HOOLIGAN SOCCER

Top Defenders of the Club World Cup

Club World Cup Standouts – Defenders

They don’t often get the respect they deserve. But here they do. Above: Thiago Silva of Fluminense, center back and captain.

The Qooligan

There’s a final on Sunday that could be a horror show for defenders, so we’re going to give our props to them now. “Defender” can be seen through two lenses: the pure defender, and midfielders who primarily defend. Both are eligible for our review, and use the same criteria: Tackles, Interceptions, Clearances, Fouls, Minutes Played.

Hooligan’s Standouts

Top “Defenders”, sorted by Tackles. (Source: Sofascore)

When you look over this list, six of the players are midfielders. If you sorted by Fouls, that would invert and seven would be pure defenders. That makes sense, as a foul committed in the midfield is usually less dangerous of a restart. Those defensively minded middies can afford to be more reckless.

Iron Legs Club

So much running. (Source: Sofascore)

These defenders all logged 450 (or more) minutes on the pitch over a five game minimum. That’s stamina. Achraf Hakimi especially stands out as he’s an attacking wing-back and frequently runs the full length of the field.

The Wall of Shame

All Defenders Who Committed Penalty Fouls (Source: Sofascore)

Name ’em and shame ’em. The above represents all defenders who committed fouls in the box that drew a penalty. Dean Huijsen got a red card as well, which leads us to….

The Red Mist

Defenders who drew red cards (Source: Sofascore)

It happens to the best of us. We snap. We lash out. The red mist descends and the next thing you know you’re on a slow walk to the locker room showers. These are ten defenders that happened to.

Choice Defender Moments

But it wasn’t all bad. Defenders also got their moment in the spotlight and produced some special attacking highlights.

  • Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
    • Can we just classify him as a winger now? He got 2 goals, 2 assists and created 5 big chances.
  • Sergio Ramos (Monterrey)
    • In addition to being one of the all-time great shithousers, he stunned Inter Milan with a 25th minute header off a corner.
  • Reece James (Chelsea)
    • Chelsea’s attack had failed numerous times against Benfica. When given the opportunity with a free kick, he whipped it around the wall and into the corner. Ice cold.
  • Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal)
    • He was outstanding against Manchester City, stopping a half-dozen attack with perfectly timed tackles, picking Jérémy Doku’s pocket more than one, and got a goal off Neves’ service.
  • Christian Gray (Auckland City)
    • When was the last time you got a $1M header? His perfect redirection into the near post against Argentina’s Boca Juniors put the amateur club on a path to a historic draw, and a $1M bonus. He’s not even professional, he’s a physical education teacher at a grammar school.

But the Winner is Clear… Thiago Silva

At 40 years, he’s the oldest field player in the tournament. He was two years older than the referee in the semi-final against Chelsea. Look at these stats

Left to right: Tackles | Interceptions | Clearances | Fouls | Minutes Played

And if you needed anything else, just watch this pre-game speech he gave before facing Inter Milan. You don’t need subtitles.

×