FC Cincinnati lost to Orlando City SC 3-0 on Saturday. The Orange and Blue failed to respond to last week’s poor performance in New York City. Orlando City took advantage of an individual error, and Tesho Akindele scored 32 seconds into the match, which would set the tone for FCC. Nani gave Orlando City its second goal in the 19th minute, and Júnior Urso put up the third with 10 minutes to go.
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
This was a tough night for the Polish goalkeeper. Several individual areas from outfield players led to each goal conceded. Maybe you could critique Tytoń for the third, but I was too busy wondering what the center backs were doing (see below) to assign him much blame. His rating takes a hit for poor distribution and communication. His goal kicks were often poorly delivered, and a few went out of bounds entirely. More concerning was the attempted punch that injured Tom Pettersson. He seemed to have no idea that Tytoń was coming off his line to clear the ball, and it proved dangerous. Pettersson needed two different bandages on his head to stop the bleeding.
RB – Joseph-Claude Gyau: 6
Gyau was active throughout the match. He completed 39 passes and created one of the few chances FCC had on Saturday. He won five of his eight duels, made two clearances, drew two fouls, attempted two tackles and made four recoveries. It wasn’t a stellar performance from the winger-turned-fullback, but Gyau definitely wasn’t the problem. But the concern remains about the fullback’s positioning. Orlando City is the third team in a row to take advantage of the space on the wings in transition. FCC seems to expect this, but the defense still appear unprepared to deal with the pressure.
CB – Nick Hagglund: 3
This is a match Hagglund would like to have back. Coach Jaap Stam’s game plan requires defenders who are good on the ball and can help in possession. While Hagglund can deliver a nice long ball, he struggles to pass under pressure. Just 28 seconds into the match, Hagglund attempted a pass across the back line but completely mis-hit the ball. Akindele easily intercepted it and curled a one-touch shot around Tytoń. Hagglund also missed a decent goal scoring opportunity off a free kick. With the third goal, Hagglund simply couldn’t place a tackle to clear the ball from the six-yard box. It was a poor effort all around.
CB – Tom Pettersson: 3
Hagglund’s center back partner may not have committed the same high profile mistakes, but he struggled just as much. Pettersson was truly awful in the air — even before he suffered a head injury. He lost all four of his aerial duels, and there were instances where he didn’t make an attempt to win the ball. Like Hagglund, Pettersson missed a decent chance to score from a set piece and looked lost in the build-up to Orlando’s third goal. Maikel van der Werff’s return remains unknown, which means one or both of these center backs will likely start in next week’s home opener.
LB – Rónald Matarrita 6.5
Matarrita was nearly man of the match. The captain created Cincinnati’s best chance on Saturday: a beautifully hit long ball that found Álvaro Barreal on the break. Unfortunately, Barreal skied his shot and nothing came of it. In fact, all four of Matarrita’s long balls were accurate. He made a critical block to keep the match 2-0 early in the second half, running the length of the pitch to make the stop. And at least he tried to push the ball forward — attempting seven dribbles but only completing three.
RM – Álvaro Barreal: 7 (Man of the Match)
I just mentioned Barreal’s missed opportunity above. It was a difficult shot because he had to chip the goalkeeper from the edge of the box on his second touch. But his attempted chip was more of a shank. But it feels unfair to judge a player for not scoring a goal worthy of SportsCenter’s Top 10, and the rest of his performance was “Man of the Match” worthy. He completed 31 of his 32 passes, including all four long balls. He recovered the ball six times and completed two of three attempted tackles. It was his free kick that Hagglund should’ve put on target. He was all over the pitch and seemed to enjoy his free roaming role.
CM – Kamohelo Mokotjo: 6
The “General” would’ve had the highest passing completion percentage if it weren’t for Barreal. Two of his three long balls were accurate, he won three of four duels and he recovered the ball five times. I get the sense that Mokotjo is being asked to do a lot in midfield. He needs time to form a partnership in the double pivot. But the question is, are they giving him the right partner?
CM – Yuya Kubo: 5.5
Kubo was “the little engine that could” in Cincinnati’s midfield on Saturday. He was constantly pushing the ball forward, completing three of his four crosses, four of eight long balls, winning nine duels, attempting five tackles and recording five interceptions and four recoveries. He tried to break Orlando’s line with progressive passes at every opportunity. But the only thing anyone is going to remember is Nani breaking Kubo’s ankles before scoring Orlando’s second goal. He’s not a good man marker, for obvious reasons, and Stam’s decision to play him in the double pivot should continue to receive criticism. If Luciano Acosta is going to miss more time, maybe Kubo could play as the no. 10 with two defensive midfielders as cover.
LM – Isaac Atanga: 5
After training with FCC for a week, Atanga was a surprise addition to the starting lineup. Unfortunately his debut was lackluster. Atanga only attempted eight passes in 55 minutes and touched the ball merely 15 times. He lost four of five duels and conceded three fouls. Notably, it was his inability to control a goal kick off his chest that created the turnover that led to Nani’s goal.
CF – Brenner: 6
Brenner looked out of position throughout the night, but his effort never faltered. In fact, Brenner was out of position. Stam is still experimenting with the formation without Acosta. On Saturday he chose to play Brenner behind the striker, although he often made forward runs himself. Brenner won four of his five duels, blocked a shot, and attempted two tackles from his deeper position. He made the highlight reel with a long-range shot that missed just wide of the far post. It’s obvious, but Brenner is at his best when he’s near the penalty box and taking more chances like that.
ST – Jürgen Locadia: 6
This was Locadia’s return to the starting lineup, and he put in a solid hour of play. It was surprising how often he dropped deep to help in possession. Locadia made 11 of his 26 passes in the FCC half, completed all four long balls and created two chances on Saturday. But at the end of the day, a designated player striker has to try to score, and Locadia didn’t take a single shot in 60 minutes. This was his first start of the season after returning from injury, and he’s still shaking off rust.
SUB – Calvin Harris (55th Minute): 6
Replacing anyone before the hour mark is rare for Stam but he did it twice on Saturday. The rookie was first, coming on for Atanga just 10 minutes into the second half. He managed to show his potential again, despite the limited minutes. Harris completed 93% of his passes, won all three duels, drew three fouls and recorded four recoveries and an interception.
SUB – Brandon Vasquez (60th Minute): 5
Vasquez replaced Locadia, who is still working towards full match fitness, but struggled to assert himself in those 30 minutes. He was called offside twice in that time.
SUB – Caleb Stanko (77th Minute): 4
Stanko replaced Mokotjo and was given a yellow card in less than 30 seconds. Bringing on a defensive midfielder at this point in the match was a questionable decision.
SUB – Haris Medunjanin (77th Minute): 5
Medunjanin replaced Kubo but failed to replicate his contributions. He didn’t complete a single cross or long ball. He didn’t get into any duels, attempt any tackles or record any interceptions or recoveries.
Injury Notes: Luciano Acosta (arm), Franko Kovaćevič (hamstring), Maikel van der Werff (sports hernia)
Recommended for you
