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Copa America Scouting: 12 Players Ready For The Premiership

July 14, 2007

Craig has been watching South America’s best (for the most part) strut their stuff, and a few players could make their way to England sooner rather than later.

This year’s Copa America has shown the world how football should be played, and no doubt many Premiership fans will be hoping to see some of the stars of the tournament coming to their clubs before the start of the season. With the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City Newcastle, Aston Villa, Portsmouth and West Ham flush with cash there will have been plenty of scouts from England watching. And while Robinho and Messi may be unrealistic targets, these players could all be open to moving to the Premier League.

On to the scouting…


Juan Sebastian Veron (Argentina) – A failure at Manchester United and Chelsea, Veron has a point to prove in England. Now a free agent after his Chelsea contract finally expired. Spent 2 years on loan at Inter Milan, then last season guided Estudiantes de la Plata to the Argentinian Apertura Championship. His form with Estudiantes led to a recall for Copa America and has played a major part in their run to the final. At the age of 32, Veron may want one final contract in Europe before he retires.

Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguay & Bayern Munich) – Scored a hat-trick for Paraguay against Colombia as Paraguay cruised into the quarter-finals. Had a very impressive tournament but is surplus to requirements at Bayern Munich after the arrivals of Luca Toni, Miroslav Klose and Jan Schlaudraff. Still only 25, Santa Cruz could prove a great signing for a Premiership club, and Blackburn, Everton and Birmingham have been linked with a move.

Juan Roman Riquelme (Argentina & Villareal) – Words don’t do this player justice. 5 goals and a few more assists already with the final to come, Riquelme has shone on his comeback from international exile. Went to Boca Juniors on loan in January and inspired them to win the Copa Libertadores. Fell out with the Villareal management and is almost certain to leave the club, but Boca can’t afford him so he will probably stay in Europe. Few Premiership clubs play with a playmaker, so Riquelme may prefer to move to Italy or remain in Spain. However a move to one of the big 4 might be hard to turn down. Linked with Aston Villa and West Ham already.

Juan Arango (Venezuela & Real Mallorca) – Helped the hosts through the group stage for the first time in their history and scored in the defeat to Uruguay in the quarter finals. Plays just off the main striker and sets up a lot of goals as well as scoring his fair share. His contract with Mallorca expired this summer, and at the age of 27 he might be looking for a new challenge. Recently obtained a Spanish passport, so no work permit would be required.

Cristian Rodriguez (Uruguay & PSG) – Left winger who shone in Uruguay’s quarter final win against Venezuela. Has the brilliant nickname of “the onion” in Uruguay because he makes the opposition defenders cry. Came into the PSG team in the second half of last season when Paul Le Guen took over, and he was instrumental in keeping the club in Ligue 1. Only 21 and would find a move to England hard to turn down.

Elano – (Brazil & Shakhtar Donetsk) – Scored twice in Brazil’s win over Argentina at the Emirates Stadium playing wide right, but has been used as a central midfielder in Copa America. Plays in a very similar style to his manager, and has been a key part of Dunga’s side during the tournament. The 26 year-old might want to move away from the Ukranian League to further his career, but it would take a large offer to tempt Shakhtar to sell him.

Afonso Alves (Brazil & Heerenveen) – Not been used all that much by Dunga during the tournament, but has shown that he has a game well suited to the Premiership. Alves is a strong striker who is very good in the air and a lethal finsher, but was unheard of in Brazil when he was named in the Copa America squad, having left Brazil at the age of 21 after failing to make the grade. He played in the Swedish League for 4 years before moving to Heerenveen last summer for £3m, but was a sensation in Holland, scoring 34 goals in 31 league games. Tipped with a move away from Heerenveen but is unproven at a higher level.

Humberto Suazo (Chile & Monterrey) – Scored twice in the opening game to seal a victory over Ecuador and then scored this sensational goal against Brazil in their 6-1 quarter final defeat. Looks a bit like Ronaldo in his prime and certainly has the same questionable attitude. Recently joined Mexican club Monterrey for just under £3m but the 26 year-old looks to be worth a lot more than that and the Mexicans might be tempted to sell if they received a big offer.

Rafael Marquez (Mexico & Barcelona) – Captain of Mexico and guided his side to the semi-final where they lost to Argentina. A superb passer of the ball with a great footballing brain, Marquez loves to move forward out of defence and start attacks. With the arrival of Gabriel Milito at Barcelona, Marquez has been linked with a move away but at the age of 28 he still has a lot to offer. He would strengthen any Premiership side but his wages of around £90k a week could prove a stumbling block.

Gerardo Torrado (Mexico & Cruz Azul) – A hard tackling defensive midfielder who was linked with Tottenham a few years back. Would be well suited to the Premiership, Torrado has 70 caps for Mexico. Starred in the 2-0 victory over Brazil and played in all Mexico’s matches. The 28 year-old has experience in the top European leagues having spent 6 years in Spain before returning home in 2005. Would surely like one more crack at a major European league before the end of career.

Nery Castillo (Mexico & Olympiakos) – Possibly the player of the tournament, Castillo could also have played for Uruguay, Greece and Italy, but finally chose Mexico at the start of this summer. A similar player to Lionel Messi (in height as well as style) but at 23 he is older than the Argentine. Scored 3 goals for Olympiakos in last year’s Champions’ League and has already been linked with Valencia, Juventus and Arsenal. Almost joined Manchester United on trial at the age of 16, but United ended their interest when he failed to get a work permit.

Cristian Mora – (Ecuador & LDU Quito) – An eccentric goalkeeper who is very athletic and a great shot stopper. Only 24, he played in all of Ecuador’s matches at the World Cup where he was instantly recognisable by the Ecuadorian flags painted on his face . Saved a penalty from Luca Toni on his international debut and kept 2 clean sheets at the World Cup. Strongly linked with a move to Europe this summer.

Written by CaughtOffside Team · Filed Under Aston Villa, CaughtOffside Opinion, Chelsea, Craig, Everton, Football & Soccer, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle, Portsmouth, Premier League, Tottenham, Transfer Rumours, West Ham 

Comments

27 Responses to “Copa America Scouting: 12 Players Ready For The Premiership”

  1. Simon
    on July 14th, 2007 7:52 pm

    good stuff Craig. Personally I would take Veron and Elano at West Ham. Veron got a bad rap but he’s a quality player if you build your side around him and Elano is the kind of dynamic attacking talent we need to replace Tevez

  2. Darren Cowzer
    on July 14th, 2007 9:59 pm

    Castillo is Truly world Class - 8 M to Everton would be a Bargain. :-)

  3. pingu
    on July 14th, 2007 10:07 pm

    good stuff old chap!

  4. Leo
    on July 14th, 2007 10:26 pm

    Juan Arango!?
    he just did nothing in this cup america! He is really really horrible!!!!
    It’s like Mora. He ended the cup on bench!!

  5. Chris
    on July 14th, 2007 11:22 pm

    What about Guardado?

  6. craig
    on July 14th, 2007 11:36 pm

    [quote comment=”50905″]What about Guardado?[/quote]

    He’s already agreed a move to Deportivo so he won’t be on his way to the Premiership.

  7. Man Utd Fan
    on July 15th, 2007 4:42 am

    What about Ochoca (Mexican Goalie for the first match). He kept Brazil at bay with some outstanding saves.

  8. Bubba
    on July 15th, 2007 5:48 am

    Mora? Are you kidding me? He is a disaster. He might be a decent shot stopper, but he makes sooo many mistakes that for every goal he prevents, he colludes in the scoring of another. Did you see the first goal that Castillo scored against Ecuador? Can you explain why he was out of the net or where he was going? He was like that in the World Cup too. Definitely the weakest link in the Ecuador national team and I should know, considering that my lady is Ecuadorian and I have been familiar with him for a while now.

  9. Doctapaul (Toon Fan)
    on July 15th, 2007 8:29 am

    Excellent research - do you sleep through the day or video record?

    Many thanks.

  10. senna
    on July 15th, 2007 10:32 am

    newcastle should buy Robinho from real madrid he`s young and can play left wing or as a second striker

  11. Joe
    on July 15th, 2007 10:55 am

    As an Englishman living in Amsterdam, I have to say that the Eredivisie-level really isn’t that much lower than that of the Premiership. Both are leagues with the emphasis on graft rather than skill, and the Dutch academies and scouts are some of the best in the world. Players like Robben, Van Nistelrooy, Kuyt (who wasn’t even that highly rated in Holland) Van Persie and Bergkamp have come straight into the prem and established themselves on the first teams. If Alves can do this well in this league, I would not bet against him doing the same in England

  12. STEVE GSTEVENGLYNNLYNN
    on July 15th, 2007 1:01 pm

    [quote comment=”50890″]Castillo is Truly world Class - 8 M to Everton would be a Bargain. :-)[/quote]
    but wil he sighn fore everton not in a million years UP THE VILLA

  13. Mark
    on July 15th, 2007 3:16 pm

    i thought this was titled ‘12 players ready for the premiership’ not ‘12 players who all play in poor leagues and can beat a man but not pass’

    I wont waste my time going through them all but i will put a point accross on one:

    Ive watched every game in this tournament and i can tell you right now castillo is not ready for the premiership- nor will he ever be. hes greedy, lightweight and would never suit the hard-working style of the world’s best league. to suggest he is is an insult to the league. the last thing the premiership needs is selfish, uncultured players. He is already too old to change his style of play- ok 23 is not old, but compared to the age players come thru these days he has a lot to learn and 4 or 5 years less than players with more talent than him.

    On that note id love arsenal to buy him because hed be a flop. and also, souza’s too fat for the premiership,

    one last thing- wheres ochoa in all this? the undoubted young star of the tournament, and at 20 he warrants 10 times the praise that Cristian Mora gets from you.

    If your gona write articles learn something about football.

  14. mark
    on July 15th, 2007 3:19 pm

    YEH NEWCASTLE SHOULD DEF SIGN ROBINHO. AND RONALDINHO, AND HENRY, AND ETO AND TERRY AND CRISTIANO RONALDO, PROBABLY CECH AND DANI ALVES TOO. AND I RECKON THEY SHOULD GET MESSI AND DROGBA AND ALL THE OTHER PLAYERS THAT WOULD NEVER EVER GO TO AN AVERAGE CLUB LIKE NEWCASTLE.

  15. MARK
    on July 15th, 2007 3:20 pm

    and joe, kezman did well in that league, i know its a much used example, but its the best one.

  16. Joe
    on July 15th, 2007 4:34 pm

    Sure, there have been a couple of duffers (Ooijer and Boogers are other good examples) but this in no way compares to the amount of absurdly glorified and overpriced amateurs shipped in from, for example, Italy (Taibi, Shevchenko, Grabbi, Veron) . For such a small league, the quality in the Eredivisie is very high indeed.

  17. Anonymous
    on July 15th, 2007 6:30 pm

    [quote comment=”51004″]YEH NEWCASTLE SHOULD DEF SIGN ROBINHO. AND RONALDINHO, AND HENRY, AND ETO AND TERRY AND CRISTIANO RONALDO, PROBABLY CECH AND DANI ALVES TOO. AND I RECKON THEY SHOULD GET MESSI AND DROGBA AND ALL THE OTHER PLAYERS THAT WOULD NEVER EVER GO TO AN AVERAGE CLUB LIKE NEWCASTLE.[/quote]

    Bang on mate!!!!

  18. Bobby joe 99 (Ireland)
    on July 15th, 2007 6:31 pm

    [quote comment=”51036″][quote comment=”51004″]YEH NEWCASTLE SHOULD DEF SIGN ROBINHO. AND RONALDINHO, AND HENRY, AND ETO AND TERRY AND CRISTIANO RONALDO, PROBABLY CECH AND DANI ALVES TOO. AND I RECKON THEY SHOULD GET MESSI AND DROGBA AND ALL THE OTHER PLAYERS THAT WOULD NEVER EVER GO TO AN AVERAGE CLUB LIKE NEWCASTLE.[/quote]

    Bang on mate!!!![/quote]

  19. Valentin
    on July 15th, 2007 6:57 pm

    The Dutch league has a very good technical level. However the level of physicality is nowehere near the one in the Premisership. To be honest, it is the same with the rest of European league.
    However, when the Dutch used to develop players not only good technically but also with vision, lately they have churned out mostly powerful player without vision or goal hanger.
    Van Nistelroy, Kezman, the player at Celtic with the long name.
    They are the kind of player that need their team to be set up in a certain way to play effectively. They cannot adapt to anything else.

    I also think that they now import their player from Africa or Eastern Europe where before it was mainly domestic or former colony like Surinam.
    Lately their best player have been of the decent/average mould rather than great.

    Kuyt is decent striker, but even in the Dutch league he was not seen as a future great. He is a grafter rather than a genious.
    Babel kept touting himself to Arsenal, however their scout were less than impressed with the quality of his vision and final pass. Remember a certain Quincy Awusu-Abeyi, quick powerful who was was supposed to be the next Thierry Henry ? Guess what his final ball and decision making in front of goal was poor and is still poor. That’s why he was released by Arsenal.
    I suspect that Babel is the same type of player, flashy and brillian by occasion but often not very efficient.
    Drenthe could be great, but he will need to go in a team that will nurture him rather than break his spirit and stop him from going forward.

    The Dutch league has lost the famous Dutch imagination and freedom of play. They play a more continental cagey kind of game. Koeman is agood tactician, but his team are so boring. The consequence of that new safety first attitude is that the player artist is a dying breed in the Dutch league.
    I cannot think of a future great player in the Berkamp/Cruyff mould.

  20. Valentin
    on July 15th, 2007 7:17 pm

    Before stating that those players are ready for the EPL, the question is Would theyr be as successfull here as they are overthere. There is very few great success of South American players in the premiership. The main reasons why South American players are rarely great success in England:

    + South American team tend to play a more possession based kind of game. The EPL is bang and 100% kind of game. A player who is good on the ball may not have the same time and therefore the artist may struggle in the EPL.

    + Weather. To play in a non league stadium in December for the 3rd round of the FA Cup is not the same than to play on the Coppacabana beach. Even for the other country, playing football is still a pleasure rather than a job in a mud batch.

    + the Culture. The boozing, sex with groupies, tabloid can be a shock for some player. Especially because of the work permit they tend to arrive older than the British players. Most are already settled in some family life. Also if you have to send money for your family back home, you do not want to risk that for nothing.

    + England attracts the second rate or the one that play in a position that nobody would consider a South American for as the best would rather join a Spanish team (Barcelona, Real, …) or Italian (Milan, Juventus, …). Juninho may be considered as a God on Teeside, but outside he considered as a light weight joke. Most of the sucess have been defensive players such as Arsenal’s defensive midfielder (Silva, Edu, Denilson), left back Silvinho, defensive midfielder Mascherano, Man Utd left back Gabriel Heinze rather than the striker or attacking midfield player or striker (Forlan, Hamilton Ricard, Paulo Wanchope, Faustino Asprilla, Juan Angel, …).

  21. Joe
    on July 15th, 2007 11:00 pm

    I already mentioned that Kuyt was never thought of as a huge natural talent whilst at Feyenoord, but Van Persie was and he is right now the only player showing any potential to be the new Thierry Henry. Indeed Owusu-Whatshisname failed, but he was just picked too early from the Ajax tree (which is an oft made mistake by Wenger).
    Yes, Babel’s final ball isn’t great but then he’s a (semi)winger rather than a striker. A Rooney with more pace but less of a killer instinct. If you want someone with a dead eye, Huntelaar or Alves would be very decent buys indeed.

    I agree that ‘Totaalvoetbal’ has sadly passed away at most dutch teams, but AZ are currently inciting a revival, playing some of the best football in the world.

    A grain of salt to go with my endorsement of Alves for (hopefully) Liverpool: The last striker to look good at Heerenveen and then move on to the EPL was erm… Antonios Samaras

  22. Liam O'Kelly
    on July 16th, 2007 9:16 am

    @Valentin

    The players you mentioned about having their team set up in a certain way were the wrong examples. First RvN has gone to Real and scored plenty of goals and even when he was not playing well for United he got goals and Venegoor of Hesselink was in PSV’s second team and he was scoring goals in the CL against United. Kuyt though is a terrible player.

  23. Molly Cleverpants
    on July 16th, 2007 9:58 am

    [quote comment=”51097″]@Valentin
    Kuyt though is a terrible player.[/quote]

    Liam O’Kelly, you are wrong, you daft penis

  24. JJ
    on July 16th, 2007 11:02 am

    ‘Terrible’ is a huge exaggeration indeed. This man has scored only one prem goal less than that sacred cow Berbatov. OK, he’s no Ronaldinho for talent, but then Ronaldinho is no Kuyt for work ethic. He may only be a 7 out of 10 player, but he’s a 7 out of ten player in every match he plays in and not 9 one day and 4 the next.

  25. Liam O'Kelly
    on July 16th, 2007 1:10 pm

    I’m sorry for that I did kind of exaggerate. My new rating is that he is an average player who makes up for mediocrity with hard work. But compared to the other high profile Dutch exports (Kezman excluded) he isn’t on the same level.

  26. Molly Cleverpants
    on July 16th, 2007 1:15 pm

    [quote comment=”51119″]I’m sorry for that I did kind of exaggerate. My new rating is that he is an average player who makes up for mediocrity with hard work. But compared to the other high profile Dutch exports (Kezman excluded) he isn’t on the same level.[/quote]

    I think Kuyt will prove to be a much better player than you think this season - he’s learning fast - he’s certainly not mediocre - but does lack pace

  27. Arsenal are finished!!!!
    on July 18th, 2007 11:03 am

    [quote comment=”51004″]YEH NEWCASTLE SHOULD DEF SIGN ROBINHO. AND RONALDINHO, AND HENRY, AND ETO AND TERRY AND CRISTIANO RONALDO, PROBABLY CECH AND DANI ALVES TOO. AND I RECKON THEY SHOULD GET MESSI AND DROGBA AND ALL THE OTHER PLAYERS THAT WOULD NEVER EVER GO TO AN AVERAGE CLUB LIKE NEWCASTLE.[/quote]

    Mate i pissed myself when i read that, cos i was thinking it earlier, where the fuck has all this newcastle talk been coming from, As if any player would willingly want to go to newcastle, evry1 knows you only go there if you are on ya way out, desperately need some pennies, Or you just fancy meat n tatty pie…

    I thihk we should buy robinho, i can see the headline now,

    Robinho joins newcastle….
    ” why eye man, have ya signed for fooking them ”

    fucking funny lol

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