The clock is ticking on our final McDonalds/FIFA squads so, following on from Andy‘s look at what may be expected in terms of bonus points scoring in the new McDonalds fantasy game, we’ve analysed some stats from recent friendly games in an attempt to ascertain their following breakdown of attacking bonus points…

Attacking bonus
For every 2 balls delivered into the area (ball entry into attacking penalty area whilst maintaining possession: player making run, player passing, player receiving, cross) 1 point

As Andy has previously mentioned, statistics for all these acts are not widely available – thus making it nigh on impossible to ascertain the precise allocation of points- there are stats avaialble for “Successful Forward Half Passes” however and although we are not suggesting the following figures correlate to expected points, what is intriguing is that those players you would expect to top these stats tables, generally do.

For instance, the top three players in the recent Spain game for Successful Forward Half Passes are as follows (we‘ve also added some defensive pointers here, too):

Certainly, this is pretty much an Successful reflection of how Spain’s shape and style of play; the three players playing the most balls forward are centre midfielders. Xavi, in spite of playing just 56 mins compared to Xabi Alonso’s 90, played only 7 forward half passes less, and made just 3 stray passes all game, an important element given the points deductions for every five unsuccessful attempts. Interestingly, Alonso’s 4 tackles were also the most out of any Spanish player.

As confirmation of our theory, we then looked at Brazil:

Again, this is a strong indicator of how Brazil play, and Maicon in particular (Michel Bastos, the left-back, only played the first half, but his stats were almost as strong for 45 mins) flourishes under both the attacking and defensive microscope. Kaka is, as expected, in the thick of things, and Robinho always tends to perform better for his country.

With that in mind, here’s a look at some mid-range to budget players from slightly less-favoured nations that have excelled over the last few friendly games.

Fabio Coentrao
Portugal’s converted left-back is available for just 4.0m in the McDonalds fantasy game, and was a real stats standout in their game against Mozambique. Not only did he have the most “forward half passes” in the team, he also had the most tackles. Attacking points look a certainty against both North Korea and Ivory Coast, and he may get the chance for defensive points up against the marauding runs of Maicon or Daniel Alves in the Brazil game.

Matias Fernandez
The playmaker comes in at 6.5, and as the “key passes” stats show from his recent display for Chile against Northern Ireland, he’s the man most likely to carve out an opening for his team mates. He did give the ball away a number of times, but if his team mates had their shooting boots on (spurning 5 of the 6 chances he created), he could have had more than just one assist. It’s unfortunate he’s in Group H, as selecting him could be a gamble many will feel too far to take, but outwith the Spain game, plenty of attacking bonus points should be racked up against both Switzerland and Honduras.

Aureliano Torres
The defensive-natured player stars in left midfield for Paraguay, and comes in at just 4.0m. In his team’s recent 2-0 defeat of Greece, he had the most “forward half passes”, key passes and tackles, suggesting the balance of attacking (Slovakia and New Zealand) and defending (Italy) bonus points may shine more favourably on him than anyone in the team.

Alexandre Song
The Arsenal man is priced as a 6.0m midfielder, and his stats in Cameroon’s recent draw with Slovakia were head and shoulders above any team mates. The most “forward half passes” and the most tackles by a considerable distance. With games against the likes of Holland and Denmark on the agenda, his combative qualities could grab him a good few points.

Carlos Salcido
Played a blinder in the recent defeat of Italy, the full-back – priced at 5.0m- is more defensive due to Mexico’s style of play, but nevertheless was a narrow third in forward half balls. With Giovanni dos Santos not the most defensive of players ahead of him on the left flank, he racked up plenty of tackles and clearances, far and away the most of the team. Mexico’s system, combined with games against France (where he should face Franck Ribery), Uruguay and hosts South Africa should see him rack up both defensive and attacking points.

Bojan Jokic
The Slovenia left-back is a mere 3m, and his above display against New Zealand shows he is involved in plenty of one-on-ones even against the so-called “minnows”. Got forward more than most, and managed the same number of forward half passes as the highly-regarded right winger, Valter Birsa. USA and Algeria should see him grab some attacking points on top of defensive ones, with the match against England certainly testing his tackling and clearance abilities in the macdonalds game.

Danny
The injury to Nani seems to have given him the chance to establish himself in the Portugal first XI, and he stood out in their latest win against Mozambique. Apart from his team’s full-backs, he had the highest number of forward half passes. His eye for a killer ball is illustrated in the 5 key passes made, which resulted in just one goal due to poor finishing from his compatriots. Grabbed a goal in addition to the above stats, and could really turn on the style against North Korea and Ivory Coast if given the chance. With a price of 6.0m, could be a real bargain.