With the group stages of the Confederations Cup done and dusted, Nick Miller takes a look at the five players who have stood out so far in the tournament.
1. Leon Goretzka, Germany
Germany took a shadow squad to Russia for this year's Confederations Cup, but that doesn't mean there wasn't talent to admire.
Lars Stindl has been impressive, and Bayern-bound Niklas Sule showed a little of why the Bundesliga champions have signed him, but one man who stuck out is Schalke midfielder Leon Goretzka. Player comparisons are a tricky business, but an upright No. 8 who seems to have a knack of arriving in the box at just the right time will inevitably evoke Frank Lampard.
Clearly he doesn't have the goalscoring chops of the ex-Chelsea legend just yet (he scored seven goals last term), but he's only 22 and is attracting the attention of various scouts, if you believe the gossip pages, and Joachim Low has been offering some tips on his future.
"I had a long chat with Leon before the Confederations Cup about various scenarios and opportunities," Low said.
"I gave him my thoughts, which I won't share here ... He has done very well here and is intelligent enough to take the right steps."
2. Andre Silva, Portugal
It's not massively difficult to predict who will be official the man of the match in these Confederations Cup games. Usually it's the most famous player, or one who scores a goal, and if both combine, then all the better. That would explain why Cristiano Ronaldo has taken the award in all three of Portugal's games, but perhaps some of his colleagues might have been a bit more deserving.
Like, say, Andre Silva. The Portuguese forward will be on his way to Milan after this tournament, and presumably those in his new home country will be impressed with what they've seen in Russia. His only goal has come against New Zealand, so a pinch of salt is obviously required, but it was a more than decent strike (running 30 yards before hammering a finish into the top corner), and his form otherwise has been excellent.
"Cristiano talks to me and gives me advice," Silva said after the New Zealand game. "I try to listen to him and he tries to help me as best he can."
There can't be many better mentors for the 21-year-old.
3. Andres Guardado, Mexico
Two players have managed to get themselves suspended for the semifinals after picking up two bookings in the group stage. One is Pepe, and you'd have been disappointed if the lean, mean booking-machine hadn't picked up a couple of yellow cards. The other is Andres Guardado.
The absence of the latter will be a significantly bigger setback for his team, as Mexico skipper Guardado has been impressive in the two games he's appeared in (manager Juan Carlos Osorio rotated heavily against New Zealand), patrolling the midfield alongside Jonathan dos Santos and Hector Herrera.
A veteran of 138 caps, Guardado showed that he's simultaneously a dynamic and reassuring presence at the heart of his side, and in addition to his fine form on the pitch, he nodded towards an admirable social conscience off it, too.
"It's good that they stopped in the last game," said the PSV Eindhoven man, about Mexico's efforts to prevent their fans from singing a anti-gay song.
"It was time to take a radical measure so that they stop doing it. We hope they do the same at home and that people understand that it does help us a lot if they stop shouting it."
4. Alexis Sanchez, Chile
While they're safely through to the semifinals, Chile haven't been quite themselves in this tournament. Two draws and an unconvincing win over Cameroon have proved enough, but their general play hasn't been that of South American champions.
Nevertheless, their main threat -- this time a brooding, ominous presence rather than necessarily the constant menace he often is -- has of course been Alexis Sanchez, the man who became their all-time leading scorer with his strike against Germany. Arturo Vidal called him "spectacular" after that goal, and while he was doing so as an attempt to recruit him for Bayern, you can't argue with the assessment.
5. Christian Bassogog, Cameroon
This was a disappointing tournament for Cameroon, if they in fact anticipated doing that well in the first place. In Russia thanks to their surprise win in the Africa Cup of Nations, Hugo Broos' side are heading home after collecting just one point, losing to Chile and Germany but drawing with Australia. It might tell you something about their chances that their starting goalkeeper, Fabrice Ondoa, struggled to get a game with Sevilla's B team last season.
One man did stand out though. After an excellent Cup of Nations, Christian Bassogog earned himself a lucrative move to China, and he continued that form in this Confederations Cup, a direct and lively presence from Cameroon's right flank. If only he had someone in form to supply: Vincent Aboubakar, the man who scored the Cup of Nations winner, didn't cover himself in glory throughout.