Lamine Yamal, Robert Ramsak and Mateusz Skoczylas are some of the players who are shining in this Under 17 European Championship
Germany and Spain are proving to be the best teams in this tournament
The stars that start to light up now will be the ones that will light up European football for years to come. And in this Under 17 European Championship we have already seen some that shine in their own light. There are some known, such as the case of Lamine Yamal, who has already made his debut with the Barça first team, and there are some like Mateusz Skoczylas, who took advantage of a large generation in Poland to distinguish himself from the others.
This is what these tournaments are for, to confirm and discover new talent. Thus, at SPORT, and with the invaluable help of José David López, commentator of the U17 European Championship on ‘Teledeporte’, we have decided to highlight some names who have reached an excellent level in this championship.
Some are still alive in the tournament, in the semi-finals which will be played starting tomorrow and which have Spain and Germany as big favorites. Both teams monopolize most of the proper names of this European Sub-17.
yamal foil
It is, surely, the name of the tournament. All the spotlights were on him in the preview after his debut with the Barça first team, and whoever started the bike confirmed why. It is the differential talent of this Spanish team and already has three goals and two assists in just four games played. His plays and his imbalance are already in the ‘highlights’ of the tournament.
marc guiu
He is the top scorer for Barça, Spain and the tournament with his four goals. He is part of Julen Guerrero’s backbone. He scored twice in the first match, opened the net in the second against Slovenia and scored again in the quarter-final against Northern Ireland. It is the ‘9’ of the Under 17 selection. In fact, it is the only specific that Julen Guerrero has taken.
Raúl Jiménez
The Valencia Juvenil B goalkeeper is insurance under the sticks for this Spain Under-17 season. His team hasn’t had the best season in the league, but Raúl Jiménez is proving to be a surefire value in this tournament. He rides very well over the top and has great footwork. Together with the two centre-backs I am a safe full-back.
The duo Jon Martín – Pau Cubarsi
It’s hard to stay with either one, so we’ve included the defensive axis of this Julen Guerrero selection. The Real Sociedad centre-back and the Barça centre-back have formed an extremely reliable duo in defense, with the ball coming out and powerful when it’s time to play. Cubarsi has already shown what he is capable of in the lower categories of the Barça team.
pau prim
Like at Barça, he is the great captain of this Spain of Lopetegui. Barça’s youth team is a ‘6’ with enormous vision and leadership skills that make it essential. He’s back playing at a very high level and it shouldn’t surprise him: he’s already trained on a few occasions with Barcelona’s first team.
Mateusz Skoczylas
Poland’s ‘9’ who has surprised and how in this Under-17 European Championship. He plays for Lubin in his country and has already scored three goals in the three games played to date. He’s a very strong ‘9’, very aggressive in shooting and with a great interpretation of the game in the box.
He is more “killer” than the rest of the “9” who excel in this tournament. He is the centre-forward of a Poland that slipped to the semifinals being a tremendously powerful team offensively.
Paris Brunner
One of the great references of this Germany who shone in the Under 17 European Championship. He plays for Dortmund’s Under 19, but it seems he will reach the first team. In the ‘borusser’ box he plays a little more concentrated, but in this ‘Mannschaft’ we have seen him start from the extreme left.
It has three goals. He’s a strong player, with definition, physical strength, finishing, overflow… Not being a typical winger, he tends to get deep and stomp the finishing zones. He has many goals and he is proving it.
Robert Ramsack
He’s not a regular in Germany, but that hasn’t stopped him from being a very important and, above all, very interesting player. The starting ‘9’ of the ‘Mannschaft’ was Moerstedt, but the Bayern striker knew how to make the most of his chances and score three goals in the four games he played. He is a different striker, much more mobile and very intelligent in his movements.
Demir Xhemalija
The Swiss midfielder, at just 16 years of age, stood out in this Under-17 European Championship. Of Albanian origin, he scored an amazing goal from afar in the group stage match against Croatia. He failed to take his team to the semi-finals, but will now play against England so that Switzerland can participate in the Under 17 World Cup. He is a very powerful midfielder.
Isaiah Dada-Mascoll
After Pau Cubarsí and Jon Martín, the defender for Manchester City and England has been the best central defender of this Under-17 European Championship. He has been fundamental in both areas for the English team, although the “Three Lions” will only be able to play the match to enter the Under-17 World Cup after falling to France in the quarter-finals. With him on the green, England only conceded so much. Also, he scored two goals in the group stage.
Saimon Bouabré
France didn’t have a player who shone much above the rest, but the strength of the group and the average level of all its players made it right to reach the semifinals. However, Saïmon Bouabré, the Monaco midfielder, has had a great tournament to date.
He is a tremendously technical half but who also has the physicality to be decisive in the first round so loved in France, with players like Pogba, Kanté, Matuidi, Rabiot and company.