Sunday 12 June 2016 19:41, UK
England captain Wayne Rooney won praise for his midfield display against Russia - and Pro Soccer Development's detailed stats breakdown of his performance highlights his important contribution in the centre of the field.
Rooney twice came close to finding the net, firing a volley from the edge of the box straight at Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev before drawing a fine save from the shot-stopper in the second half with a low drive.
However, the Manchester United man's distribution was also a key attribute for Roy Hodgson's side, with Rooney completing a number of impressive passes from central midfield to expose the Russian defence.
Here PSD reveal the numbers behind Rooney's performance up until his 78th-minute substitution…
Passing and distribution
Few players kept the ball as well as Rooney against Russia - the skipper completed 100 per cent of his 33 short passes, three long range passes (including one which allowed Harry Kane a shot on goal) and eight one-touch passes.
Rooney also opened up the Russia defence with eight through balls, with Kyle Walker, Danny Rose and Raheem Sterling the targets.
Receiving the ball comfortably with either foot and controlling the ball whether it came to him in the air or on the ground, Rooney was an assured presence in midfield.
Attacking
When he was on the front foot, Rooney had the beating of his midfield markers. He completed eight of his nine dribbles and won six of his eight attacking duels.
A standout trait of his performance was the disguise he'd use on his passes and dribbles. In the first half he feinted to shoot before playing in Rose for a cross, while in the second period he dummied a pass to the left-back only to switch play to Walker on the other side.
Decisively, Rooney also played a part in winning the free-kick from which Eric Dier opened the scoring, feinting a pass to Rose only to feed Dele Alli, who was upended on the edge of the box.
Goal scoring
Rooney held a goal threat from midfield in open play with his well-timed forward runs into the box. In the first half he engineered a powerful volley on target that keeper Akinfeev could only quickly punch clear.
In the second half he again timed his run effectively and arrived into the box in time to meet a low cross from Rose that was deflected into his path. He took it first time under pressure from two defenders, low to the keeper's right that forced a quick reaction save from Akinfeev.
Defending and regaining possession
Seven interceptions indicate that Rooney's performance was not all about pretty passes and forward play. He did plenty of defensive work too, clearing the ball three times and regaining possession on six occasions.
However, he was twice beaten in four one v one situations, missed two tackles and failed with three attempted blocks - an area to address.
Conclusion
The results show Rooney had a very influential opening match for England's attack and was key in creating and producing goal-scoring opportunities within the game before he was substituted. He was effective and dominating in possession of the ball and also a goal scoring threat with well-timed late runs into the box, forcing good saves. It was a leading performance from the England captain and, despite an ultimately disappointing draw, it was a positive personal start to his Euro 2016 campaign.
