Hello Cincinnati Soccer Talkers! FC Dallas officially put FC Cincinnati’s playoff chances to bed with a 3-1 victory over the Orange & Blue on Saturday. Ryan Hollingshead, Michael Barrios, and Zdenek Ondrasek each had a goal for the home side, while Emmanuel Ledesma scored on a 64th minute PK for Cincinnati. Now on to the Player Ratings!
Rules:
- Each player starts off with a 6 as the standard rating. Six signifies an “average performance” for the match.
- Players will receive additions or subtractions to their score based on individual moments and the overall team performance.
- We’ll look at multiple criteria such as stats and the Audi Player Index (API) to assess a player’s rating.
- A player may receive an N/A if they are subbed in/off before any quantifiable statistics are available.
Now on to the ratings:
GK- Przemyslaw Tyton: (6), Audi Player Index: 383
Hard to be disappointed in the FC Cincinnati keeper even though he conceded three goals. It’s hard to lay any of the blame at his hands as the FC Cincinnati defense gave up too much space to the Dallas attack. The Polish international came up with several big stops, and without him, the scoreline would have been a lot worse.
LB- Greg Garza: (5.5), Audi Player Index: 163
It was nice to see the native Texan back into the starting lineup for the first time since May 19 when he left the match in the 10th minute at Orlando. He put in a solid 60 minutes and completed 88% of his passes with his friends and family in attendance. He partnered well with Roland Lamah on the left side of the field, and a lot of FC Cincinnati fans will have to ask themselves what could’ve been if we could have seen that partnership build this season.
CB- Kendall Waston: (6), Audi Player Index: 114
I appreciate Kendall Waston. While things have gone sideways for the club, he continues to try to pull the team together. His performance was fine Saturday night, but it’s his physical style of play that will be key in who comes along with him on the backline in 2020.
CB- Maikel van der Werff: (7), Audi Player Index: 669
With the Cincinnati defense under attack all night, the center back stood tall, winning 10 clearances. Like last week, he is susceptible on the counter, but that is more due to a let down in midfield versus his individual play.
RB- Justin Hoyte: (5.5), Audi Player Index: 141
With Mathieu Deplagne hurt and Alvas Powell on international duty, Hoyte got the start at right-back. The Englishman was tasked with staying deep, allowing Garza to get into the attack on the left. Hoyte did well for most of the match but got burnt by Zdenek Ondrasek for Dallas’s third goal.
CM- Leonardo Bertone: (5), Audi Player Index: 15
Bertone was given the opportunity to show he belonged in the starting XI, and he came up with a stinker. He was invisible for most of the night and completed few positive passes. At this point, I don’t see what he brings to the club and wouldn’t mind if he’s shipped off after this year.
CM- Victor Ulloa: (5), Audi Player Index: 25
Kind of a blah night for the former Dallas homegrown who was asked to play a bit deeper than past matches. Before he was taken out you could see a partnership developing with Garza on the left that gives you some hope. With Cruz gone next week, it will be interesting to see if coach Ron Jans puts Stanko back at CDM and shifts Ulloa forward or brings a player like Frankie Amaya back into the fold.
CAM- Allan Cruz: (5.5), Audi Player Index: 142
Without a true striker, Cruz was tasked with playing higher in the FC Cincinnati attack. While he did not get on the ball as much with Dallas holding two-thirds of the possession, Cruz forced five fouls and didn’t back down physically. Ultimately he just couldn’t get FC Cincinnati to develop much of an offensive rhythm.
LW- Roland Lamah: (6.5), Audi Player Index: 425
Lamah might be the one player upping his stock with Jans. With Garza back healthy, Lamah loses some of his defensive responsibilities in the 4-3-3. The attacker forced the penalty kick with his late hustle into the play before Reggie Cannon tripped him up in the box.
RW- Emmanuel Ledesma: (5.5), Audi Player Index: 179
Ledesma scored his fifth goal of the season after knocking in the penalty kick earned by Lamah. While I wouldn’t say any player from FC Cincinnati has had an excellent season, Ledesma has put in a nice first season in MLS and is now tied for the team lead in goals (five) and assists (three). He needs to be careful with the ball. His turnover led directly to Dallas’s second goal.
FW-Kekuta Manneh: (5), Audi Player Index: -355
Sadly, Manneh’s 75th-minute red card will overshadow his decent performance. Jans asked him to play an unfamiliar position as a central striker, and he performed well, helping FC Cincinnati get back into the match by setting up the ball that eventually drew the PK on Lamah. Unfortunately, he let his frustration show with VAR catching him shoving a Dallas player in the face, leading to the red card. The veteran has to know better, and his brain fart wiped away any chance of Cincinnati getting back into the match. Now Jans will have another interesting decision to make, as Manneh will miss Saturday’s match against Toronto.
SUB-Andrew Gutman (60th min.): (5), Audi Player Index: 2
Gutman came in for Garza for the final 30 minutes. He was fine in relief but didn’t add much to the Cincinnati attack. Jans will have another interesting decision for the rest of the year. Will he go with the youth movement to get Gutman experience or will he go with the veteran Garza with higher immediate upside?
SUB- Fatai Alashe (64th min.): (5), Audi Player Index: -189
The central midfielder made his sixth appearance on the year and his first since June 22. Alashe showed a couple promising moments but was a bit reckless, committing five fouls while completing just four passes. With his return to fitness and Cruz’s pending call-up to Costa Rica, we could see Jans push for more minutes for the young midfielder.
SUB- Rashawn Dally (72nd min.): (6), Audi Player Index: 7
Dally came in for Lamah after Manneh’s red card. The young striker didn’t get many chances with the club down a man.
@bradleysweigel for @CincySoccerTalk
Recommended for you
