Man Utd had more strong representation on day four of the World Cup, and a surprise star emerged from the hubris of a 7-1 loss.
The hero of the day who will undoubtedly gather the most headlines was Amad, whose late winner saw Ivory Coast win against Ecuador 1-0.
Other than Amad, four more players with a Man Utd connection displayed their talent on the pitch, including a proud moment for the academy involving Hannibal and Anthony Elanga.
However, the surprise star of the day was someone who was at the receiving end of a 7-1 loss.
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Amad – 9/10 (W vs Ecuador)
Amad was surprisingly sent to the bench for Ivory Coast’s opener against Ecuador, and by full-time, he hammered home how big an error that was.
The Man Utd star came on in the 56th minute and was an electric livewire, injecting pace into a plodding game.
The cherry on the cake came in the 90th minute when the teams were locked at 0-0. Amad expertly fired home to send Ivory Coast fans into delirium after some good work from his right-back.
It all but confirms his starting place in their next game against Germany, where his pace on the break will be crucial.
Hannibal – 8/10 (L vs Sweden)
Hannibal’s Tunisia lost 5-1 to Elanga’s Sweden, but the midfielder was much better than the former Man Utd winger.
Hannibal started for Tunisia and assisted their only goal, finishing the game with the most touches of anyone on the pitch.
He created three chances but was let down by his teammates to sum up a truly heroic performance despite losing 5-1.
Anthony Elanga – 5/10 (W vs Tunisia)
Elanga was the polar opposite of Hannibal, enjoying a 5-1 win but contributing just one minute of action after coming on in injury time.
Needless to say, he didn’t pull up any trees in that extremely limited time.
Memphis – 6/10 (D vs Japan)
Memphis’s Netherlands drew 2-2 against Japan, and the former Man Utd star came on in the 70th minute for an encouraging cameo.
He created one chance and tried to take his man on, but the end product deserted him. No defensive contributions summed up the frustration with him.
Tahith Chong – 8/10 (L vs Germany)
Former Man Utd academy man Tahith Chong was on the receiving end of a brutal 7-1 loss against Germany, playing for Curacao.
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However, Chong can hold his head high despite the loss because he was the liveliest player on the pitch.
He proved beyond doubt that he belonged on this stage, even if Curacao were largely outmatched as a unit.
Chong was adventurous and fearless on the ball, running forward with it on every occasion he got it, and also worked hard off the ball.
He was a constant thorn for Germany, getting fouled a remarkable eight times during his 83 minutes on the pitch. His performance merited much more than a 7-1 loss.
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