Larson’s leaders

Russia and Egypt kicked off the second round of group phase games Tuesday night in Saint Petersburg. Here are Kurtis Larson’s top five players through Week 1 at the World Cup:

1. C. RONALDO POR

Produced a hat-trick against Spain to steal a crucial point on Matchday 1. He just won’t quit putting up numbers. Makes you wonder how many goals he’ll find during this tournament.

2. E. HALLFREDSSON ISL

Udinese midfielder was immense in surprising draw with Argentina. Hallfredsson helped bottle up Lionel Messi. He was a presence in Iceland’s defensive scheme.

3. H. HALLDORSSON ISL

Stoned Messi’s secondhalf penalty. Also made a number of key saves in a fixture that looked likely to go Argentina’s way. Halldorsson continues to show up at major tournaments for the Nordic nation.

4. CARLOS VELA MEX

Was good in an impressive 1-0 win over Mexico. Vela seemed to be the man at the start of every Mexican counterattack. If he was just a little sharper Mexico might have scored two or three more.

5. HARRY KANE ENG

Said he just wanted to make England fans proud in the build up to a 2-1 win over Tunisia. The Tottenham striker found both goals that allowed the Three Lions to breathe a sigh of relief.