World Cup 2018: Uruguay vs Portugal - 3 battles that decided the game

#1 Lucas Torreira’s energy shuts out the Portuguese midfield

Torreira has been linked with a move to Arsenal in the summer

For a team to go all the way in the World Cup, it needs intensity in a midfield, a player or two who can volunteer to do the running across midfield for 90 minutes and win back possession at any cost against a promising attack, or a counter. The Uruguayans found their volunteer in young Lucas Torreira, who – apart from the Suarez/Cavani partnership – deserves to be singled out as one of the game’s outstanding players.

It started as early as in the fifth minute when he brushed aside Cristiano Ronaldo of all players to thwart a break. The Sampdoria man, heavily linked with a move to Arsenal post the World Cup, had made his mark.

Torreira made 4 clearances and blocked 4 Portugal shots

He would continue to grow in confidence, intercepting passes and putting his body on the line to challenge the Portuguese midfielders in possession. The two Silvas, Bernardo and Adrien, were constantly in the face of the 22-year old, whose energy and enthusiasm at Sochi was very resembling of what N’Golo Kante brings to the French outfit.

A crawling header to prevent an on-rushing Portuguese player from getting a shot away was a risk Torreira was willing to take, as long as it contributed to his country making it to the last-8 of the World Cup. France need to find a way to out-think an Uruguayan midfield backed by Torreira’s assured presence.