Name: Edgard Álvarez National team: Honduras (Group H) Squad number: 17 Club side 09/10: Bari (ITA) Position: Right back/right midfield Age: 30 Caps: 48 Goals: 3
World Cup prospects:
Likelihood of starting the tournament: Possible. After several years in the wilderness, his performances for Bari this season earned him a return to the international fold to add some raw pace to Honduras' right flank. Prime super-sub material and another player who stands at 1.7m tall.
Commitment to shirt: Very disappointing. It doesn't seem to matter to Álvarez at all - he has worn all sorts of numbers throughout his career and currently sports number 90 for Bari. This is not a man who cares.
How to follow him throughout the tourament: He has over 1700 fans on facebook. His page states that he can run the 100m in 10.3. Could be the fastest 17 in South Africa.
Name: Jonás Gutiérrez National team: Argentina (Group B) Squad number: 17 Club side 09/10: Newcastle United (ENG) Position: Winger Age: 26 Caps: 16 Goals: 1
World Cup prospects:
Jonás with his trademark celebra17on.
Likelihood of starting the tournament: At one point Diego Maradona proclaimed that his team was made up of Mascherano, Messi, Jonás and 8 more. But can you really trust anything he says?
Commitment to shirt: Very iffy. Jonás "El Galgo" (the greyhound) Gutiérrez seems to prefer 23, the number he wore at Mallorca - the main picture on his website is him celebrating his only international goal with the aforementioned shirt. He got it as close as he could at Newcastle, plumping for 18 as 17 is occupied by club captain and Messianic 17 Alan Smith.
How to follow him throughout the tournament: He has his own website. The homepage features some Geordies chanting his name. Nice touch.
Name: Gary Medel Soto National team: Chile (Group H) Squad number: 17 Club side 09/10: Boca Juniors (ARG) (on loan from Universidad Católica) Position: Holding midfielder
Age: 22 Caps: 24
Goals: 3
World Cup prospects:
Likelihood of starting the tournament: Excellent. Medel has become one of coach Marcelo Bielsa's most important players. He is known as "pitbu17", an allusion to his tenacious ball-winning style and squat build (1.7m). As you can see from the above videos, he is also capable of the odd screamer. Fingers crossed for another bicycle kick or 30-yard piledriver in South Africa.
Commitment to shirt: Admirable. He wore 17 at Universidad Católica, his Chilean club side, but has had to settle for 8 (1+7) during his loan spell with Boca Juniors. Any player who's a certain starter and picks 17 deserves our respect.
How to follow him throughout the tournament: He has his own website where you can win his boots.
Name: Theofanis Gekas National team: Greece (Group B) Squad number: 17 Club side 09/10: Hertha Berlin (GER) Position: Striker Age: 30 Caps: 47 Goals: 20
World Cup prospects:
First goal in this match
Likelihood of starting the tournament: Very unlikely unless guru Rehagel decides that he is not up to the task. Gekas was the top scorer in the whole of Europe during qualification, although the majority of his goals came against Latvia, Luxembourg and Moldova. A couple of seasons ago he was top scorer in the Bundesliga, but after a lean spell via Portsmouth he made a loan move to Hertha Berlin where he has scored 6 goals in 13 games. The form may well be back. Expect him to start.
Commitment to shirt: Recent convert. He has just secured a move to Eintract Frankfurt for the new season and he has not picked a squad number yet, however he has worn 17 for Greece during the majority of goals in qualification and when he secured a loan move to Hertha Berlin he chose the number 17 shirt there, suspiciously leading to a good run of form. Is he a pureblood yet? Time will tell, perhaps this World Cup could be the making of him.
How to follow him throughout the tournament: He appears to be the main focus of the Greece team in the pre-tournament media coverage due to his extraordinary qualifying record. However expect British media to swing towards Samaras and Krygiakos towards the start of the tournament when they actually have to say something about the way they play. If anyone has alternatives of how to follow Fanis' progress please comment!
Loads and loads of friendly reports and number 17s getting on the pitch today so let's start in Serbia where they took on Cameroon in a cracking 4-3 win (which bodes well for the world cup). Mohamadou Idrissou was a late substitute, however pureblood 17 Miloš Krasić not only scored the opener for Serbia, but also provided a nonchalant backheel assist for their second.
Both Angelo Palombo and Reto Ziegler played in Italy's bore draw with Switzerland. Palombo was involved in the build up for the Italian goal, playing a free kick out wide to Gianluca Zambrotta. Marek Hamšík played the first half in Slovakia's farewell 3-0 win against Costa Rica in Bratislava and came close to getting on the scoresheet with a decent chance towards the end of the first half.
Other players who got on were Mikkel Beckmann who made a substitute appearance in Denmark's 1-0 defeat to South Africa, Nikita Rukavytsya was also a late substitute in Australia's match against the USA, making his presence felt with a fierce drive late on in the game. Adelene Guedioura played in Algeria's insipid 1-0 win over UAE, which was eventually won with one of the dodgiest penalties I've seen.
There was good news for one of the new breed 17s though. Eljero Elia came on as a substitute for Netherlands against Hungary and scored an absolutely cracking fifth goal in a 6-1 win - his first in an international shirt. He sprinted past his marker on the left wing, before beating two men on the edge of the box and posting it through the legs of another defender low into the far corner of the goal (see video above). Most satisfying was the crashing ping as the ball hits the back of the net. I am very much looking forward to him strutting his stuff on the scene in South Africa, and later that night he boasted on his twitter account that he had acquired 2000 more followers since the goal. 17tilidie can confirm they were one of them. Elia, you have been blessed by 17.
A17idore causes trouble in paradise
Bad news all round for Jozy Altidore yesterday, not that you'd be able to tell via his twitter account. Firstly he didn't get on to play against Australia and this is reported to be due to a sprained ankle. If so, get well soon Jozy because we will need you for this world cup! However, Jozy has left a legacy at Hull that just keeps on giving. The Hull and East Riding Mail report that Jozy was caught both speeding and driving Daniel Cousin's car without insurance through Hull City Centre last September. On being handing a paltry £3,500 fine, his excuse was that he had a US liscense and Spanish insurance and felt this would cover him. Upon receiving the fine his lawyer had the gu17y to say "His income is a footballers' income. He will have no problem paying any fine." Still, he was only just speeding - 37mph and 40mph. If you want some better news about out Jozy, this interview is a good read.
Name: Chidi Odiah National team: Nigeria (Group B) Squad number: 17 Club side 09/10: CSKA Moscow (RUS) Position: Attacking Right Back Age: 26 Caps: 23 Goals: 1
World Cup prospects:
His goal is 8 mins 45 seconds in.
Likelihood of starting the tournament: Chidi is an exciting and dangerous attacking full-back who is likely to start the tournament. In the African Cup of Nations 2010 he spent a lot of time on the bench with Yusuf Mohamed played at right-back, however due to injury Yusuf will not be making the World Cup, giving Chidi the chance to show what he can do in a 17 shirt. Look out for him charging up the right wing.
Commitment to shirt: Poor. His first experience of wearing the 17 shirt was in the African Cup of Nations 2010 and this is the next time he will wear it. In his defence he cannot wear the 17 jersey for his side due to the presence of 17 pureblood Milos Krasic, and could not previously wear it for Nigeria as it belonged to the acrobatic Julius Aghahowa.
How to follow him throughout the tournament: With difficulty. He does appear to be fond of a quote though, so you may be forced to track him in the tournament.
Everything is God. I might give all my best and if God says I will not make it, nothing will change it. So, I am counting on him to take me to the world cup, even going there to do well. I don't want to have any red card in any of the matches
Name: Giovani dos Santos Ramírez National team: Mexico (Group A) Squad number: 17 Club side 09/10: Galatasaray (TUR) (on loan from Tottenham) Position: Right Wing Forward Age: 21 Caps: 26 Goals: 5
World Cup prospects:
Notice how he wins a penalty by elbowing the defender in the face. Pure 17 magic.
Likelihood of starting the tournament: Very good. He tends to start up front with newly-recruited United player Hernández and fellow weasel Vela.
Commitment to shirt: Excellent. Gio wore 17 at Barça, where he scored the above hattrick in his final game for the club. He also had 17 at Spurs and his sadness at not being able to get his hands on the hallowed shirt at either Ipswich or Galatasaray will be alleviated by the fact that he's bagged it for the World Cup. Incidentally, Mexico are 17th in the FIFA rankings, and five years ago dos Santos won the Under-17 World Cup...
How to follow him throughout the tournament: He has his own website but sadly it's not called giodossantos17.com.
Name: David Mulligan National team: New Zealand (Group F) Squad number: 17 Club side 09/10: Unattached Position: Right Back Age: 28 Caps: 25 Goals: 3
World Cup prospects:
Likelihood of starting the tournament: Whilst Mulligan started qualification matches and played in all of the 2009 Confederations Cup campaign, he failed to feature in the matches against Bahrain and has been an unused substitute in recent friendlies. It's doubtful he'll start.
Commitment to shirt: Dubious. Wore it at the Confederations Cup, but has never worn it at club level.
How to follow him throughout the tournament: He has a facebook appreciation group. Not really updated much, or run by him. Come on David, set up a twitter account or something!
Name: Josué Anunciado de Oliveira National team: Brazil (Group G) Squad number: 17 Club side 09/10: VfL Wolfsburg (GER) Position: Holding Midfielder Age: 30 Caps: 25 Goals: 1
World Cup prospects:
Likelihood of starting the tournament: Josué has played a big role in qualification and played consistently at the Copa America that Brazil won in 2007. Dunga plays Brazil in a system with two holding midfielders, however Josué finds himself behind Gilberto Silva and Melo in the pecking order, so I would expect him to be limited to substitute appearances, unless Brazil have already qualified by the last group match in which case he will certainly start.
Commitment to shirt: Mixed. Whilst he has never chosen the shirt at club level he has taken the number 17 shirt at both Copa America 2007 and the Confederations Cup 2009. Brazil do not use squad numbers for friendly or qualification matches, so whereever the number 17 has been available, he has worn it at international level. His website and signature both suggest his heart truly lies with the number 7 shirt however.
How to follow him throughout the tournament: Through his disappointing website, this does not feature news.
Squad lists revealed
Almost as soon as FIFA revealed their squad lists Rio Ferdinand and Didier Drogba got themselves injured. Rio's gone home and Drogba hasn't, but they don't wear number 17 so we don't care too much. The differences from the wikipedia list were slight, but threw up some pureblood 17s. Firstly respect goes to out North Korea's 17, Ahn Young-Hak who has a devotion to the number 17 beyond most. Secondly I had no idea how precious the number 17 shirt was to South Africans, but since it has been worn with love by Benni McCarthy, possibly their best player in the past 10 years, it has a special place in South African folklore. Hence upon attaining it Bernard Parker has shown it the love it deserves.
Friendly Update
As you can see above, Andraz Kirm scored a somewhat scrappy goal against New Zealand in their pre-tournament friendly. Dave Mulligan didn't get on for New Zealand and he seems unlikely to start in South Africa. Makoto Hasebe and Siaka Tiéné both played 90 minutes in the Japan - Cote d'Ivoire friendly, but neither player were involved in any of the major incidents. Sébastien Squillaci didn't get on for France, which probably explains the reason they were beaten 1-0 by China.
Tonight is a big night for friendlies with at least 11 teams playing matches. Look out for Hamšík leading Slovakia for their final hurrah in Bratislava against Costa Rica. Can South Africa keep up their unbeaten streak against Denmark in their final game before next week? And will Eljero Elia get on for Holland, and more pertinently, can they take the Unofficial World Champions title into a World Cup and avoid defeat against Hungary?
