Player #71 - Hernanes (Brazil)

Name: Hernanes
Age: 28
National Team:  Brazil
Team: Lazio (Italian League) 
Position: Central Midfielder

Description of his Game:  Hernanes is quite spectacular to watch!  Since he is relatively unknown outside of the Italian league, he is expected by some to be Brazil's breakout star of Brazil 2014.  Hernanes shows great poise in his play, has masterful dribbling skills, possesses tremendous speed and is an amazing striker.

Hernanes' Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzCFB4cwf5Y

Career News:  In January 2009, Hernanes was listed as the most promising football player in the world by the British newspaper, The Times. 

Interesting Personal Facts:  In 2008, as a São Paulo player, Hernanes won the Premio Craque de Brasileirao's best player award.

Upcoming Matches Where You Can See Him Play:

Brazil's National Team (None of their games are World Cup Qualifiers, as World Cup Host Countries automatically qualify)
 
Lazio  (Italian League)
October 6th -Fiorentina
Schedule: http://www.sslazio.it/

Player #72 - Pedro Rodriguez Ledesma (Spain)

Name: Pedro Rodriguez
Age: 26
National Team:  Spain
Team: Barcelona (Spanish La Liga) 
Position: Winger, Attacking Midfielder

Description of his Game:  Pedro is said to have exceptional timing, having made it a habit of scoring timely goals.  His skills feature great speed and agility.  If given space anywhere near the goal, he's fantastic and creating shots for himself, especially in split seconds when all he has to do is do a half turn and take a shot.  He's got a cannon of a right foot.

Pedro Rodriguez's Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO3qqjzFJxQ

Career News:  Pedro was included by Vicente del Bosque in Spain's 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. 

Interesting Personal Facts:  Relative to other superstars, Pedro arrived late, having joined FC Barcelona's youth team at the age of 17.

Upcoming Matches Where You Can See Him Play:

Spain's National Team

(None of these games are World Cup Qualifiers, as World Cup Defending Champions automatically qualify)

October 15 - Georgia

Barcelona  (Spanish La Liga)
October 5th - Valladolid
October 19th - Osasuna
Schedule:  http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team

Player #73 Santi Cazorla (Spain)

Name: Santi Cazorla
Age: 28
National Team:  Spain
Team: Arsenal (English Premier League) 
Position: Winger, Attacking Midfielder

Description of his Game:  Cazorla can do almost anything from the wing, he can play equally with both feet, he can beat defenders with speed, change directions and take shots at goal with tremendous accuracy.  As a tackler he is highly effective with quick sudden bursts of energy.

Santi Cazorla's Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VtRnK-0kdg

Career News:  Cazorla represented Spain at Euro 2008 and 2012, winning both tournaments and gaining more than 60 caps.  This is an amazing accomplishment considering that Spain has been playing at such a high caliber since 2008.  He may be the 73rd ranked player according to a survey done by the Guardian, but he is also ranked as the 10th best footballer in the world by Bloomberg this year. 

Interesting Personal Facts:  After missing the 2010 FIFA World Cup due to a hernia, Cazorla appears to be ready for Brazil.

Upcoming Matches Where You Can See Him Play:

Spain's National Team

(None of these games are World Cup Qualifiers, as World Cup Defending Champions automatically qualify)

October 15 - Georgia

Arsenal  (English Premier League)
October 6th - West Bromwich Albion
October 19th - Norwich
Schedule:  http://www.arsenal.com/match-menu/3643933/first-team/w.b.a.-v-arsenal

Player #74 Christian Eriksen (Denmark)

Name: Christian Eriksen
Age: 21
National Team:  Denmark
Team: Tottenham Hotspur F.C. (English League) 
Position: Midfielder

Description of his Game:  He is considered the successor to Wesley Sneijder and Rafael Van Der Vaart.  He is great with both feet, shows great poise on the attack and excellent judgement.  He might look somewhat scrawny, but Eriksen is very skilled and still getting through and passed defenders.

Christian Eriksen's Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi5DkSuUmI8

Career News:  Eriksen was the youngest player of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.  In 2011, Eriksen was named Danish Football Player of the Year, Dutch Football Talent of the Year, Ajax Talent of the Year, and mad the UEFA Euro U-21 Team of the Tournament.  

Interesting Personal Facts:  Having attracted the scouts of Ajax when he was 16, there is a great deal of anticipation for this young man since he is only 21 years old.

Upcoming Matches Where You Can See Him Play:

Denmark's National Team
October 11th - Italy (World Cup Qualifier)
October 15th - Malta (World Cup Qualifier)
Schedule:  http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/europe/teams/team=43941/index.html


Tottemham Hotspur  (English Premier League)
September 28th - Chelsea
October 6th - West Ham
Schedule:  http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/matches/

Player #75 Ezequiel Lavezzi (Argentina)

Name: Ezequiel Lavezzi
Age: 28
National Team:  Argentina
Team: Paris Saint Germain (French Football League) 
Position: Forward/Winger

Description of his Game:  He is considered to be selfless, making goals for others while averaging one in every four matches himself. He is blessed with great speed and the ability to make intelligent choices on the field.

Ezequiel Lavezzi's Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z1VkrH6-xA

Career News:  After not being included in Maradona's national squad in South Africa 2010, Lavezzi will be looking to be full form for Brazil.

Interesting Personal Facts: He is commonly known as el Pocho or the Chubby One,

Upcoming Matches Where You Can See Him Play:
Argentina's National Team
October 2nd - Brazil
October 11 - Peru (World Cup Qualifier)
Schedule:  http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=arg/index.html


Paris Saint Germain (French League)
September 28 - Toulouse
October 2nd - Benfica
October 6th - Marseille 
Schedule:  http://www.psg.fr/en/News/201001/Fixtures-results

Player #76 Joao Moutinho (Portugal)

Name: Joao Moutinho
Age: 27
National Team:  Portugal
Team: Monaco (French Football League) 
Position: Central Midfielder, Attacking Midfielder

Description of his Game:  As a central midfielder, Moutinho has great vision and can make incredible passes when on the attack and from midfield.  As an "attacking" midfielder, he's not a great scorer, if the last three years are of any indication.  He is considered by some to be the heart of the Portuguese national team.

Joao Moutinho's Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAO0KS7Gfi8

Career News:  He became an international at the age of 18 and since Germany 2006 he's been a regular player on the Portuguese national squad.  He brings a great deal of experience, having played more than 600 professional games at only 27 years of age.

Interesting Personal Facts: Not much is easily available regarding his personal life.

Upcoming Matches Where You Can See Him Play:

Portugal's National Team

October 11th - Israel  (World Cup Qualifier)

October 15 - Luxembourg  (World Cup Qualifier)

Schedule: http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=por/index.html

Monaco (French Football League) 

September 29th - Stade de Reims

October 5th - AS Saint-Etienne

Schedule: http://www.asm-fc.com/en/first-team/fixtures-results-276.html

World Cup Qualifying Update

 Today we take a look at an update regarding World Cup qualifying and a taste for how much excitement and interest is beginning to spread.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=2179516/index.html

The race to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil will hit fever pitch over the next two months, with 22 places still up for grabs, and more than 50 teams still in contention.