Paul Henderson, a player of modest reputation, made a name for himself by scoring against the Russians in 1972. Joe Namath became known as "Broadway Joe" after leading the New York Jets to a huge upset over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.
Whatever the sport, new stars suddenly materialize when the eyes of the world are watching. Soccer is no different. At every World Cup, it seems, there's at least one unheralded player or underachiever that comes from out of nowhere to lead his country to improbable heights of glory. There's something about pulling on a jersey for one's country that inspires players to come up with a breakout, career-defining performance.
Pelé in 1958. Eusebio in 1966. Paolo Rossi in 1982. Davor Suker in 1998.
Young French striker David Trezeguet (left) lays siege to the Senegal goal. (Photo: Allsport)
The list goes on and on, and it will no doubt become longer at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. As the kick-off to the World Cup quickly approaches, pundits, fans and critics have been speculating about who will be the breakout star at this year's tournament.
So who will it be?
CBC Sports Online offers the following candidates
David Trezeguet Country: France Current club: Juventus (Italy) Position: Striker Up until now, David Trezeguet has failed to earn a regular spot in France's starting eleven. Even after scoring the "golden goal" in the Euro 2000 final, Trezeguet has found himself sitting on the bench, while Arsenal duo Thierry Henry and Sylvain Wiltord start up front for Les Bleus.
That's all about to change.
Coming off a brilliant season with Juventus, where he finished as the top scorer in Serie A with 24 goals, Trezeguet has established himself as a world-class striker on par with England's Michael Owen, Raul of Spain and Dutch sensation Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
The Argentine-born Trezeguet combines clinical finishing, brilliant aerial skills and the ability to shake off tacklers en route towards goal. By playing Trezeguet and Henry (former teammates at AS Monaco in France's Le Championnat), France now boasts the most lethal scoring duo in the world. Look for Trezeguet to make the most of his opportunity and finish as one of the top scorer's at this year's World Cup.
Francesco Totti Country: Italy Current club: AS Roma (Italy) Position: Forward A player who has made his mark in Serie A with AS Roma, Francesco Totti is now ready to assert himself on soccer's greatest stage.
Totti is a brilliant playmaker that slots in behind the two strikers to marshal Italy's attack. By roaming the pitch and controlling possession with his sublime dribbling skills, Totti has revolutionized Italian soccer, helping the notoriously defence-minded Azzurri to play its most effective attacking soccer in years.
Last year Totti lead Roma to its first league title in 18 years, scoring 12 goals and setting up scoring partners Gabriel Batistuta and Marco Delvecchio on countless occasions. Totti's dream-like season ended on the highest of notes when he was named Italian player of the season in Serie A.
With Italy considered a favourite to win the World Cup, fans can expect Totti to rise to the occasion and emerge as one of the pre-eminent players at this year's tournament.
Freddie Ljunberg Country: Sweden Current club: Arsenal (England) Position: Midfielder Freddie Ljunberg is very hard to miss on the pitch, instantly recognizable by his rooster-style coiffure.
It's just too bad for most defenders that they only get to see the back of his head as he streaks past them on his trademarks dashes toward the goal.
This midfielder is a player of true vision, using his tremendous foot speed and clever dribbling skills to split defenders with the greatest of ease. Ljunberg serves as the piston in the Swedish engine room, famous for making his explosive, direct runs from the wing toward the box before unleashing a cracking shot.
Ljunberg was one of the best players in the English Premier League this past season, playing an integral role in helping Arsenal win "the double" - the league title and the FA Cup - for the first time since 1998. Ljunberg developed a habit of scoring crucial goals for the London club; now he looks to do the same for his country at the World Cup.
Walter Samuel Country: Argentina Current club: AS Roma (Italy) Position: Defender Centre-back Walter Samuel plays the game with a level of maturity and confidence that belies his tender age. At 24, the tough-as-nails defender has firmly established himself as an integral role-player for coach Marcelo Bielsa's side.
The hard-tackling, unyielding defender is the backbone of Argentina's defence, renowned for his physical play on the pitch. Together with veteran Roberto Ayala, Samuel provides Argentina with a renewed sense of solidity at the back, something the South American nation has long been lacking.
Fabio Capello shelled out $20 million (U.S.) to pry the stalwart defender away from Argentine club Boca Juniors two years ago. It proved to be money wisely spent, as Samuel anchored AS Roma's defence and helped the club win the Italian league title last year. His outstanding form didn't go unnoticed by free-spending Spanish champions Real Madrid, who reportedly offered Roma $40 million for his services.
Pooled into the "Group of Death" in the opening round of the World Cup, Argentina will be looking to Samuel to thwart world-class strikers like England's Michael Owen, Nigeria's Nwankwo Kanu and Sweden's Henrik Larsson at every turn. If Argentina escapes from the group without yielding many goals, Samuel's star will be that much more on the rise internationally.
Michael Ballack Country: Germany Current club: Bayern Munich (Germany) Position: Midfielder Michael Ballack is the epitome of German soccer, combining elegant dribbling skills, technical prowess and an industrious work ethic.
Ballack was the central figure behind Bayer Leverkusen's Cinderella season this past year: a second-place finish in the German Bundesliga and an improbable appearance in the Champions League finals after defeating Liverpool and Manchester United.
Ballack is a stylish midfielder renowned for his creative playmaking skills and creating scoring chances for his teammates. He also netted 14 goals in league play this past year, effectively answering vocal criticisms from the media that he couldn't score himself.
His outstanding form did not go unnoticed, as Bayern Munich lured him away from Leverkusen at the end of the season. Before he joins his new club, however, there is the matter of suiting up for the World Cup and helping Germany repair its battered and bruised reputation.
Coach Rudi Voller will be looking to him to provide a creative spark on the pitch in leading Germany on a successful run toward the World Cup final.
Hidetoshi Nakata Country: Japan Current club: Parma (Italy) Position: Midfielder The David Beckham of Japanese soccer, midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata is the fulcrum upon which co-host Japan's attack hinges.
Nakata will be absolutely central to Japan's hopes of reaching the second round of the World Cup. Coming off a poor season for Italian club Parma after a $26-million transfer from AS Roma, Nakata is anxious to prove his international pedigree.
Nakata is an elegant playmaker with great vision and inspired passing kills, and he's dangerous in set-piece situations. He uses his quick feet to masterfully control the ball and dribble in tight spaces to get into scoring position, where he unleashes a cannon-like shot towards goal.
Voted Asian Footballer of the Year in 1997 and 1998, Nakata has carved out his reputation at club level the past three seasons playing in Italy. Now, with the backing of millions of rabid soccer fans cheering his every touch of the ball, Nakata has a rare opportunity to assert himself internationally on home soil.
Raul Gonzalez Country: Spain Current club: Real Madrid (Spain) Position: Striker Raul is one of the most lethal and potent goal scorers in soccer. He combines speed, goal-scoring vision, and the ability to break away from defenders while maintaining tight control of the ball.
He is, quite possibly, the most complete striker in the world today. The problem is he's failed to make his mark for Spain's national team. An accomplished striker at club level with Real Madrid, Raul was a washout at France four years ago and failed to impress at Euro 2000.
Now at age 24, Raul will be looking to affirm his reputation as one of the best strikers in soccer at the World Cup. Raul is riding a wave of momentum after an impressive season in Spain's La Liga, where he helped Real Madrid capture its ninth European Championship.
With the eyes of the soccer world watching to see if can raise his game, Raul will finally live up to his promise and become a dangerous goal-scoring weapon for the Spanish. And if he helps Spain finally put to rest its own reputation of being a World Cup underachiever, there will be few people more popular than Raul in Spain.
Bosko Balaban Country: Croatia Current club: Aston Villa (England) Position: Forward Just as the sun is about to set on several aging Croatian veterans, a new star has recently emerged from the distance. Bosko Balaban is another in a long list of talented forwards churned out by the Croatia's endless assembly line of star players.
The 24-year-old centre-forward burst onto the international scene last year when he scored five goals during the qualifying round, leaving little doubt Croatia will be in capable hands once veteran strikers Alen Boksic and Davor Suker retire.
Soccer observers compare the stocky striker with Gabriel Batistuta, noting that the young Croat displays a lot of the skills that made the Argentine scoring-machine famous: physical strength, natural finishing skills and a blistering shot.
After a disappointing season with Aston Villa in the English Premiership, Balaban hopes to rediscover the brilliant scoring touch he displayed in the qualifiers. If Suker or Boksic fail to catch fire in Japan, look for coach Mirko Jozic to insert the fiery Balaban into the line-up in order to give Croatia's attack a shot of adrenaline.
Ebbe Sand Country: Denmark Current club: Schalke 04 (Germany) Position: Striker While strikers like Michael Owen, Raul, Ronaldo, Christian Vieri and Andriy Shevchenko dominate headlines, Denmark's Ebbe Sand goes about his business with an understated modesty. His demeanour, however, is the only thing modest about him.
Sand is a well-rounded player with a wealth of ability: he is good with his head, reads the game very well, and has great pace. Sand excels at beating defenders while carrying the ball and running into open space to get into scoring position.
Sand showcased his goal-scoring prowess for all of Europe to see during the qualifiers, striking nine goals in 10 games for Denmark.
Sand's quiet, workmanlike attitude has served him well. He has quietly become one of the most prolific strikers in the world, playing for German club Schalke 04 the past three seasons, while firmly establishing himself as the vital cog in Denmark's attack.
With Sand firing on all pistons, Denmark can be considered one of the dark horses at this year's World Cup; Sand's scoring prowess is potent enough that he could conceivably lead Denmark to upset nations like France and Argentina on its way to reaching the finals.
Emmanuel Olisadebe Country: Poland Current club: Panathinaikos (Greece) Position: Striker Nigerian-born Emmanuel Olisadebe is a dangerous forward combining great speed, natural finishing skills, a powerful shot and physical strength. He scored eight goals in the qualifying round and is the key to Poland's offensive attack.
Olisadebe's contributions in helping Poland book its ticket for Japan and South Korea cannot be understated. In the year prior to Olisadebe becoming a Polish citizen, Poland's national team went scoreless in 10 consecutive games.
Once he was inserted into the line up, Poland's goal-scoring fortunes abruptly changed. Olisadebe struck eight goals in nine qualifying games, as he single-handedly helped Poland reach its first World Cup since 1986.
No other player at this year's World Cup means more to his team than Olisadebe. If Poland harbour any dreams of advancing onward in the tournament, Olisadebe will have to match the explosive goal-scoring form he exhibited in the qualifiers.
After spending a lacklustre season with Greek club Panathinaikos, Olisadebe is hungry to prove he merits mentioning alongside the world's top strikers.
Others to watch El Hadji Diouf (Senegal; striker; current club: Lens) - Diouf is one of the most explosive goal scorers in Africa. One of the hottest, young properties in international soccer, Diouf was recently voted African Footballer of the Year for 2001. Scored eight goals in nine qualifying games for Senegal.
Agustin Delgado (Ecuador; striker; current club: Southampton) - Delgado tied Argentina's Hernan Crespo as the top scorer in South American qualifying with nine goals. He'll be looking to wreak the same kind of goal scoring havoc in Japan with his great speed, natural finishing ability and dangerous aerial skills.
Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguay; striker; current club: Bayern Munich) - One of the young, emerging stars of South American soccer, Santa Cruz is an elegant striker with a magnificent scoring touch. At 21, Santa Cruz will try to spearhead Paraguay's attack by burning defenders with his speed and acceleration.
Lucio (Brazil; defender; current club: Bayer Leverkusen) - One of the most underrated defenders in the world, Lucio was a key figure in Bayer Leverkusen's remarkable season this year. Lucio is a strong tackler with excellent sense of positioning, providing Brazil with a reliable presence in centre-defence.
Zlatko Zahovic (Slovenia; midfielder; current club: Benfica) - Midfielder Zahovic is the playmaking catalyst behind Slovenia's attack, and is his country's all-time leading scorer. A player with great vision and creativity, Zahovic is a magnificent ball dribbler and a dangerous scoring threat from set-pieces.
