Player Ratings: FC Cincinnati finally broke its scoreless streak but still lost 2-1 Saturday to New York City FC at Red Bull Arena. Brandon Vazquez broke the scoring drought in the 74th minute after 500+ minutes without a goal. Alexander Ring (39′) and Anton Tinnerholm (55′) were the goal scorers for NYCFC.
Check out Cincinnati Soccer Talk’s post-match report here for more details.
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- Przemysław Tytoń: (6)
Another match where Tyton made the saves he had the opportunity to make but was victimized in a 1v1 vs Ring and faced a worldly goal against Tinnerholm. I took off a half point because there seemed to be moments in the match where he was not on the same page as the backline. He made a great save in the sixth minute after Mathieu Deplagne’s turnover.
LWB- Andrew Gutman: (6.5)
Gutman was the one player on the field that I felt had a decent match going when it looked like FC Cincinnati was heading towards another blowout loss. He read the ball well for most of the match but unfortunately fell slightly out of position to keep Alexander Ring onside when the rest of the backline held a higher line to force an offside call. Gutman is improving his distribution, finishing the night with a 84.4% passing percentage.
LCB- Tom Pettersson: (6)
It felt like another quiet game for Tom Pettersson, but the stats jumped out that he pulled a solid shift for FC Cincinnati. He led the match in clearances (seven), aerial duels (seven of eight), and was second in interceptions (four). Pettersson was one of the biggest influences on the entire match. I also liked that he wasn’t afraid to pick up his head and try a line splitting pass when things weren’t going well for the club offensively.
CB- Kendall Waston: (6)
Coach Jaap Stam was upset post-match that NYCFC scored its second goal off an amazing strike from Anton Tinnerholm. Waston won the initial header off the corner, and Tinnerholm hit a wonderful volley into the right corner of the net. I don’t place blame on that goal to Waston and think that’s a goal that would have been scored on any team in MLS. I thought Waston did his job without any major errors or issues. He had four clearances, three interceptions, and two aerial duels.
RCB- Mathieu Deplagne: (4)
Deplagne was frustrating once again on the backline. His failure to break up the initial pass left Ring wide open for a 1v1 against Tyton. If you are going to step to the ball, you have to win and not give it right back to the opponent, leaving a man wide open in your area. Deplagne also had a dangerous giveaway off a square ball in front of the FC Cincinnati box. That simply can’t happen. He looked a lot better late in the match when Stam moved to a 3-4-3 with Deplagne free to get up the field. He picked up his fifth yellow, which means he’ll miss the match next weekend against the New York Red Bulls.
RWB- Joseph-Claude Gyau: (5.5)
Nobody benefitted more to a forward position than Gyau when Stam adjusted to the 3-4-3. He was headed to a poor rating, but once he was freed of his defensive responsibilities, he made a much bigger impact. For most of the match, he couldn’t get on the ball. Only 29.8% of the attack went up his side of the field.
CM- Caleb Stanko: (5)
Just nothing spectacular from Stanko. He had a pair of interceptions and tackles. He just wasn’t disruptive or dynamic enough for his appearance to earn more time.
CM- Siem de Jong: (4)
CM- Haris Medunjanin: (6)
I don’t think Medunjanin ideally fits the system, but his quality shows. FC Cincinnati and Medunjanin were fortunate to pick up an NYCFC turnover in the 74th minute, and his pass was quick and perfect to Brandon Vazquez. Next to Pettersson, there wasn’t a player who had more on an impact for FC Cincinnati over 90 minutes. He wasn’t afraid to spray balls all over the pitch at a 85% clip.
FW- Yuya Kubo: (5)
FW-Jurgen Locadia: (5)
Locadia had a lot of fans celebrating early for a goal ultimately getting called back for being offside. He got off six shots, all of which were off-target or blocked. He seemed to thrive in a free role once Vazquez came into the match. He and Gyau found the ball deeper and set up play. I don’t think that’s his long term spot, but hopefully gave him and the team confidence moving forward.
SUB- Allan Cruz (65th min.): (6)
Cruz, back healthy, was able to make a contribution off the bench for FC Cincinnati. Initially, he came in for Kubo up top but dropped deeper into midfield when Stam shifted to a 3-4-3. He created one chance for the club but seemed to lift the team and FCC fans as a whole. He created more pressure for the Orange & Blue and gave the club a sense of calm on the ball.
SUB- Nick Hagglund (65th min.): (6)
Hagglund’s introduction pushed Deplagne wide and Gyau up to the wing. FC Cincinnati had a lot more of the ball, but he did well, connecting all 13 of his passes.
SUB- Brandon Vazquez (75th min.): (7)
It was nice to see Vazquez finally get the goal he has been fighting for. His initial shot was saved, but he calmly hit the rebound past Sean Johnson with his left foot. He was caught slightly offside when he thought he collected his second goal of the night three minutes later. Vazquez gave FC Cincinnati a different look up top. It will be nice for Stam to see how he can fit in this puzzle piece late in matches going forward.
Injury Notes: Saad Abdul- Salaam (ankle), Maikel van der Werff (leg), and Jimmy McLaughlin (ankle).
Out: Kamohelo Mokotjo (work visa), Alvaro Barreal (work visa).
@bradleysweigel for @CincySoccerTalk
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