The Underrateds

First off, congratulations are in order for FC Porto, who claimed the UEFA Cup with a 1-0 victory in the All-Portuguese final against Braga. Porto is one of the more enjoyable European sides to watch due to their vibrant style of play, a continuous march of young stars (Deco, Maniche, Bruno Alves, and Lisandro Lopez, just to name a few) and an underdog mentality.

I reserve special affection for the Porto player Hulk because I feel he is vastly underrated. He's the football version of Lebron James; when he runs at defenders, they get this look in their eye like they want to go home to their mothers. Built like a truck, he should be a plodding central defender, but he's got silk to go with his power.

Writing about Hulk has me thinking: who have been some other underrated players in the world game, and what has been their fate? So, without further adieu...

Andres Iniesta
When Underrated: Into 2006, Iniesta was still considered a squad player. Though he influenced games and scored the occasional goal, he was thought of as a solid but boring alternative to Ronaldinho or Deco.
Since Then: Has confirmed himself as one of the game's greats with match-winning midfield dominance and timely goals for club and country.

Luca Toni
When Underrated: Considered a fluke even while scoring buckets of goals for Palermo from 2003-2005.
Since Then: Finally earned big time moves to Fiorentina and Bayern Munich, proving his class at each stop.

Diego Milito:
When Underrated: Wherever Milito goes, he scores goals. The lack of transfer buzz following stellar seasons at Zaragoza and Genoa surprised me.
Since Then: Like Toni, he chance at the big time came way later than it should have, but he took advantage of it. Many pundits spoke of his dream 2010 season with Inter as a revelation, but it was the same Diego as before.

Mikel Arteta
When Underrated: In the first half of 2008, Arteta was legitimately the best player in the Premier League, performing at a Beckham-like level with free kick goals, dangerous crosses, and midfield marshaling. Yet a Spain call-up never materialized, not did transfer rumors.
Since Then: Injuries have slowed him down, but Arteta will still go down as the best un-capped Spanish player of his generation. Unlucky to 1) play outside of Spain, and 2) mature at the same time as so many other great midfielders.

Yossi Benayoun
When Underrated: At every stop in his career, Benayoun has de-stabilized defenses and turned games on their heads. But he seems to ignored while very similar players like Luka Modric earn (deservedly) endless praise.
Since Then: Was probably the third best attacking player for Liverpool in 2008-2010 - behind Gerrard and Torres - but was never given a permanent first team place or star wages. Moved to Chelsea in 2010 but has only made 6 appearances due to injuries.

Darren Bent
When Underrated: Scored plenty of mop-up goals for Tottenham from 2007-09, but was not seen as providing enough link-up play.
Since Then: Has continued to score the same types of goals for Sunderland and Aston Villa. Pops up in the right place at the right time and rarely misses his chance. When you look at Tottenham this year, wouldn't they have benefitted from this type of player (not to mention his results)?

Damian Manso
When Underrated: Led unfancied Liga de Quito to a Copa Libertadores and thoroughly confused Manchester United in the subsequent Club World Cup.
Since Then: Has still not played in a major European league. This one I understand, though. By the time he emerged for Quito, he was pegged as a journeyman nearing the end of his prime. It's a shame he didn't coordinate seasons like the two in Ecuador earlier in his career. His skills are reminiscent of Messi.

Diego Forlan
When Underrated: Even while leading Villarreal to a Champions League Semifinal and two top-four league finishes (with a healthy dose of Juan Roman Riquelme at his best), Forlan couldn't live down his 'failure' tag from Manchester United.
Since Then: Atletico Madrid's 20 million euro move for him was seen as a risk in 2007 but Forlan now has a major European cup to his name and led Uruguay to a credible semifinal appearance at the 2010 World Cup. Redemption for sure.

To bring the post to a close, why does it often take so long for underrated players to get the transfer that their talents and performances deserve? For one, big teams want to buy young - Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson have said it over and over again. Secondly and more importantly, big teams are suspicious of players who don't have a prestigious training pedigree. Players are more likely to have acquired skills in the youth system of a big team than in a lower division or backwoods European league. The reality is that for every Diego Milito and Luca Toni, there are 10 Nery Castillos and Eduardos.

Nonetheless, if I were a big European club I'd be looking seriously at Hulk - despite his inauspicious early career.