What is the story about?
Still catching your breath after the England vs. Mexico thriller (or Argentina vs. Cape Verde!)? Me too. The knockouts so far have produced some absolute nail-biters. As we look at the Dortmund players performances from last week, which match stood out to you the most?
- Paraguay vs. Germany
- Morocco vs. Netherlands
- Belgium vs. Senegal
- Portugal vs. Croatia
- Argentina vs. Cape Verde
- France vs. Paraguay
- Noway vs. Brazil
- England vs. Mexico
All players stats courtesy of FotbMob.
Monday, June 29th
Paraguay 1-1 Germany (Pens 4-3)
Felix Nmecha (CM), Germany
- Minutes played: 45
- Goals: 0
- Accurate passes: 9/14
- Shots: 1
- Tackles: 1
- Duels won: 4/9
- Performance: Started the match in his usual double pivot role for his country alongside Aleksandar Pavlović. Nmecha’s most notable moment came shortly after Julio Enciso shockingly put Paraguay ahead in the 42nd minute. Right before the halftime whistle blew, Nmecha found himself completely unmarked in a dangerous position, firing a golden opportunity toward goal, but a deflection sent his shot agonizingly wide of the left post. That missed opportunity proved to be Nmecha’s final contribution of the World Cup. Looking for an immediate change in energy and directness, Julian Nagelsmann hooked the Dortmund midfielder at the break, subbing on Leon Goretzka for the second half. Nmecha’s sums up Germany’s tournament in a nutshell: plenty of possession, but struggled to break down the lines of organized sides such as Paraguay (Or Ecuador). A disappointing end for Nmecha, especially given how brightly he started the tournament.
- Rating: 5/10
Waldemar Anton (DEF), Germany
- Minutes played: 41
- Goals: 0
- Accurate passes: 25/27
- Shots: 1
- Duels won: 4/8
- Performance: Anton came on as a substitute in the 79th minute. He was involved in a controversial moment in the 102nd minute of extra time when Germany had a goal disallowed because he was ruled to have fouled the Paraguay goalkeeper. He also missed a late chance to seal a winner in the 119th minute, heading straight at Paraguay’s GK Orlando Gill (who’s heroics have teams such as Manchester United, now interested in signing him.) We know the rest of the story as Germany was ultimately knocked out 3–4 on penalties.
- Rating: 6/10
Maximilian Beier (CM), Germany
- Did not play.
Tuesday, June 30th
Norway 2-1 Ivory Coast
Julian Ryerson (DEF), Norway
- Did not play.
France 3-0 Sweden
Daniel Svensson (DEF), Sweden
- Minutes played: 82
- Goals: 0
- Accurate passes: 20/23
- Tackles: 3
- Duels won: 3/8
- Performance: In a tactical shift, Svensson was handed a start at wing-back over Alexander Bernhardsson to face a highly active French flank. Despite Sweden falling 0–3 to France, Svensson was a bright spot, playing 82 minutes and leading his team in both accurate crosses and tackles won.
- Rating: 6/10.
Thursday, July 2nd
Spain 3-0 Austria
Marcel Sabitzer (MID), Austria
- Minutes played: 90
- Accurate passes: 13/18
- Chances created: 2
- Tackles: 1
- Dules won: 3/6
- Performance: Captained and led the line creatively for Austria against one of the tournament favorites, Sabitzer was arguably Austria’s best player on the night, registering eight crosses and creating two major chances, though his teammates couldn’t convert.
- Rating: 7/10
Carney Chukwuemeka (CM),
Austria
- Minutes played: 45
- Accurate passes: 11/13
- Dules won: 1/4
- Performance: Ralf Rangnick turned to the 22-year-old midfielder at the break, subbing him on for Nicolas Seiwald to inject some attacking spark and ball-carrying ability into a midfield that was being suffocated by Spain’s press. The sheer intensity and speed of Spain’s possession game made it incredibly difficult for the youngster to grow into the match. He was largely isolated, managing only 11 completed passes during his 45 minutes on the pitch. Chukwuemeka and his Dortmund teammate Sabitzer were sent home.
- Rating: 7/10
Switzerland 2-0 Algeria
Gregor Kobel (GK), Switzerland
- Minutes played: 90
- Goals conceded: 0
- Saves: 2
- Accurate passes: 26/38
- Performance: Kobel helped secure Switzerland’s first clean sheet of this World Cup, as the Swiss defense successfully nullified the Algerian frontline. While Switzerland largely controlled the tempo of the match after Breel Embolo’s early 10th-minute opener, Kobel was alert when called upon. He only had to make two saves over the 90 minutes, but demonstrated strong handling and aerial dominance to claim crosses when Algeria attempted to go direct late in the match. His distribution was reliable, helping Switzerland confidently recycle possession from the back and transition seamlessly into midfield after absorbing pressure.
- Rating: 9/10
Ramy Bensebaini (DEF), Algeria
- Minutes played: 90
- Goals: 0
- Accurate passes: 75/82
- Tackles: 2
- Clearances: 3
- Recoveries: 10
- Duels won: 6/9
- Performance: It was a frustrating night for Bensebaini, who lined up on the left side of a heavily tested Algerian defense. Tasked with containing a dynamic Swiss right flank led by Dan Ndoye—who eventually doubled Switzerland’s lead right after halftime in the 46th minute after Bensebaini misplaced a relatively simple pass inside his own penalty box, which was easily intercepted by Swiss midfielder Denis Zakaria, finding Ndoye to slot home the finish. While he brought his trademark physical edge to ground duels and aerial battles and finished with the most touches of The Fennecs on the field (91), Algeria’s struggles to transition efficiently out of their own half left him with limited opportunities to push forward constructively or influence the attack. The defeat marked the end of Algeria’s World Cup campaign.
- Rating: 5/10
Sunday, July 5th
Norway 2-1 Brazil
Julian Ryerson (DEF), Norway
- Minutes played: 63
- Goals: 0
- Accurate passes: 56/60
- Touches: 72
- Tackles: 2
- Accurate long balls: 4/5
- Duels won: 3/8
- Performance: Ryerson’s impact in Norway’s historic 2–1 Round of 16 victory over Brazil cannot be overstated, especially considering he was rushed back from a thigh injury that sidelined him for most of the group stage. Ryerson was tasked with one of the hardest jobs in world soccer—containing Vinícius Júnior (and Gabriel Martinelli!) in isolation. Utilizing his trademark aggressive, physical style, Ryerson routinely choked out space early, forcing Vinícius deep or inside into traffic rather than allowing him to drive to the touchline.
- Rating: 8/10
The week ahead/Dortmund players left
Tuesday, July 7th
Switzerland vs. Columbia
Gregor Kobel (GK), Switzerland
Winner gets: Argentina vs. Egypt on Saturday, July 11th (Kansas City)
Saturday, July 11th
Norway vs. England
Julian Ryerson (DEF), Norway
Winner moves on to the Semifinal against either: Argentina/Egypt or Switzerland/Columbia on Wednesday, July 15th (Atlanta)
Who will advance farther?
- Norway
- Switzerland
- Go USA?
- Who cares because Germany’s out?
