The bad results keep coming for FC Cincinnati, as it fell 2-0 Saturday to Minnesota United. In its first regular-season matchup against a Western Conference opponent, the Orange and Blue continued to struggle on offense. Minnesota went ahead early via a penalty kick in the 16th minute, taken by FCC legend Kei Kamara. The Loons doubled their lead in the 69th minute on a counter-attack from Kevin Molino. Despite giving up two goals, FCC responded quite well and seemed to dominate much of the game but still couldn’t find the back of the net.
Check out Cincinnati Soccer Talk’s post-match report here for more details.
Rules:
- Each player starts off with a 6 as a 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 statistics and the Audi Player Index (API), Who Scored, and Stats Zone 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 onto the ratings:
GK – Przemysław Tytoń: (5.5)
Tytoń rejoined the starting lineup after completing his quarantine following a trip to his native Poland. He had a good reason for leaving, because he obtained his U.S. Green Card and is now a permanent resident of the U.S. FCC’s newly minted American Eagle can’t be blamed for Kamara’s penalty kick. It’s almost assumed a shot from the spot will score. I struggle to blame the second goal on Tytoń as well. I know keepers shouldn’t give up the near post on a chance like that, but Molino strolled effortlessly through Cincinnati’s half and into the box. Tytoń made a few good plays throughout the match, coming off his line when necessary and keeping the game close for his teammates.
RB – Mathieu Deplagne: (3)
Blaming a defender for giving up a penalty is often harsh. A bump that wouldn’t be called higher up the field is suddenly a foul in the box; sometimes the attacking player will really sell the incident to win the call. But not this time. Not only was the attempted tackle by Deplagne foolish, he committed the turnover that gave Minnesota the ball so close to the box. And in the second half, Molino was able to waltz down the right sideline on the way to goal because Deplagne was horribly out of position, and you could see him jogging half-heartedly just out of frame while the counter-attack was starting. Poor turnovers and a lack of hustle.
CB – Maikel van der Werff: (5)
Van der Werff was the center back left to pick up Molino on that counter-attack, but it’s very hard to defend two players at once, and I’m not going to blame him for something the fullback failed to do. But he lacks the pace you want from a defender when they play such a high line, and that could lead to more goals like that one. Otherwise it was an improved performance from the Dutchman.
CB – Kendall Waston: (5)
Many have wondered how FCC would handle a switch in formation with only four defenders in the back. Like van der Werff, Waston is not quick enough to snuff out counterattacks against a high line, but he wasn’t exposed that often in this match. But Waston’s ability to play a long ball over Minnesota’s press was helpful on a few occasions, and he mostly handled his defensive duties well.
LB – Greg Garza: (5)
Both fullback positions will need to be reconsidered next offseason. Garza’s passing statistics were pretty good and compare favorably against Andrew Gutman, but he’s often caught out when FCC loses possession. The team changed formations, and Garza didn’t have a third center back behind him to help when he’s in the opposition half. FC Cincinnati turned the ball over a lot, so it’s unfair to lay that blame on Garza.
RCM – Frankie Amaya: (6) Man of the Match
One of the few (almost?) bright spots from the match. There are still improvements you want to see in his game, but he continues to be dependable in the midfield. FCC could not control the midfield against Minnesota, but you could see Amaya putting in the effort. He won four duels, all three of his tackles and completed 89% of his passes. Amaya even put in a pretty good shot on target late in the game — one of only three from Cincinnati.
CM – Haris Medunjanin: (5)
I’m of two minds about Haris Medunjanin. Of course, he was very active on the ball and made a lot of passes. But his presence in the midfield leaves a lot to be desired. The game felt very open because he was slow to step into space or drop back to close gaps. Of the corner kicks he took, most would hit the first defender. For a man who supposedly can hit an Olimpico on purpose, he needs to be better on set pieces.
LCM – Allan Cruz: (3)
You would be forgiven for thinking Cruz wasn’t involved in the game yesterday because instead of playing in midfield, it looked like he was haunting it. FCC’s player of the year in 2019 only touched the ball 28 times in his 70 minutes. Only the late game substitutes had less. I could write an entire article trying to figure out what has happened to Cruz in 2020, but for whatever reason he has been a ghost of himself lately.
Allan Cruz played for 70 minutes tonight as the 10 and this is his pass map.
😬#FCCincy #MINvCIN pic.twitter.com/o3I5ZlGjBd
— D.J. Switzer (@wrongsideofpond) October 4, 2020
RW – Joseph-Claude Gyau: (5)
There may not be another player on this team that has been asked to do more this season than Gyau. After an extended run as right wing back, he’s finally able to play in his natural position as a wide forward. Despite playing out of position, Gyau was often the most dangerous creative force for FCC. He was able to keep that going Saturday, creating three chances for the Orange and Blue, but his lack of a final end product keeps him from being a true threat on the wing.
ST – Jürgen Locadia: (4)
In 12 MLS appearances, Locadia has scored the same number of goals (one) as Fanendo Adi managed in the same number of appearances. To be fair, Locadia’s effort never wavered last night. He hustled after every ball, continuing to make runs late into the game, and never stopped trying to get that elusive goal. Adi may have been just as effective last year as Locadia is now, but we never saw that work ethic from him. But how many times are we going to excuse Locadia’s inability to score because he put himself in the right positions? FCC doesn’t pay Locadia for his effort, they pay him to score.
LW – Yuya Kubo: (4.5)
I noticed how absent Cruz was during the game, but I completely forgot Kubo was there. It wasn’t a bad performance, not really. But it was hard to find what positive impact he had on the match. Kubo was played out of position for weeks, but he wasn’t able to create chances as a forward – a position where he’s more comfortable.
SUB – Brandon Vasquez (70th Minute): (5)
Once again, Vasquez’s presence on the pitch allowed Locadia more freedom to drop into midfield or make runs off of him. But on his own Vasquez didn’t contribute much to the game.
SUB – Caleb Stanko (79th Minute): (5.5)
Stanko came on pretty late for Yuya Kubo as a tactical substitute, returning balance to the squad after Vasquez replaced Cruz.
SUB Kamohelo Mokotjo (89th Minute): N/A
The newest member of the Orange and Blue made his first matchday squad but only featured in the dying minutes of the game, as a late substitute for Mathieu Deplagne.
Injury Notes: Siem de Jong (calf), Jimmy McLaughlin (ankle).
Out: Nick Hagglund (COVID-19), Álvaro Barreal (MLS Protocol).
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