Matchday 6 – 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 player's tactical, physical and mental contribution to their team's performance.

Player of the Match: (8) Olaya Enrique (ESP) 

Spain secured their passage to the quarter-finals of the competition with a narrow 1-0 victory over China PR. Spanish midfielder Olaya Enrique was named Player of the Match for her overall impact on her team's performance.  

Mónica Vergara, who observed the match for FIFA's TSG noted, "She is a technical, skilful and intelligent player… She knows how to play between the lines and has the awareness to create passing lanes for her teammates in possession. She also combines with other players, so she breaks lines as she progresses the play and she has a good shooting technique from mid-range." 

Enrique was the highest ranked player for offers to receive the ball, registering an impressive total of 73, a whole 52 more than the average for the game. Vergara also liked Enrique's work ethic: 

"When her team loses the ball, she is a player who seeks to recover it as quickly as possible. She is very conscious in her defensive functions because you can see that everything she does has a purpose and a reason. She is a very clever player," Vergara said.

Player of the Match: (11) Linda Caicedo (COL) 

Colombia booked their place in the last eight of the competition with a 2-1 victory over Mexico. For the second time in this tournament, goalscorer Linda Caicedo was selected by our TSG as the Player of the Match. 

Her dynamic forward play is a highlight of her game, but the data demonstrates her work ethic when her team are out of possession. In this match, she ranked fourth for executing defensive pressures. She made a total of 31 in this game, 15 more than the average.

According to our observer Tom Sermanni, she has a magic touch on the ball to go with her work ethic off it:  

"Caicedo is a player who has an X-factor. She is a dynamic, pacy dribbler of the ball and can change pace and direction with great explosivity. She is supremely confident on the ball, has great awareness of opponents and has the ability to keep possession in tight areas," he explained.

"She has the vision to see the big picture and she anticipates the game. She sees possibilities before other players and has a strong striker's instinct, as we saw with her opportunistic goal," he added.

Player of the Match: (8) Miharu Shinjo (JPN) 

Japan finished top of Group D after they defeated France 2-0. This was an impressive team performance against a French side with many talented players, and it was Japan's ability to control the game from midfield that our Technical Study Group recognised by naming Miharu Shinjo Player of the Match. 

It is the second time that Shinjo has received this award, and her ability to control the game from central midfield again impressed Tom Sermanni. 

"She was critical to the flow and tempo of Japan's play and she controlled the rhythm of the game. Regardless of how tight midfield was, she always found space to receive and pass the ball, and was never caught in possession. Her awareness of where she was in relation to opposition players was very impressive," he explained.

"Her game awareness, decision-making and the execution of those decisions were high quality. She rarely made a technical error and always seemed to take the best or a favourable option," he said.

Player of the Match: (11) Annabelle Chukwu (CAN) 

Despite an impressive performance against Tanzania, Canada did not progress to the knockout stages of the competition. While they will be disappointed, they will have many positives to reflect on, including a Player-of-the-Match performance from forward Annabelle Chukwu.

Chukwu worked hard for her team defensively and was always looking for the ball when Canada were in possession. She made 52 offers to receive the ball, 30 more than the average for the game and the second highest number of any player on the pitch.

Mónica Vergara observed this match and explained what stood out about Chukwu's performance:

"She is a strong, explosive forward and knows how to position herself in front of the opposition defensive line so she can open up passing lanes for her teammates to play to her. She is an important player for Canada because she uses her body very well to shield and keep possession of the ball, and can also hold defenders off so she can turn and create space to shoot."

"She is a striker who makes clever movements to receive final balls and looks finish them, but also has the awareness to recognise when a teammate is in a better position to score. Defensively, she does not give up a lost ball. She has impressive controlled aggression when pressing her opponents and when she wins the ball back, she is direct and looks to counterattack fast," she added.