Top 5 Players from Around the World This Weekend: South Americans Shine
There were a handful of truly stunning individual performances from the world of football this weekend, and here we count five of the best.
Swedish superman Zlatan Ibrahimovic makes an appearance for his dominant display for PSG against Stade Rennais, but the rest of the players who make our list all hail from South America (though three of the four ply their trade in Europe).
Here are the five players who shined brightest over the weekend.
5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
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Stade Rennais might not have offered up very stern resistance, but when Ibrahimovic is in this kind of form, there are few teams in the world who can do anything about it.
The Swede scored one goal from the spot in PSG's 3-1 win, but it was his overall contribution in creating chances and harassing the opposition defense that was most noteworthy.
Despite the Paris giants having lost only one game so far in Ligue 1, and Ibrahimovic himself looking unstoppable in bagging 14 goals, the striker maintains things are not as easy as they appear.
He told PSG's official website, as reported by Mark Doyle on Goal.com, that every team in the league tries harder against the champions:
"We must stop saying that the championship of France is too easy for Paris Saint-Germain.
Each team is complicated to deal with and there is always a lot of commitment. Physically, the Ligue 1 is impressive.
With each game, all of the pressure is on us, while our opponents play the game of their season.
Upsetting PSG, the defending champions, boosts their motivation. They do not play to 100, but 200 per cent!
So, nothing is ever simple, even if we do everything to make it become so.
"
He may have a dubious understanding of mathematics, but Ibrahimovic remains one of football's most decisive players.
4. Sebastian Torrico
2 of 5San Lorenzo clinched their first title in six years by playing out a 0-0 draw with Velez Sarsfield on Sunday, and it was fitting that the star of the evening was goalkeeper Sebastian Torrico.
Torrico kept 10 clean sheets in 19 Torneo Inicial games, at one stage remaining unbeaten for 629 minutes.
And he was once again outstanding in the final game of the championship, remaining calm throughout a tense game to foil any chances Velez could muster.
One incredible save in the dying moments from a point-blank Agustin Allione effort basically sealed the title for his side.
3. Fernandinho
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Though he doesn't always receive as many plaudits as his more high-profile teammates, Manchester City's midfield lynchpin, Fernandinho, has become one of the key players in the side.
Always happy to do the donkey work, the Brazilian on occasion demonstrates the flair he is capable of, and there is no more striking example than his performance against Arsenal on Saturday.
Fernandinho was a colossus at the base of midfield, instigating play and driving his team forward as they romped to a 6-3 win over the ladder leaders.
Two goals of his own capped a remarkable display.
2. Carlos Tevez
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With a hat-trick straight out of the poacher's handbook, Carlos Tevez further underlined what a valuable off-season addition he was to this Juventus team.
Carlitos's three strikes against Sassuolo in Juve's 4-0 win takes him to second place in the Capocannoniere goalscorers' charts, and with the defending champions in fine form in the league, the Argentine could be pushing for top spot within the next few matches.
1. Luis Suarez
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Forget this weekend; this was one of the best individual performances of 2013.
Luis Suarez's sensational run of form shows no sign of letting up, and the Uruguayan was at his devastating best against Tottenham in Liverpool's 5-0 win.
Suarez scored two brilliant goals and created the other three in a near-perfect display of attacking football.
