Budweiser Man of the Match: Julio DOS SANTOS (PAR)

20 June 2006

On his first start at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany 2006™, the 23-year-old Paraguay midfielder Julio Dos Santos was the outstanding player in Tuesday's game against Trinidad and Tobago. His efforts earned him the Budweiser Man of the Match award as voted for by FIFA’s Technical Study Group (TSG).

“He bossed the midfield, he was the man behind all of Paraguay’s attacking moves,” explained TSG member Alvin Corneal. “He was the one who made all the best passes to the forwards and managed to find a way through the opposition’s back line. Dos Santos was the most consistent player in the match. He was everywhere, always looking for the ball, was always the best option for a pass from his team-mates and always seemed to be in the right place. He was quite simply excellent."

Before Paraguay’s third group game, the lanky (1.90m) Dos Santos had only featured once at this FIFA World Cup, replacing Cristian Riveros in the 62nd minute of his side’s previous match against Sweden. An excellent 30-minute cameo performance saw the Bayern Munich midfielder given a starting role for his team’s Germany 2006 swansong against Trinidad and Tobago, and he repaid coach Anibal Ruiz’s confidence with a top-quality display.