An Arsenal and Manchester United target, a current Chelsea star and an ex-Liverpool midfielder all feature.
The first round of knock out games is officially over and the World Cup didn’t fail to provide a shortage of drama over the eight games leading into the quarter-finals.
There was drama yesterday as Angel Di Maria scored a late winner for Argentina despite having one of his worst international performances for some time and the USA will be gutted today after a gutsy display that pushed Belgium all the way.
We’ve assessed the best midfield performers from day 20 of the tournament across several areas.
Attempts on Target
| Team | Pos | Ontarget Scoring Att | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ángel Di María | Argentina | MF | 3 | 1 | 120 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Belgium | MF | 2 | 1 | 120 |
| Eden Hazard | Belgium | MF | 2 | 1 | 111 |
| Julian Green | USA | MF | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| Dries Mertens | Belgium | MF | 1 | 1 | 60 |
The fact Arsenal and Manchester United target Angel Di Maria appears at the top of this list isn’t an accurate description of the way the Argentine played. Generally, he was quite wasteful in possession but showed enough accuracy in the final third with his shooting.
Tackles Won
| Team | Pos | Won Tackle | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alejandro Bedoya | USA | MF | 7 | 1 | 105 |
| Valon Behrami | Switzerland | MF | 6 | 1 | 120 |
| Gökhan Inler | Switzerland | MF | 5 | 1 | 120 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Belgium | MF | 4 | 1 | 120 |
| Fernando Gago | Argentina | MF | 4 | 1 | 105 |
Behrami deserves a mention because he was simply outstanding against Argentina and didn’t stop running throughout normal and extra time. He’s excelled at Napoli under Rafa Benitez and he broke the play up effectively throughout.
Interceptions Won
| Team | Pos | Interception Won | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin De Bruyne | Belgium | MF | 4 | 1 | 120 |
| Jermaine Jones | USA | MF | 2 | 1 | 120 |
| Javier Mascherano | Argentina | MF | 2 | 1 | 120 |
| Graham Zusi | USA | MF | 2 | 1 | 72 |
| Valon Behrami | Switzerland | MF | 1 | 1 | 120 |
Former Chelsea star De Bruyne was superb in terms of reading the play against the USA. He stepped in to cut off the danger before it could develop into anything serious and was relatively consistent throughout the entire game.
Dribble Contests Won
| Team | Pos | Won Contest | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ángel Di María | Argentina | MF | 9 | 1 | 120 |
| Eden Hazard | Belgium | MF | 5 | 1 | 111 |
| Gökhan Inler | Switzerland | MF | 4 | 1 | 120 |
| Xherdan Shaqiri | Switzerland | MF | 3 | 1 | 120 |
| Valon Behrami | Switzerland | MF | 2 | 1 | 120 |
Another area where Di Maria appears. However, he looked fitter and stronger than most of Switzerland’s players in extra time which allowed him to complete some very easy and simple dribbles. Chelsea star Eden Hazard is become a regular in this section during the tournament.
Accurate Passes
| Team | Pos | Accurate Pass | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javier Mascherano | Argentina | MF | 85 | 1 | 120 |
| Michael Bradley | USA | MF | 80 | 1 | 120 |
| Fernando Gago | Argentina | MF | 78 | 1 | 105 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Belgium | MF | 50 | 1 | 120 |
| Eden Hazard | Belgium | MF | 50 | 1 | 111 |
Former Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano protected the ball better than any other player yesterday. He was careful and watchful in possession whether he was working with the defence to clear danger or trying to move the ball forward through the midfield.
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