounded.
It is precisely this combination of skill, size, youth and attitude that makes Altidore such an alluring prospect for wealthy European clubs.
Altidore, who was attended the Adidas Elite Soccer Program in 2005 in order to further develop his playing skills, was drafted in the second round by MetroStars - the previous name of Red Bulls - with the 17th overall pick in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft.
He first stepped into an MLS match as a 16-year-old at New England on September 2006, coming on as a substitute in the 81st minute, while working towards his high school diploma in Florida.
A week later, just 18 minutes into his career, he scored his first professional goal in brilliant fashion, blasting a 30-yard match-winning screamer that sailed into the top right corner of stunned Columbus Crew goalkeeper Bill Gaudette's net.
He was the youngest player to start in an MLS playoff match on October 2006, against D.C. United in the Eastern Conference Semifinals Series at 16 years, 349 days. Eight days later, he scored Red Bulls' only goal of their 2-1 aggregate loss to D.C. United, making him the youngest player to score in the MLS playoffs at 16 years, 357 days - breaking DaMarcus Beasley's record by almost three years.
In the span of just nine months of his career, Altidore has emerged from intriguing prospect to the most talked-about U.S. football teenager not named Freddy Adu.
He helped pick up the struggling Red Bulls team and carry it to the playoffs. In all, he scored four times in just nine appearances.
Altidore started his international career with the United States U-17 team, and was part of the squad it the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship.
He has also participated in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada, where he scored four goals in three games, including two in a 2-1 win over Brazil - leading the U.S. to a quarterfinals berth. There they were defeated by Austria 2-1 after extra time with Altidore scoring a goal in the first half.
In 2007, Altidore was a candidate for ESPN The Magazine's 2007 NEXT issue, which highlights some of the top up-and-coming athletes across the nation. He is one of the stars featured in Adidas' Impossible is Nothing advertisements, and was also featured on the cover of the North American version of the EA Sports hit, FIFA 08, along with Brazilian star Ronaldinho and Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. Taking in this scene, it's hard to believe that a year earlier he hadn't played a minute of professional football.
Altidore received his first call up to the senior national team for a friendly game against South Africa on November 2007, just three days after his 18th birthday. He came in as a substitute for Clint Dempsey in the 65th minute. On February 2008, he made his first start for the national team in a friendly against Mexico, where he also scored his first goal in the 2-2 draw.
On June 4, 2008, La Liga outfit Villarreal splashed out $10 million to sign Altidore, who scored 15 times in 37 games for Red Bulls. The deal surpasses Fulham's $4 million fee for Clint Dempsey, and is now the largest fee paid for any MLS player.
But before he lines up for the Yellow Submarine, the teenager joined Piotr Nowak's U.S. roster that competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where they were eliminated in the first round.
Young Jozy made his La Liga debut when he came on as a second half substitute against Deportivo La Coruña on September 2008. He then became the first American international to score in La Liga when he scored against Athletic Bilbao on November 2008.
Football experts all agree that Jozy has everything a player needs to succeed on the highest level of football. He's a quality finisher, with immense size and strength for a kid his age. But he still has plenty of room to grow.
Full name: Josmer Volmy Altidore
Date of birth: November 6, 1989
Birthplace: Livingston, New Jersey, United States
Nationality: American
2nd nationality: Haitian
Height: 1.77 m
Weight: 79 kg
Club: Villarreal
Position: Striker
Number: 24
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Technorati tags: United States Villarreal Jozy Altidore
The Jersey-born powerhouse has bags of pace, power and a killer's eye for important goals.
Critics reel off the names of onetime MLS starlets who faded after making a good first impression. But there is reason to believe Altidore is different, for he has a lot more going for him than that instinctive scoring touch.
It's no secret that the best players in any sport are the ones who are strongest mentally. And despite his early success, Altidore apparently operates with a complete absence of ego.
It is precisely this combination of skill, size, youth and attitude that makes Altidore such an alluring prospect for wealthy European clubs.
Altidore, who was attended the Adidas Elite Soccer Program in 2005 in order to further develop his playing skills, was drafted in the second round by MetroStars - the previous name of Red Bulls - with the 17th overall pick in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft.
He first stepped into an MLS match as a 16-year-old at New England on September 2006, coming on as a substitute in the 81st minute, while working towards his high school diploma in Florida.
A week later, just 18 minutes into his career, he scored his first professional goal in brilliant fashion, blasting a 30-yard match-winning screamer that sailed into the top right corner of stunned Columbus Crew goalkeeper Bill Gaudette's net.
He was the youngest player to start in an MLS playoff match on October 2006, against D.C. United in the Eastern Conference Semifinals Series at 16 years, 349 days. Eight days later, he scored Red Bulls' only goal of their 2-1 aggregate loss to D.C. United, making him the youngest player to score in the MLS playoffs at 16 years, 357 days - breaking DaMarcus Beasley's record by almost three years.
He helped pick up the struggling Red Bulls team and carry it to the playoffs. In all, he scored four times in just nine appearances.
Altidore started his international career with the United States U-17 team, and was part of the squad it the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship.
He has also participated in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada, where he scored four goals in three games, including two in a 2-1 win over Brazil - leading the U.S. to a quarterfinals berth. There they were defeated by Austria 2-1 after extra time with Altidore scoring a goal in the first half.
In 2007, Altidore was a candidate for ESPN The Magazine's 2007 NEXT issue, which highlights some of the top up-and-coming athletes across the nation. He is one of the stars featured in Adidas' Impossible is Nothing advertisements, and was also featured on the cover of the North American version of the EA Sports hit, FIFA 08, along with Brazilian star Ronaldinho and Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. Taking in this scene, it's hard to believe that a year earlier he hadn't played a minute of professional football.
On June 4, 2008, La Liga outfit Villarreal splashed out $10 million to sign Altidore, who scored 15 times in 37 games for Red Bulls. The deal surpasses Fulham's $4 million fee for Clint Dempsey, and is now the largest fee paid for any MLS player.
But before he lines up for the Yellow Submarine, the teenager joined Piotr Nowak's U.S. roster that competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where they were eliminated in the first round.
Young Jozy made his La Liga debut when he came on as a second half substitute against Deportivo La Coruña on September 2008. He then became the first American international to score in La Liga when he scored against Athletic Bilbao on November 2008.
Football experts all agree that Jozy has everything a player needs to succeed on the highest level of football. He's a quality finisher, with immense size and strength for a kid his age. But he still has plenty of room to grow.
Full name: Josmer Volmy Altidore
Date of birth: November 6, 1989
Birthplace: Livingston, New Jersey, United States
Nationality: American
2nd nationality: Haitian
Height: 1.77 m
Weight: 79 kg
Club: Villarreal
Position: Striker
Number: 24
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 Breno of Bayern Munich |
"He is a great footballer and played for my former team São Paulo. He is very talented and powerful"
Kaká, AC Milan player
"He tackled well, he boasts a lightning turn of pace, and he's collected on the ball, even when surrounded by three or four opponents. He's exceptionally mature for his age"
Jürgen Klinsmann, Bayern Munich coach
"Breno is a brilliant footballer, the best 18-year-old I've ever seen by a very long way"
Paul Breitner, Bayern Munich special advisor
A Brazil U-23 international and member of the Brazilian team that won the bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics, Breno was the third most expensive hiring for Bayern Munich last season.
The Bundesliga giants have landed the talented defender for a fee thought to be in the region of €12 million, such a big money for an 18-year-old.
Athletic, powerful and good on the ball, his movements on the pitch remind of compatriot Lúcio.
He was recommended to Bayern by former goal king Giovanne Élber, who played at the Säbener Strasse between 1997 and 2003 and is now working as one of their scouts in his native country, Brazil.
Breno, whose given name is Vinicius Rodrigues Borges, came through the São Paulo youth team and signed his first professional contract with the Brazilian outfit in July 2007.
The teenager, making his debut at just 17, was a rock at the heart of a São Paulo defence that won the league title with five games to spare and conceded just 19 goals in 38 matches, once keeping a clean sheet for 998 minutes.
This form did not go unnoticed as he was named 'Newcomer of the Season 2007' by Brazilian football journalists, and he came second in the race for Placar Magazine's Bola de Ouro, awarded to the player with the highest average match-rating in the Campeonato Brasileiro.
Following his exploits with São Paulo, Bayern were quick to move and fought off a host of big European clubs to sign the youngster, with AC Milan, Juventus, Fiorentina and Real Madrid all expressing interest.
But it was the Spanish powerhouse Real who almost swooped the versatile defender, equally comfortable at right-back or centre-half.
Faced with the possibility of a similar case to Leandro Lima at FC Porto, Los Blancos did not want to take a risk as they asked him to undergo a bone analysis to prove his young age.
Breno was stunned and told them in no uncertain terms what he thought of that idea.
In December 2007, Breno officially signed for Bayern on a four and a half year contract which will keep him at the Allianz Arena until June 2012.
And if Breno lives up to expectations, Real will soon look to Munich with jealousy and regret in their eyes.
Full name: Breno Vinicius Rodrigues Borges
Date of birth: October 13, 1989
Birthplace: Cruzeiro, São Paulo, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
Height: 1.87 m
Weight: 83 kg
Club: Bayern Munich
Position: Defender
Number: 35
Honours:
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (2007)
German DFB-Pokal (2008)
German Bundesliga (2008)
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Technorati tags: Brazil Bayern Munich Breno
The Bundesliga giants have landed the talented defender for a fee thought to be in the region of €12 million, such a big money for an 18-year-old.
He was recommended to Bayern by former goal king Giovanne Élber, who played at the Säbener Strasse between 1997 and 2003 and is now working as one of their scouts in his native country, Brazil.
Breno, whose given name is Vinicius Rodrigues Borges, came through the São Paulo youth team and signed his first professional contract with the Brazilian outfit in July 2007.
The teenager, making his debut at just 17, was a rock at the heart of a São Paulo defence that won the league title with five games to spare and conceded just 19 goals in 38 matches, once keeping a clean sheet for 998 minutes.
This form did not go unnoticed as he was named 'Newcomer of the Season 2007' by Brazilian football journalists, and he came second in the race for Placar Magazine's Bola de Ouro, awarded to the player with the highest average match-rating in the Campeonato Brasileiro.
But it was the Spanish powerhouse Real who almost swooped the versatile defender, equally comfortable at right-back or centre-half.
Faced with the possibility of a similar case to Leandro Lima at FC Porto, Los Blancos did not want to take a risk as they asked him to undergo a bone analysis to prove his young age.
Breno was stunned and told them in no uncertain terms what he thought of that idea.
In December 2007, Breno officially signed for Bayern on a four and a half year contract which will keep him at the Allianz Arena until June 2012.
And if Breno lives up to expectations, Real will soon look to Munich with jealousy and regret in their eyes.
Full name: Breno Vinicius Rodrigues Borges
Date of birth: October 13, 1989
Birthplace: Cruzeiro, São Paulo, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
Height: 1.87 m
Weight: 83 kg
Club: Bayern Munich
Position: Defender
Number: 35
Honours:
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (2007)
German DFB-Pokal (2008)
German Bundesliga (2008)
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 Fabian Delph of Leeds United |
"Fabian is rangy like the young Stevie Gerrard and has a similar passing range, short and long. He also snaps you in the tackle like Gerrard"
Andy Robinson, Leeds United player
"He is someone we rate highly. A fantastic product of the Academy"
Gary McAllister, Leeds United manager
"Fab's got a lot of quality and he's probably been our best player this season"
Johnny Howson, Leeds United player
Built like an Ethiopian marathon runner, Fabian Delph has emerged as a key member in the resurrection of Leeds United.
He is dubbed as the most exciting prospect to come out of the youth system at Elland Road since Aaron Lennon in 2003.
After a string of impressive performances in Spring 2008, Delph was made captain of the Leeds reserves at the tender age of 17 and showed why manager Gary McAllister is convinced he will become a screen star in his own right.
The combative midfielder has boundless energy which he uses not just with the ball but without it, closing down at every opportunity and putting in tackles that belie his slender frame.
His pace was also seriously impressive as he can pass his marker from a standing start, then he settles in space and starts to play.
Born in Bradford, Delph started off his career as a trainee at Bradford City.
He made his debut at Leeds as a substitute against Derby County in the final match of the 2006/2007 season.
Last season, however, Delph only made two appearances for the Whites - at Portsmouth in the Carling Cup and at home to Gillingham in the final game of the League One campaign.
His splendid form this season has attracted the attention from a number of Premiership clubs, with Arsenal, Newcastle and Manchester United reported to be lining up great offers for the teenager.
Still, Delph decided to put pen to paper on a new four-year contract with the club in September 2008.
Full Name: Fabian Delph
Date of birth: November 21, 1989
Birthplace: Bradford, England
Nationality: English
Height: 1.74 m
Weight: 60 kg
Club: Leeds United
Position: Midfielder
Number: 15
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Technorati tags: England Leeds Fabian Delph
He is dubbed as the most exciting prospect to come out of the youth system at Elland Road since Aaron Lennon in 2003.
After a string of impressive performances in Spring 2008, Delph was made captain of the Leeds reserves at the tender age of 17 and showed why manager Gary McAllister is convinced he will become a screen star in his own right.
His pace was also seriously impressive as he can pass his marker from a standing start, then he settles in space and starts to play.
Born in Bradford, Delph started off his career as a trainee at Bradford City.
He made his debut at Leeds as a substitute against Derby County in the final match of the 2006/2007 season.
Last season, however, Delph only made two appearances for the Whites - at Portsmouth in the Carling Cup and at home to Gillingham in the final game of the League One campaign.
His splendid form this season has attracted the attention from a number of Premiership clubs, with Arsenal, Newcastle and Manchester United reported to be lining up great offers for the teenager.
Still, Delph decided to put pen to paper on a new four-year contract with the club in September 2008.
Full Name: Fabian Delph
Date of birth: November 21, 1989
Birthplace: Bradford, England
Nationality: English
Height: 1.74 m
Weight: 60 kg
Club: Leeds United
Position: Midfielder
Number: 15
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 Giovani dos Santos of Tottenham Hotspur |
"He is a young player who is demonstrating that he has great potential. He works well and he has an enormous future. He can become an important player for this club"
Thiago Motta, former Barcelona player
"Giovani dos Santos is a very good young person and I hope for him that he becomes a great player. He has much to learn and he has a positive attitude. I believe that that is the best thing in his favour"
Lilian Thuram, former Barcelona player
"A footballer of his quality makes all the difference in youth football. Very few players have what he has, and that's what sets Mexico apart from the rest"
Jorge Fossati, Uruguay national coach
Giovani dos Santos came to prominence in 2005 when he was one of stars of the Mexican National U-17 team that won the 2005 U-17 World Cup in Peru.
This left-footed player is confident in front of goal and stands out for his speed and dribbling skills.
Giovani comes from a footballing family as his father Gerardo dos Santos, better known as "Zizinho", was a professional player with Mexican outfits América and his brother, Jonathan, has also been with Barcelona.
His father is Brazilian and his mother, Liliana Ramírez, is Mexican.
Zizinho is seen as the driving force behind his son's career, as he ran football academies in Mexico and negotiated a trial for Giovani at Mexican side Club Monterrey.
The prodigy then plucked from his native country by the eagle eyed scouts from Barcelona's youth academy.
His progress through the youth ranks of the club saw him play with Infantil A (2002-03), Cadet B (2003-04), Cadet A (2004-05) and Juvenil A (2005-06).
In 2006, Giovani was invited on the pre-season tour of Barcelona's senior squad and scored on his first team debut during a friendly match against Danish club AGF Aarhus.
He made the definitive step up to the senior squad for the 2007/08 season at the age of 18, making 28 appearances and scoring three goals.
On the international stage, he inspires the Mexican team to victory at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2005, where he was chosen the second best player of the tournament, finishing behind only to Brazilian and Manchester United mildfielder Anderson.
He also represented Mexico in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2007, where his side were eliminated by Argentina in the quarterfinals. This time he was chosen as the third best player, behind Argentines Sergio Agüero and Maximiliano Moralez.
Giovani earned his first international caps for Mexico in a friendly match against Panama on September 9, 2007.
On 10 June 2008, the highly-rated forward completed his move to Tottenham Hotspur from Barcelona for an initial fee of £4.7 million, with the potential to rise to £8.6 million depending on appearances.
The deal also includes a sell-on clause of 20% within Giovani's first two years at Spurs, and 10% thereafter.
Full Name: Giovani Alex Dos Santos Ramírez
Date of birth: May 11, 1989
Birthplace: Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
Nationality: Mexican
2nd nationality: Spanish
Height: 1.75 m
Weight: 71 kg
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Position: Attacking Midfielder/Forward
Number: 17
Honours:
FIFA U-17 World Cup (2005)
FIFA U-17 World Cup Silver Ball (2005)
FIFA U-20 World Cup Bronze Ball (2007)
Technorati tags: Mexico Tottenham Giovani dos Santos
This left-footed player is confident in front of goal and stands out for his speed and dribbling skills.
His father is Brazilian and his mother, Liliana Ramírez, is Mexican.
Zizinho is seen as the driving force behind his son's career, as he ran football academies in Mexico and negotiated a trial for Giovani at Mexican side Club Monterrey.
The prodigy then plucked from his native country by the eagle eyed scouts from Barcelona's youth academy.
His progress through the youth ranks of the club saw him play with Infantil A (2002-03), Cadet B (2003-04), Cadet A (2004-05) and Juvenil A (2005-06).
In 2006, Giovani was invited on the pre-season tour of Barcelona's senior squad and scored on his first team debut during a friendly match against Danish club AGF Aarhus.
On the international stage, he inspires the Mexican team to victory at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2005, where he was chosen the second best player of the tournament, finishing behind only to Brazilian and Manchester United mildfielder Anderson.
He also represented Mexico in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2007, where his side were eliminated by Argentina in the quarterfinals. This time he was chosen as the third best player, behind Argentines Sergio Agüero and Maximiliano Moralez.
Giovani earned his first international caps for Mexico in a friendly match against Panama on September 9, 2007.
On 10 June 2008, the highly-rated forward completed his move to Tottenham Hotspur from Barcelona for an initial fee of £4.7 million, with the potential to rise to £8.6 million depending on appearances.
The deal also includes a sell-on clause of 20% within Giovani's first two years at Spurs, and 10% thereafter.
Full Name: Giovani Alex Dos Santos Ramírez
Date of birth: May 11, 1989
Birthplace: Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
Nationality: Mexican
2nd nationality: Spanish
Height: 1.75 m
Weight: 71 kg
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Position: Attacking Midfielder/Forward
Number: 17
Honours:
FIFA U-17 World Cup (2005)
FIFA U-17 World Cup Silver Ball (2005)
FIFA U-20 World Cup Bronze Ball (2007)
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