The World Cup – The Players

Here’s my first article about the World Cup, as I look into various statistics and data to help us managers pick the best players. I kick things off by taking a look into the top two goalscorers and assisters from the World Cup Qualifying campaign. As Brazil didn’t qualify for the World Cup, I looked into their Confederations Cup stats.

Group A

Brazil:
Goals – Fred CF (5), Neymar LW (4)
Assists – Neymar LW (2), Oscar AM (2)

Croatia:
Goals – Mandzukic CF (3), Eduardo CF (2)
Assists – Mandzukic CF (3), Olic CF (2), Srna RB (2)

Mexico:
Goals – Chicharito CF (5), Oribe Peralta CF (5)
Assists – Guardado LB (4), Chicharito CF (2), Salcido DM (2), Giovani dos Santos SS (2)

Cameroon:
Goals – Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting LW (2), Jean II Makoun DM (2), Eto’o CF (2),
Assists – Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting LW (1), Jean II Makoun DM (1), Assou-Ekotto LB (1),

Group B

Spain:
Goals – Pedro RW (4), Negredo CF (3)
Assists – Silva AM (2), Ramos CB (1), Xavi CM (1), Monreal LB (1), Navas RW (1), Pique CB (1), Iniesta CM (1)

Netherlands:
Goals – van Persie CF (11), Lens LW (5) van der Vaart AM (5)
Assists – Sneijder AM (2), Huntelaar CF (1), Strootman CM (1), Maher AM (1), Kuyt RW (1)

Chile:
Goals – Vidal CM (5), Vargas RW (5)
Assists – Valdivia AM (4), Vidal CM (3)

Australia:
Goals – Kennedy CF (4), Brosque AM (3), Holman AM (3), Cahill AM (3)
Assists – Kennedy CF (2), Wilkshire RB (2), Oar LM (2), Kruse SS (2), McKay CM (2)

Group C

Colombia:
Goals – Falcao CF (9), Gutierrez CF (6)
Assists – Rodriguez RW (3), Guarin CM (2), Armero LB (2)

Greece:
Goals – Salpingidis CF (3), Gekas CF (2), Mitroglou CF (2)
Assists – Samaras LW (2), Katsouranis DM (2)

Cote d’Ivoire:
Goals – Kalou CF (5), Yaya Toure CM (4)
Assists – Gervinho RW (7), Yaya Toure CM (2)

Japan:
Goals – Okazaki CF (8), Honda AM (5),
Assists – Nakanura CM (5), Nagatomo LB (4), Endo CM (4)

Group D

Uruguay:
Goals – Suarez CF (11), Cavani CF (5)
Assists – Suarez CF (5), Cavani CF (3)

Costa Rica:
Goals – Saborio CF (8), Ruiz RW (3), Campbell RW (3), Borges SS (3), Brenes CF (3)
Assists – Saborio CF (5), Ruiz RW (3),  Barrantes AM (3)

England:
Goals – Rooney SS (7), Welbeck CF (4), Lampard CM (4)
Assists – Baines LB (4), Welbeck CF (3)

Italy:
Goals – Balotelli CF (5), Osvaldo CF (4)
Assists – Pirlo CM (5), Balotelli CF (2), Candreva RW (2)

Group E

Switzerland:
Goals – Schar CB (3), Xhaka CM (2), Shaqiri RW (2), Inler CM (2), Lichtsteiner RB (2), Gavranovic CF (2)
Assists – Xhaka CM (3), Shaqiri RW (2), Inler CM (2), Stocker LW (2)

Ecuador:
Goals – Caicedo CF (7), Benitez CF (4)
Assists – Valencia RW (3), Benitez CF (2)

France:
Goals – Ribery LW (5), Giroud CF (2),
Assists – Ribery LW (6), Valbuena AM (5)

Honduras:
Goals – Bengtson CF (9), Costly CF (7)
Assists – Bengtson CF (2), Martinez AM (2), Garrido DM (2)

Group F

Argentina:
Goals – Messi CF (10), Higuain CF (9)
Assists – Messi CF (6), di Maria RW (6)

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Goals – Dzeko CF (10), Ibisevic CF (8)
Assists – Dzeko CF (6), Pjanic CM (6)

Iran:
Goals – Nekounam DM (6), Jabbari AM (3), Ansarifard CF (3), Ghoochannejhad CF (3), Reza Khalatbari RW (3)
Assists – Jabbari AM (3), Teymourian DM (3)

Nigeria:
Goals – Emenike CF (3), Moses RW (2)
Assists – Emenike CF (1), Oduamadi RW (1), Uzoenyi LW (1), Onazi CM (1), Ambrose CB (1)

Group G

Germany:
Goals – Ozil AM (8), Reus LW (5)
Assists – Muller RW (6), Ozil AM (5)

Portugal:
Goals – Postiga CF (6), Ronaldo LW (4), Alves CB (4)
Assists – Moutinho CM (8), Ronaldo LW (3)

Ghana:
Goals – Gyan CF (6), Muntari CM (3), Waris CF (3), Atsu RW (3)
Assists – Muntari CM (4), Waris CF (3)

USA:
Goals – Dempsey SS (8), E. Johnson CF (4), Altidore CF (4)
Assists – F. Johnson RB (3), Dempsey SS (1), E. Johnson CF (1), Zusi AM (1), Donovan SS (1), Gordon CF (1), Boyd CF (1), Davis LM (1), Castillo LB (1), Diskerud CM (1), Bedoya AM (1), Bradley CM (1), Jones DM (1), Cameron RB (1)

Group H

Belgium:
Goals – de Bruyne AM (4), Hazard LW (2), Benteke CF (2), Lukaku CF (2), Mirallas RW (2), Kompany CB (2)
Assists – de Bruyne AM (4), Hazard LW (2), Vertonghen CB (2) Mertens LW (2)

Algeria:
Goals – Slimani CF (5), El Arbi Hillel Soudani RW (3), Feghouli RW (3)
Assists – Slimani CF (2), Taider CM (2), Ghoulam LB (2)

Russia:
Goals – Kerzhakov CF (5), Kokorin SS (4)
Assists – Shirokov CM (4), Samedov RW (3), Kombarov LM (3)

South Korea:
Goals – Chu-Young Park CF (6), Keun-Ho Lee CF (5)
Assists – Ki-Hun Yeom LW (2), Keun-Ho Lee CF (1), Dong-Gook Lee CF (1), Ja-Cheol Koo AM (1), Jung-Woo Kim CM (1), Won-Jae Park LB (1), Tae-Hee Nam RW (1), Chul Hong LB (1) Sung-Yong Ki DM (1)