Last minute drama and some brief moments of Brazilian fluidity and brilliance punctuated another unremarkable day in South Africa.
Brazil eventually overcame stubborn defensive resistance and supreme organisation presented by the North Korean’s, but defences and snapping midfield challenges had already came out on top in the stalemate between Portugal and Ivory Coast earlier in the day. New Zealand did at least treat us to a fairytale ending as they snatched a point at the death against a frustrated Slovakia. Here’s another day’s analysis for you…
Once again it was full-backs that, in Fantasy terms, caught the eye and earned big points from Brazil’s 2-1 win over North Korea. Maicon and Michel Bastos enjoyed an incredible amount of possession and are clearly going to be key figures in Brazil’s campaign. While Bastos had three attempts on target and confirmed himself as a set-piece threat, Maicon not only scored a stunning goal he also contributed 60 successful forward passes emphasising his involvement in the attacking build-up. The Inter right-back finished the game with 5 attacking bonus points in the McDonalds/FIFA game while Bastos earned just one attacking point, supplemented by 2 defensive bonus points with the statistics showing 3 tackles won and one clearance made on the night.
Kaka and Robinho were the other major sources of attacking bonus in the Brazilian lineup. The emerged with a staggering 7 attacking points courtesy of 51 passes in the Korean half with 7 leading to goal opportunities. Dribbles into the box were also surely a major factor in Robinho’s points haul and he also earned a smart assist for Elano’s goal. As for Kaka, he brought in 5 attacking bonus points and again he showed up with plenty of possession in the Korean half and 3 passes that led to efforts on goal. He still seems short of fitness and some distance short of his best form but last night’s game suggested he could remain a key Fantasy signing regardless. However, Elano’s goal and assist is likely to see him emerge as the most sought after option in the Brazilian midfield for those shopping in the Round Two transfer market.
North Korea came out of the game with a decent amount of credit and will clearly cause major problems for both the Ivory Coast and Portugal. Not surprisingly, given the nature of their performance, defensive bonus was sprinkled throughout their lineup with both Ri Jun-Il and Pak Nam-Chol earning a credible 3 points each. Cha Jong-Hyok also gained a pair of defensive and attacking points – a mystery considering the statistics show just one clearance to his name. In attacking terms, Jong Tae-Se was a constant menace up front and to some extent lived up to the hype he’d generated for himself with his goal-a-game claims. He provided the assist for the Korean goal, offering some reward for those who had taken the investment gamble. He also did enough to suggest that he could maintain returns over the two games that remain in the group stage.
New Zealand’s last-gasp draw with Slovakia earlier in the day was basically a showcase for bargain Fantasy talent and predicatably, very few options presented themselves. If you’re still looking for budget option in the New Zealand ranks then the stats reveal midfielder Simon Elliot to be worth a punt. He produced more complete passes in the opponents half than any other player against Slovakia and prompted three efforts on goal in addition to winning a couple of tackles. His efforts went unrewarded in the McDonalds/FIFA game but that might change if he can maintain that involvement in the games to come.
All the pre-tournament hype from the Slovakian camp was focused on Serie A midfielder Marek Hamsik and he did show some brief glimpses that he could bring in returns. He enjoyed the most touches in the Kiwi’s half and made two key passes without seeing attacking bonus. Vladimir Weis and Stanislav Sestak made more incisive passes than Hamsik and Weiss in particular looks a budget option should you fancy Slovakia improving for the remaining rounds.
There was very little of note on show in the Ivory Coast vs Portugal clash. Despite claiming the Man of the Match award, on the whole Ronaldo was contained by fair means or foul. He completed only half his passes in the Ivorian’s half and had just two efforts on goal – one of those being an extraordinary 30-yard shot that pinged the post. He came out of the game with just a single attacking bonus point – paltry returns on the 10.0 investment. They’ll be some fidgeting amongst Ronaldo owners for round two then.
Bonus was thin on the ground for both sides although both the Portuguese subs managed to crash some supplementary points and stake claims for starts next time out. Both Tiago and Simao earned defensive bonus with Tiago also notching an attacking point. Defensively Pedro Mendes excelled in midfield but his tackles and clearances failed to translate to bonus points. Surprisingly none of the Portugal back four came out of the game with supplementary points to add to their clean sheet and only Guy Demel earned bonus in defence for the Ivorians. He put in three tackles and a clearance to earn two extra points. Five clearances by Kolo Toure and Siaka Tiene failed to bring them McDonalds rewards but at least offered indication that they could feature amongst the points in future games.
Statistically Yaya Toure was the Ivory Coast’s most effective player. He saw more touches than any of his teammates and completed over 30 passes in Portugal’s half and weighed in with a couple of tackles. None of this saw reward in the McDonalds/FIFA game but returns could be on the cards for the remaining group matches. Gervinho also caught the eye in attacking terms and did at least have a single attacking bonus point to show for his endeavours. With Didier Drogba likely to return to the starting lineup, it will be interesting to see how things will shape up in the Ivory Coast’s forward line when they face Brazil next time out.