With the FIFA U20 World Cup having started, we look at some of the players to watch out for, who could make a difference for their sides. Today, we start off with Group A.
Luis Gil(USA)
Gil currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer as a midfielder. Gil, who has partial Mexican ancestry through his father, attended the IMG Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Florida in 2008 as a youth player. He turned professional when he signed a Generation Adidas contract with Major League Soccer in February 2010, spurning interest from major European clubs such as Premier League side Arsenal. In 2009, Gil was a member of the United States U-17 national team for both the CONCACAF U-17 Championships and the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Gil was later named to the United States U-18 roster for the 2011 Milk Cup tournament in Northern Ireland.
Lucas Digne (France)
Digne currently plays for French club Lille in Ligue 1,where he plays as left back capable of also playing as a left-sided midfielder. Digne is French youth international and has represented his nation at under-16, under-17, and under-18 level. He signed his first professional contract at the age of 16, and ahead of the 2011–12 season, he was promoted to the senior team permanently. He has great pace as well as good defensive abilities and has consistently been linked with a move to the Premier League where a host of clubs are interested in his services. This will be another opportunity for him to impress potential suitors.
Paul Pogba (France)
Paul Pogba plays for Italian club Juventus in Serie A, operating primarily as a midfielder and is comfortable at playing both in attack and defence.The former Manchester United player has been described as a “powerful, skilful, and creative” player who has “an eye for goal and a penchant for the spectacular.” After his transfer to Juventus F.C. he gained the nickname Il Polpo Paul (coincidentally “Paul the Octopus”) for his long legs that look like tentacles during tackling or running. Pogba is a French youth international having represented his nation at all levels for which he has been eligible. With the under-16 team, he captained his nation to victories at the Aegean Cup and the Tournoi du Val-de-Marne and, at under-17 level, played at the 2010 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, and has even made his debut for the senior national team.
Yaya Sanogo (France)
Sanogo plays for French Ligue 1 side Auxerre as a striker, and scored an incredible 9 goals in 11 appearances for his team in the league, including an incredible 4 goals in a match against Laval F.C. Sanogo has earned caps with the under-16 and under-17 teams of France; with the under-16s, Sanogo was installed as first-choice striker and scored a remarkable 18 goals in 18 games. Due to the six-month suspension of international teammate Paul Pogba, Sanogo was named captain of the under-17 team by coach Guy Ferrier.
Richmond Boakye (Ghana)
Boakye began his career with Bechem United in his native country of Ghana. He eventually moved to DC United (Ghana), and remained until 2008 after being scouted by Genoa C.F.C. following a tournament in Vicenza, Italy. Following his transfer to Genoa in 2009, Boakye spent the 2009–10 Serie A season, playing in the Campionato Nazionale Primavera for the Ligurian club. In June 2011, Boakye joined Serie B outfit U.S. Sassuolo Calcio on a one-year loan deal. The loan deal proved very successful for the Ghanaian, as he managed to score 12 goals in 34 appearances for the club that missed promotion to Serie A via a promotion play-off loss on aggregate to U.C. Sampdoria. His performances for the neroverde did not go unnoticed, as the player eventually joined reigning Serie A champions Juventus F.C. on a co-ownership deal from Genoa in July 2012, returning to Sassuolo on loan for the next season.
Paco Alcacer (Spain)
A product of Valencia CF’s youth system, Alcácer made his senior debuts in the 2009–10 season (aged only 16), scoring three goals in 15 games with the reserve side and suffering relegation from the third division. In November 2010 he appeared in his first match with the first team, playing the full 90 minutes in a home win against UD Logroñés in Spanish Cup. In January 2012 Alcácer made his La Liga debut, coming on as a substitute for Sofiane Feghouli for the last 20 minutes against Real Sociedad. For the 2012–13 season he went on loan to Getafe CF, where he scored his first goal in the top division.
Suso (Spain)
Suso began to gather attention at the age of 15 and went on to sign for the Liverpool Academy in the summer of 2010 from his hometown club Cadiz, rejecting Barcelona and Real Madrid in the process. Following the appointment of Brendan Rodgers, Suso has been drafted into the first team fold and made 20 appearances in all competitions last season. A player with great vision and outstanding passing, Suso has represented Spain at U17, U18, U19, U20 and U21 level. In 2012 Suso started every game during the U19 European Championships, where he won his first international honour.
Gerard Deulofeu (Spain)
The player in this edition of the tournament who promises to stand out and break out above all others is Gerard Deulofeu of Spain. Deulofeu is a forward/winger who plays for Barcelona B and will begin to see more and more time with the Barcelona first team squad during the 2013-14 season or at the very least be loaned out to play first team soccer on a regular basis. While Deulofeu will be a virtual unknown to the vast majority of people who will turn to watch the tournament, he is not unknown to those who follow Barcelona and follow various soccer specific websites. For the past two years, Deulofeu has been tabbed as the next great star to be produced by Barcelona’s youth system, La Masia.