World Cup 2014 – Ones to Watch – Forwards

With just one more day remaining until Brazil 2014 gets underway, we file the final article in our “Ones to Watch” series. Having looked at five Defenders and Midfielders set to make an impact in the upcoming World Cup, we turn our attentions to the men up front and, once again, keep the spotlight firmly on young, emerging players who may well be on the verge of greater things:

Antoine Griezmann

A long-term target of Arsenal, the 23-year-old is reportedly a interesting PSG and Real Madrid after serving up the goals in La Liga last time around. Arsene Wenger is clearly a fan, having admitted back in March:

“We are following him [Griezmann] in great detail. He attracts other clubs as well but we follow him, he is a known commodity.”

It’s little wonder the Frenchman has attracted a number of big-name suitors after he notched 16 times for seventh-placed Real Sociedad. The Spanish side’s chances of retaining Griezmann’s services for the 2014/15 campaign look to have taken a turn for the worse after Franck Ribery was ruled out through injury for Les Bleus – enhancing the youngster’s chances of a starting role on the left for a trio of group games against Switzerland, Honduras and Ecuador.

Available for 7.7 in FantasyiTeam and just $175k in Fox Sports, Griezmann has netted three times in France’s last two friendlies, with this classy back-heel finish in an 8-0 romp over Jamaica on Sunday highlighting his predatory instincts inside the box.

Josip Drmic

After a single season with German outfit Nurnberg, the 21-year-old is in exceptional form ahead of Brazil 2014. Arriving from Swiss side FC Zurich at the start of 2013/14, it’s fair to say Drmic exceeded all expectations after scoring 17 of his side’s 37 goals in the Bundesliga and ending the season as third top scorer in the German top-flight.

Whilst his attacking endeavours were unable to prevent Nurnberg from slipping to relegation, they soon had the suitors queuing up. Just last month, Bayer Leverkusen won the race for his highly-coveted signature, with sporting director Rudi Voller announcing:

“We have been able to prevail against strong competition and are glad that Josip Drmic has joined us. He is a player that gives us more options in attack. He’s fast, assertive and flexible as he can play on the wing.”

As his highlights reel from 2013/14, Drmic looks the real deal. Strong in the air, clinical inside the box, he also possess a fleet of foot and technique which is perhaps above and beyond our expectations of a centre forward. Fielded as a lone forward in a 4-2-3-1 for both Nurnberg and Switzerland, he fired his first goal for the national side in a friendly draw with Croatia in March and has subsequently scored three of his nation’s five strikes.

Coming in at a very kind 6.3 in FantasyiTeam and $205k in Fox Sports, he looks nailed-on for Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side for the tournament and will surely play a prominent part if the Swiss are to navigate their way through Group E. Certainly, a showdown with France looks tricky but with games against Honduras and Ecuador on either side, there’s a real belief Switzerland will make it out of the group stages this time around.

Alexander Kokorin

The Russian international will be glad the 2013/14 season is behind him. Kokorin was placed on the transfer market just one month after joining Anzhi from Dynamo Moscow in July last year and returned to his former club the following day.

The turmoil failed to affect his form, though. In 22 league appearances, the 23-year-old – who was mainly utilised as a secondary striker – found the net 10 times and also supplied an impressive nine assists for his side with some strong performances through the centre.

Kokorin notched four times in only seven starts during qualifying – all the more impressive given that he was occasionally fielded on the left of a front three by Fabio Capello. With Alexander Kerzhakov gradually falling out of the picture due to a lack of domestic game time and advancing years, the youngster’s versatility is expected to see him moved into the central role for the Russian, thus boosting his Fantasy potential.

Nicknamed “The Russian Justin Bieber” due to an alleged likeness to the singer, Kokorin will he hoping to make his own headlines over the group stages. Games against South Korea and Algeria somewhat offset a tricky match with Belgium, though with Capello’s side winning seven and drawing three of their last 10 fixtures, they certainly have form on their side.

Available for just 7.3 in FantasyiTeam and $215k in the Fox Sports game, he’ll be looking to justify the faith that has heralded him as the future of Russian football since his teenage years and potentially fire the goals that would earn him a move to one of Europe’s biggest leagues over the summer.

Vincent Aboubakar

Typically, a World Cup campaign for Cameroon would bring Samuel Eto’o to the fore as the likely source of goals but this time around, the veteran has a contender. Aboubakar arrives in Brazil on the back of an outstanding breakout season for French outfit Lorient, where he scored 16 times and also supplied seven assists – essentially playing a part in 23 of the 48 goals that helped his side earn an eighth place finish in Ligue 1.

The 22-year old’s exploits are expected to ensure he gets the nod on the right for the Africans, whether in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, and whilst Eto’o’s central role and spot-kick duties are likely to sway any investment his way, Aboubakar’s performances over the previous campaign have certainly served notice of his talents. His power and pace up top, allied with a fine aerial ability, looks likely to pose problems aplenty as Cameroon attempt to clinch their progress from a testing Group A schedule which sees them pitted against Brazil, Croatia and Mexico.

One of Cameroon’s coaches, Henri Manga, was more than complimentary when assessing the youngster’s progress over the past year and, as this article indicates, Aboubakar’s recent exploits have ensured hopes are high back in his homeland.

“Aboubakar has really improved his finishing skills and has developed real composure over the year. His speed and predatory skills make him very important to Finke’s team, as does his ability on the ball. He is very dangerous. He is one of our best weapons and I am sure our opponents are aware of that.”

The 22-year-old has been linked with both Chelsea and Leicester over the last day or so. A move to Stamford Bridge would surely diminish his Fantasy prospects but if The Foxes, or a similar club, can snap him up, he looks ready-made for the rigours of the Premier League.

Abdul Majeed Waris

Farmed out on loan to French side Valenciennes from parent club Dynamo Moscow midway through last season, the young Ghanaian quickly found his form. In just 16 appearances, the versatile Waris registered nine goals and three assists for the Ligue 1 outfit to suggest he could be on many a club’s radar for the upcoming tournament.

Waris’ chances of a start for his country will depend on a couple of factors, though. The decision of a number of experienced campaigners to return from international exile has perhaps lessened the likelihood of his role in the XI, whilst a thigh injury picked up in the recent friendly against South Korea means he may have to settle for a sub role in Ghana’s opener with the USA.

Nonetheless, there’s no doubting the 22-year-old’s talents. Waris has pace to burn and his trickery on the ball, allied with a coolness inside the box, is capable of troubling all of his nation’s Group G opponents, Germany and Portugal included. Able to play as a lone forward, in “the hole” or wide left, his adaptability will surely earn the youngster game time off the bench at the very least over the upcoming tournament.

Available for just 6.7 in FantasyiTeam and $150k in Fox Sports, Waris may struggle to earn much investment due to the tough nature of his fixtures but, as international team-mate Mathieu Dossevi confirms, the youngster’s contribution may well be key if the Africans are to upset the odds and prevail:

“It is true that we have done a lot of good things recently. Waris is already doing his job: he scores. But he also brings a lot of speed and depth, what we lacked before. It allows us to play behind the lines a little more in the opposing camp, and keep the ball a little more. He is a tonic player and very generous in his efforts. He scores and offers many possibilities. He is good for us. I hope Majeed Waris goes far.”