List of top youths stirs debate

My list of the 10 most promising young players in the world certainly created a lot of discussion. I had hoped for that. Thank you for all your e-mails and opinions. Here are replies to some of the questions that I received over the last few days.

Adriano is one to keep an eye on! Not much of a technician but the kid knows how to score goals. He will make a deadly partnership with Ronaldo.
--Jean Park, Brooklyn

Adriano is a phenomenal talent, but he needs to be more consistent and maybe that will come as he gets more time on the pitch. He did not get a chance to impress at Inter Milan, but with Fiorentina the 20 year-old Brazilian showed that he can put the ball in the back of the net. He's strong physically and also has impressive dribbling skills. Let's see what he does with Parma this season.

Hi, what about Javi Portillo? I think he'll be a great scorer and you will see a great player in a brief time. See you.
--Ivan, Cortijo

You know Ivan, I considered putting Portillo on the list, but he has not done anything in official matches yet. He scored some goals for Real Madrid in pre-season, but needs to show that he can do it as well when the real matches start. Definitely one to watch, though.

Mailbag

Pedro Pinto will answer questions from CNNSI.com users in his mailbag periodically. If you'd like to submit a question, please enter it below.

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In your column about up and coming young players, I was very surprised that you did not mention Hugo Viana from Newcastle. Do you not think he will be a star in the years to come?
--Alex Pestana, New York

Everyone raved about Hugo Viana last season when he played for Sporting CP, but he never really impressed me that much. Yes, he has good passing ability. Yes, he has shown that he can be influential in midfield. But I don't know how much better he will get. He definitely has started off very well for Newcastle and I hope he progresses under Sir Bobby Robson, but right now he is not in the top 10. If you ask me, anyway.

Hola Pedro! I'd like to add Matteo Brighi to your list. Juve is expecting him to be a big player in the future. What do you know of him?
--Deno Johnson, Lake, Minnesota, U.S.

Matteo Brighi recently got his first Italy cap. It was not the debut he had been hoping for as the Azzuri lost to Slovenia, but he played well and is expected to play a part in the national team soon. I believe he will be playing at Parma this season as an exchange for Marco Di Vaio and I hope he will get more chances to shine than he did at Juventus.

Mr Pinto. Firstly I would like to ask you what you thought are on Liverpool's chances of winning the Premier League, and their chances in the Champions League? Also how highly do you rate Michael Owen as a player?
--Mathew Young, Wodonga

I said in an article a couple of weeks ago that I think Liverpool will win the title this season. They have been improving every year and I think now all of their players have the maturity needed to succeed. As far as the Champions League is concerned, they will probably not do too well. I have heard that Gerard Houllier has made winning the Premiership his No. 1 goal. And about Michael Owen, he has been very disappointing so far this season. He needs to sit on the bench until he rediscovers his form. There is no doubt that he is a superstar, but he is also very streaky. He has a lot of hot and cold patches.

Do you think Ronaldo is ungrateful to Inter Milan and if not give your reason.
--Samuel Oragui, Lagos, Nigeria

Yes I do, Samuel. I think Ronaldo should appreciate the fact that Inter stood by him for two-and-a-half years while he was battling with all his injuries. Rumor has it he does not get along well with Hector Cuper, but he should have put his pride to the side for a moment and concentrate on helping the San Siro club win Serie A.

I would like to know how you can rank Raul ahead of Ronoldo or Rivaldo, the two guys who totally outclassed the rest to the field in the World Cup! I would venture to say that Ronaldo or the great Rivaldo could roll out of bed in the morning and be a better striker then Raul!
--Greg, Athens

Well, I have to disagree with you, Greg. If Ronaldo or Rivaldo rolled out of bed and played football, they would probably cramp up in the first 10 minutes. They would need to warm up for a bit first. But seriously folks, Ronaldo had an amazing World Cup and I was very pleased for him. At his best, he is the top player in the world. But I am not going to base my judgement on one month at the World Cup. Taking a look back at the past seasons, I believe Raul is the best overall striker. He has led Real to three European Cups.

Pedro Pinto is an anchor for World Sport, the international sports show that airs on CNN International.

 

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