Di Maria’s desire to triumph could be felt from the start of the game as he posed problems to Switzerland’s defenders on the left wing. The Real Madrid winger is said to have attempted 12 shots on goal and 18 crosses against the Swiss, making it a record for a single match by any player at the 2014 World Cup.
This statistic is massive considering the fact that the entire Switzerland team made 15 shots in total – only three more than Di Maria alone. The goalscorer also completed 63 per cent of his passes, created two chances and completed nine take-ons as Squawka noted.
Angel Di Maria was speaking to Futbol de Primera radio when he declared:
“The 23-man roster and coaching staff helped us to win. We had many chances. I wanted the goal. Thanks to God.”
Di Maria vs Switzerland infographic
Di María had 12 shots in total, almost as many as Switzerland’s 15. Persistence pays off (via @StatsZone): pic.twitter.com/ZkFgy90Ur0
— Total Football (@TotalFootballFC) July 1, 2014
Assist provider Lionel Messi was voted Man of the Match for the fourth time in a row at the tournament.
Image: Messi for the 4th time this World Cup elected as Man of the Match pic.twitter.com/ylRM2GcXlt [via @dsaura] #arg
— barcastuff (@barcastuff) July 1, 2014
And this is how an area in Buenos Aires reacted to Angel Di Maria’s 118th minute match winner (caught on camera by CNN en Español):
