World Cup
Jun 25, 2014 9.00pm
0
0
HT : 0 0
FT Maracana, Rio de Janeiro
  • Antonio Valencia 50' redcard
  • Frickson Erazo 83' yellowcard

Player Ratings: Ecuador 0-0 France

Ecuador 0-0 France

France went into their final Group E game at the World Cup knowing that a point against Ecuador would see them through into the last 16 as group winners.

Here, Sports Mole rates the performances of all those who featured in the 0-0 draw at the Estadio Maracana.


ECUADOR

Goal

Alexander Dominguez: Man-of-the-match performance from the Ecuador stopper. Denied France on 14 occasions and pulled off a blinding stop to deny Paul Pogba in the first half. (8/10)

Defence

Juan Carlos Paredes: Marshalled Benzema well, but looked a little shaken when France approached at pace. (6/10)

Jorge Guagua: Worked well down the flanks to try to contain France, goalless score doesn't exactly show how dominant France were in attack, though. (6/10)

Frickson Erazo: Compromised when Benzema dropped into space, but did well given the stature of players he was up against. (6/10)

Midfield

Christian Noboa: Made a crucial block to deny Pogba in the second period, but should've scored when Ecuador broke minutes beforehand. (7/10)

Antonio Valencia: One of his country's more experienced players on the world stage, but failed to show any sign of maturity in the wake of his lunge on Lucas Digne. (5/10)

Oswaldo Minda: Worked hard throughout, but remained largely anonymous. (6/10)

Jefferson Montero: Broke forward at pace on a number of occasions, but didn't possess enough to deliver the final, telling ball. (6/10)

Attack

Enner Valencia: Consistently Ecuador's best performer in the World Cup. His pace and power proved a struggle for Sakho at times, but didn't have the support to turn his work into goals. (7/10)

Jaime Ayovi: Another one of Ecuador's players who failed to turn up on the day. Wouldn't have known he was playing had his name not been written on the team-sheet. (5/10)

Michael Arroyo: Hassled and worked hard for the time he was on the pitch. Stole it on a couple of occasions, but lacked a supporting cast. (7/10)

Substitutes

Renato Ibarra: A positive substitution, looked to get in amongst it and produced a number of inventive runs. (7/10)

Felipe Caicedo: Provided a bit of pressure on the French defence late on. Left Les Bleus looking a tad shaky when trying to play from the back. (6/10)

Gabriel Achilier: Was a little sloppy as France sought to assert their authority in the closing stages. Had to help out on a sinking 10-man ship. (6/10)


FRANCE

Goal

Hugo Lloris: Made two good stops to deny the Ecuadorians. Commanded his box well on crosses too. (7/10)

Defence

Bacary Sagna: Got caught out a few times having gone too far forward, but put in a number of dangerous crosses to try to win the game. (7/10)

Lucas Digne: Like his teammate Sagna, got forward well, but was a little less creative in the final third. (6/10)

Laurent Koscielny: Looked the more commanding of the centre-back pairing. Controlled his defence efficiently. (7/10)

Mamadou Sakho: Great when the ball needs to be won in the air, though he was often caught out when on the back foot. (6/10)

Midfield

Blaise Matuidi: Influenced the game going forward despite not being at his best. Gave the ball away far too many times in the centre of the pitch. (6/10)

Paul Pogba: Sought to trigger the creative spark in midfield with a number of adventurous passes. Shots from distance not at their usual level of superiority. (7/10)

Morgan Schneiderlin: Failed to tick the ball over in midfield. France clearly missed Yohan Cabaye as they failed to build momentum. (5/10)

Attack

Moussa Sissoko: Stretched Ecuador well and had a fine volley on goal. Didn't do much else going forward. (6/10)

Karim Benzema: A very quiet night for the Real Madrid striker. Missed a number of good chances in front of goal. (6/10)

Antoine Griezmann: Linked up well with Benzema early on but faded drastically. May have scored early in the second half had it not been for the heroics of Dominguez. (6/10)

Substitutes

Loic Remy Effective substitution, almost gave France the lead with an enterprising curling effort late on. (7/10)

Oliver Giroud: Again, did well to blend into the game, but failed to finish a vital opportunity in the closing minutes having headed straight at the keeper. (6/10)

Raphael Varane: Came on to replace Sakho, did well to play despite rumours of a stomach bug. (7/10)


Share this article:
Subscribe to our newsletter

Get FREE daily news and in-depth previews for games from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football — straight to your inbox.

Subscribe