World-Cup 2018: 5 Flops from the Round of 16

With the Round of 16 of the World Cup concluded and the fans being treated to some nail-biting action of the game, Russia still being a surprise (pun intended) for the most of us. With thrilling end-to-end football, lightning quick counters, intricate build-up play to nail-biting penalties, the Round of 16 has been a great show.

With the Quarterfinal fixtures now announced, it's time to take a look back at some of the players who could have done so much more to help their nation's cause.

With Spain and Argentina being the major upsets and the other losing teams putting in a great fight for a Top-eight spot, it really comes down to tactics that didn't work, players that underperformed and hard luck.

Following are five players who could have helped their teams have a better outcome, had a better personal campaign and for some a shot at ultimate glory.

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#5 Yussuf Poulsen (Denmark)

A member of an RB Leipzig side that has been a revelation in the German Bundesliga in recent times, Poulsen’s value to the Danes can be measured in the nine appearances he made during their qualifying campaign and an injury to Nicklas Bendtner meant the 24-year old would be running in front of the Danish midfield when the World-Cup started.

His presence in the air emerged as the best way for Denmark to utilise his strengths and he started to become a real handful in the opposition penalty area.

From corners he came close with glancing headers and his 1.9m frame was Dane’s many attacking options in the build-ups of the game.

In a 4-2-3-1 it is vitally important that the two wide attacking midfielders work backwards to prevent an overload on either wing and tracking back emerged as an inconsistent flaw in Poulsen’s game.

Far too often Poulsen was caught slacking and was found scrambling back in a last-ditch bid to help out his defenders. Poulsen’s overall performance was fairly mixed in the campaign. At times he looked a little short of technical ability and the important moments in the matches seemed to pass him by without a trace.

When the entire eyes of the world were focused on a certain Eriksen, Poulsen could have easily stolen the limelight, but it wasn't to be so.

#4 Gonçalo Guedes (Portugal)

Guedes was a regular starter up-front for Portugal along with Ronaldo

Gonçalo Guedes has 14 caps for Portugal to his name, an impressive number for a 21-year old who would represent his nation on the biggest stage of football along with one of the greatest names in world football, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Much was expected of the winger from Paris Saint-Germain, especially after the world had witnessed performances of another Portuguese youngster in the Euros 2016, Renato Sanches.

With a regular starting position in Fernando Santos' system, his link-up play with Ronaldo as well left very little to be desired as he was able to use his movement to aid the Real Madrid superstar.

While his ability with good link-up play, running into the channels and setting up the star man wasn't a problem, his positioning and finishing in front of the goal was a letdown.

The winger is a superb talent in his own right but is somewhat sacrificed in his role as Ronaldo’s wingman.

While the future of Guedes remains uncertain, one thing that appears to be for sure about the Portuguese is that he is destined for stardom and even a relatively quiet World Cup has not stopped his value from rising.

#3 Gonzalo Higuaín (Argentina)

Higuain failed to score a single goal this World-Cup

The 2018 World-Cup was a big let-down for the Argentinians and their fans respectively and Gonzalo Higuain was no exception. In what was to be a chance at redemption for his previous World-Cup campaign, the 30-year old striker was often left on the bench, by his coach, for the entire campaign, bar a starting spot against Nigeria.

With an attack led by Messi, the La Albiceleste were supposed to replicate their campaign from Rio and win it this time. However, Sampaoli's horrendous tactics and the lack of new faces led to Argentina bowing out in the Round of 16.

Higuain was supposed to be the target man up-front and help with the physical aspect the game, but his strength and finesse were overlooked by Aguero's pace and that kept him on the bench for a major part of the campaign.

With Sampaoli expecting the ball being directed to Messi, led to a lack of service to Higuain - plus the Juventus striker’s failures in front of goal when he did get the ball pushed Sampaoli to seek a change in the system.

He watched Argentina bow out in front of France and failed to even make a substitute appearance from the bench. The World-Cup may well be a closed chapter for the 30-year old striker.

#2 Carlos Sánchez (Colombia)

Sanchez was the first player sent off in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Honestly speaking, if this World-Cup was a feast, Carlos Sanchez looked like a recipe for disaster. The central-midfielder was red carded only three minutes into Colombia's opener against Japan and has received a series of online death threats.

The 32-year old was supposed to be an important cog in the Colombian midfield and lead the younger players on the pitch by example. However, his third-minute red card and poor performance against Senegal and England haven't helped his cause

His job was to provide the balance, to win the ball back and try to link up with the offensive players and Sanchez has thrived on closing down opponents, breaking up the play and making tackles.

However, the problem was his shambolic link-up play and the deliberate intent to try to win the ball back again after being sloppy in possession and giving it away.

Sanchez served the one-match ban and retained his spot for the games against Senegal and the Round of 16 clash against England.

He eventually hauled down Harry Kane for the second-half penalty, which the England striker coolly converted to give the Three Lions a 1-0 lead.

His overall game wasn't up to the mark either and Mateus Uribe, who had an instant impact for Colombia replaced him in the 79th minute.

With the World-Cup over for Colombia, people on the internet still haven't forgiven Sanchez and the player has received several death threats. His time with Los Cafeteros may well be over and people too should move over it.

#1 David De Gea (Spain)

David de Gea made just one save at the 2018 World Cup.

Oh David De Gea! A goalkeeper who is an absolute joy to watch and one that every rival fan would hope to have in their squads.

Considered by many the best keeper in the world, the 27-year-old has performed fantastically for his club and was expected to have a stellar campaign but the Spanish international saw his side crash out in a shock upset to Russia on penalties and had a disappointing tournament on a personal level, making just one save in four games.

The Manchester United keeper couldn't carry his form into the World Cup and looked shaky from the start, making a huge mistake for Portugal's second goal in their tournament opener and watched helplessly as Ronaldo mauled him with a penalty and a free-kick.

The Spaniard looked shaky after that game in all the remaining fixtures and even the presence of Ramos and Pique in front of him didn't seem to calm his nerves.

His ability to make long passes and setting up counter attacks with quick throws and volleys also seemed to be affected and the World-Cup seemed to be his worst moment since his early days in England.

What we can agree on is that De Gea is hugely talented. He's popular among teammates, pundits and managers and trusted by them too.

But he is being hammered by the media and the fans for mistakes for his performance and they may be right too. However, it is time for the player to relax, reflect on his mistakes and come back stronger to silence his critics in the upcoming domestic season.

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