Matchday 1 - Player of the Match

Members of our Technical Study Group (TSG) are attending every game of the tournament and are tasked with awarding the Player of the Match accolades. When choosing the recipient of the accolade, our experts consider the tactical, physical and mental contribution of the player to their team's performance.

Player of the Match: (18) Onyeka Gamero (USA)

The movement, game intelligence, and work rate of Onyeka Gamero caught the eye of FIFA technical expert Anna Signeul, who described her as "a joy to watch." The USA forward spent more time in possession of the ball than any other player. Her time of 165 seconds on the ball surpassed the game's average by 123.9 seconds. 

Gamero was consistent in her movement, making a total of 59 offers to receive: 37 of these being in between the lines and 12 being in behind. Her movement was concentrated on the right outer channel of the pitch, showing positional discipline and a commitment to a game plan that tasked her with operating in a specific area (see Offering to Receive heatmap below). The forward also demonstrated a willingness to progress the ball, clocking 10 step-ins and 2 take-ons. 

Speaking about her performance Anna Signeul said, "Onyeka Gamero reads the game really well both in and out of possession. Even though USA were not tested hugely from a defensive perspective, you could see how she recovers to be available to transition to attack. She is an excellent communicator and helps her team-mates."

"Gamero also demonstrated strong awareness of her role and the movements of her team-mates. She is not just a 1v1 winger but is also a playmaker who combines skilfully with forwards, overlapping full-backs and midfielders. She is a creative player who makes penetrating runs and creates overloads and she can drive to the byline and cross the ball with precision," Signeul added.

Player of the Match: (7) Aline (BRA)

Fresh from impressive performances at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Costa Rica 2022™, Brazil midfielder, Aline, was Anna Signeul's player of the match.

She was consistently looking for the ball, ranking first for offers to receive (55) and third for time in possession (66 seconds).

Discussing her performance, Signeul commented, "Aline is a powerful, agile and pacy player. She is a particularly good 1v1 attacker, taking players on both inside and outside and she can accelerate quickly, giving her a change of pace that takes her away from defenders."

"She also likes to give and go if possible, so she breaks lines with and without the ball. Technically she is really good on the ball, has a good first touch and delivers quality, accurate crosses. She is part of a very good Brazil team and was selected as the player of the match because she was in the game for the full 90 minutes and was always a threat," concluded Signeul. 

Player of the Match: (7) Mara Alber (GER)

Germany forward Mara Alber was awarded the Player of the Match award for her contribution to her team's attacking play. It was Alber's movement and ability to get in between and in behind Nigeria's lines that stood out in particular for FIFA TSG expert, Tom Sermanni. 

The forward scored Germany's winning goal, but this was just one aspect of a performance that had layers of depth to it. She made 45 offers to receive: 23 offers being in between the lines and 22 in behind. In total, Alber received in between the lines on 40 occasions and in behind on five occasions. She also registered 10 attempts on goal, more than any other player. 

"Alber had the most influence on Germany from an attacking perspective. She was their most dangerous forward and this was because of her movement. Her willingness to break in behind the opponent's centre-backs was highlighted with her winning goal. Her technique and composure were excellent, with a great first touch and a quality finish," explained Sermanni.

Player of the Match: (6) Anais Alvarez (CHL)

In this game, Sermanni was impressed by the versatile and composed performance of Chile midfielder, Anais Alvarez.

On her way to covering 10km in distance, Alvarez topped the charts for balls received (78) and distributions completed (53) and managed an impressive 44 offers to receive. She ranked first for time in possession with 83 seconds on the ball - a full 58.9 seconds more than the average. The midfielder's game was penetrative as well, completing a total of ten line breaks.

Sermanni emphasises Alvarez's significance in the game: "She was involved in everything and was the pulse of the team. In possession, she started many of Chile's attacking moves but when they did not have the ball, she had the ability to break up New Zealand's attacks.  

Out of possession, Alvarez was ranked second in both defensive actions (25) and in defensive pressures (29). 

"Alvarez was a very good reader of the game situations as they unfolded and had an excellent capacity to be in the right place at the right time. She had a particularly good opening performance in this tournament, and we are looking forward to seeing her progression throughout the competition," added Sermanni.