Catherine Kortsmik (Wikimedia Commons)
One of the best things about watching the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which starts Friday in Turkey, is the prospect of seeing the next big star emerge.
In the past edition of the U-20 World Cup back in 2011, players that emerged and are shinning brightly now are Oscar of Chelsea and Brazil, Phillippe Coutinho of Liverpool and Brazil, James Rodriguez of AS Monaco and Colombia and Luis Muriel of Udinese and Colombia.
The player in this edition which 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.
Like he has for Barcelona B, Deulofeu will be playing either as a forward or as a right winger in a three forward line for Spain as they play in a complicated group which will include the likes of France, Ghana, and the USA. Deulofeu is the type of player who, in a tournament like this where his talent and skill are above all those playing, can be the difference in a game if things get tight and give Spain a win.
The U-20 World Cup has served as the forum to confirm and introduce new stars of the game to a world audience that tunes in. In this edition that gets started on Friday, Gerard Deulofeu will be the latest one to emerge and shine brightly above all others playing.
Lucas Carreras is a contributing Soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. You can also follow Lucas on Twitter by following him @maldini3fan and you can add him to your circle on Google+.
