The "Shooting" Stars

World Cup is around the bend and it’s the time where the predictions begin to pour in. The tournament has a tradition of producing stars for the game. Or, I can say that it has a tradition of producing Legends of the game. Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo, Zidane Ronaldinho, are all famous courtesy their performances in the World Cup. These players have played a key role in helping their country winning the World Cup or performing well in it.
We have a look at the men who will make a difference. They will be one who will try to make a name for themselves; they will be there to compete for the Golden Boot. We have a look at the strikers who will be playing the World Cup for the first time...

Wayne Rooney:
Rooney is the “Angry Young Man” of the English team. England’s success at the World Cup largely depends on how Rooney performs. Rooney announced his arrival on the big scene by becoming the youngest ever goal scorer in The Premiership at the tender age of 16 when he netted from 25-yards against champions Arsenal to end their unbeaten 30-game run. He is the youngest player to play for England and later became the youngest English player to score a goal. Sir Alex Ferguson said when he signed Rooney for 30 million pounds; “I think we have got the best young player this country has seen in the past 30 years” After his first season at United, few would disagree. He is the Pele in making. The 2002 BBC Sports Young Sports Personality of the Year and the 2005 FIFpro Young Player will be surely one to watch out for...

Lionel Messi:
He is the ‘new Maradona’ of the Argentinean soccer. After witnessing what the 18-year old can do, I am now sure that this lad can all alone win matches for his country at Germany. Everyone new that Argentina could play but Messi’s recent performance in the Champions League round of 16, where he tormented the best defense in the Premiership has everyone in or outside Argentina exited. There have been many players over the years who has been dubbed the new Maradona, but so far no one has really lived up too expectation. Messi is the latest produce and so far is looking more and more likely to be the next Maradona. Even the man himself has recently said that Messi is going to be his successor. He has everything in his game and yet is only at a tender age of 18. He is surely the one to watch out for. He along with the likes of Riquelme, Aimar, Saviola, Tevez, Crespo and Rodriguez, the South Americans are a force that no team would like to face.

Robinho:
Robson De Souza, a.k.a.Robinho is called the Brazilian Pearl and rightly so. Robinho when in full flow is a glorious sight and if he can produce his best for Brazil in the World Cup, then football will be the ultimate winner. Despite his slight build, he has become proficient in winning possession, using speed and intelligence to swoop at the perfect moment to poke the ball away from his opponent and set the counter attack in motion. He is a great asset for Brazil and he will play a vital role, if Brazil is to win the World Cup.

Andriy Shevchenko:
When you think of Ukrainian football, the one name that immediately comes to mind is Andriy Shevchenko. The AC Milan star has been one of the most lethal strikers in Europe the past few years and he will surely be the focus of attention for Ukraine’s opponents in this year’s World Cup. A poacher supreme Shevchenko lives for goals and is unsurprisingly his country's record scorer, averaging roughly a goal every two games. If this guy performs over par, then there are chances that Ukraine creates upsets at Germany.

Didier Drogba:
A pacy, powerful and a prolific striker, Drogba was nothing short than a sensational in his first European season for Olympique Marseille, prompting Chelsea to pay a club- record fee for this Ivory Coast striker. He has been instrumental in Chelsea’s league performance in past two seasons. The only problem with Drogba has been his inconsistent form, which led to the criticism that the player is not living up to his price tag. Whatever said, Drogba when in form is delight to watch and is surely the striker to watch out for in the so-called low profile Ivory Coast team.

Apart from these players, we can also expect some competition from the Dutch pairing of Arjen Robben and Rafael Van Der Vaart, Aussie ace Harry Kewell and Jose AntonioReyes from Spain for the race to glory who will be playing in the world cup for the first time.