Tunisia player ratings against Japan
Tunisia crashed out of the World Cup on Saturday in another hiding, this time losing 4-0 to Japan in Monterrey.
Added to the 5-1 thrashing that Sweden handed them, it means that they are condemned to a last-place finish and join Haiti and Turkey as teams eliminated from the tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
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The loss to Japan came despite a change of coach with Herve Renard flown in to try and turn things around for Tunisia, but proving unable to do so.
Here are the Tunisian player ratings for the match:
Aymen Dahmen (5): One clasping save that somehow kept the ball out by only inches was a highlight for the keeper, who was on the bench for the 5-1 loss to Sweden but given a starting berth for the second fixture in Group F.
Yan Valery (6): Good, accurate passing numbers made it a successful evening on the front foot for the English-based right back, but defensively, the Japanese did find their way through down the flanks.
Dylan Bronn (4): Taken off at halftime as the five-man defence proved unable to keep Japan at bay, with Tunisia having gone 2-0 down just past the half-hour mark. He did make seven clearances in the game.
Montassar Talbi (5): Unusually strong and commanding, he lost most of his duels, be it aerial clearances or tackles at the back. Tunisia were expected to prove commanding against the Japanese in the air but surprisingly did not manage to do so.
Omar Rekik (5): The Dutch-born defender won three of his five duels and made four recoveries, but his many long passes proved inaccurate and served to turn possession over and put Japan back on the attack.
Ali Abdi (5): Usually the key man for Tunisia with his marauding runs down the left, but had a mediocre return in Monterrey, failing to get a single cross into the Japan box.
Elyas Skhiri (5): The captain was expected to be more influential given his Bundesliga experience but proved off form when the team needed him most, unable to cut through with decisive passing or progression forward with the ball.
Anis Slimane (6): A full 90 minutes and some hard graft in the midfield ensured the best numbers for the game of all of the Tunisia team, like 77 per cent accurate passes in the final third and 100 per cent accurate lay-offs.
Elias Saad (3): One of the victims of Herve Renard’s frustration as Tunisia were already two down at the break and so was taken off at halftime. He was almost co,mpetely out of the game.
Hannibal Mejbri (6): Looked to try and get something going for Tunisia, emphasising his role as the team’s key playmaker, but it was a night where little went right for the North Africans and Mejbri magic was well contained.
Sebastian Tounekti (4): The striker from Glasgow Celtic was largely anonymous in the 64 minutes he was on the field and it came as no surprise that after a single touch in the opposing box he was taken off.
Mohamed Amine Ben Hmida (6): Halftime change for Bronn and was a lot more accurate in his passing out of the back and won all the tackles he made. But his positioning could have been better.
Ismael Gharbi (4): Did not add much to the midfield muscle or progression going forward after being introduced for the second half in place of Saad.
Firas Chaouat (5): Proved a little likelier in the Japan box with his tall frame posing questions but, to be fair, Japan answered them with ease.
Elias Achouri and Rami Khedira came on in stoppage time which was not long enough for a rating.
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