FC Cincinnati picked up yet another point… but perhaps also dropped another 2 when they drew Inter Miami 4-4 on Saturday. Gonzalo Higuain gave Inter Miami the lead twice in the first half and Brenner answered, before VAR was used to issue a penalty kick against the orange and blue giving Higuain a 1st half hat trick, and his team a 3-2 lead going into the half. Alejandro Pozuelo looked like he made it 4 early in the 2nd but his goal was ruled off for an offside in the build-up. That seemed to be the opening that FCC needed, as they stormed into a 4-3 lead through a late Brandon Vazquez brace. But then, with the last kick of the ball, the Fooser’s dreams of 3 points crumbled into dust when Christopher McVey scored an equalizer for the home team, ending the match at 4-4.
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 player rating systems from Who Scored and FOTMOB
- We won’t use .5 increments, because that is weak sauce.
- We will not be afraid to give players a perfect 10 if they deserve it, but will never give a rating of 0 because there is always some sort of positive.
- A player may receive a N/A if they are subbed in/off before any quantifiable statistics are available.
Expected Goals (xG): FC Cincinnati – 2.6, Inter Miami – 2.5, per mlssoccer.com
Formation: 3-5-2
Now onto the ratings:
Manager – Pat Noonan – 5
No Nick Hagglund in the starting lineup was a surprise until it came out that he had picked up a slight knock in training. Noonan elected to give Acosta the start after 4 weeks off due to suspension, brought Moreno back into the lineup, and kept Barreal in at left wing back. In all, that meant that there were 5 positional changes from FCC’s last match, and it showed. The team looked disjointed in attack and defense throughout the match.
To his credit, Noonan made an early change in the 2nd half in an attempt to shore up the defense. However, he had to use substitutions for Moreno and Acosta, both of whom didn’t look quite 90 minutes fit. That meant that, down the stretch, when players like Barreal, Brenner, and Vazquez were clearly spent there were no reinforcements.
GK – Roman Celentano – 4
Celentano’s stats for the match do not look good. He gave up 4 goals on a post-shot xG of only 3.4 and had only a 57.1% save percentage. But even without these stats to confirm it, he didn’t look like he was at his best. Higuain’s free kick goal did not have any movement, indicating that Celentano’s wall was not set correctly. His decision to go to the ground for the 2nd Higuain goal tripped up Geoff Cameron and made the veteran forward’s finish much easier. Finally, though McVey’s game tieing shot was a rocket, it went just over Celentano’s shoulder meaning that quicker reflexes and a better angle would have made a save possible.
RWB – Alvas Powell – 6
Powell didn’t look in full form for the match. His statistics were ok as he was credited with a tackle, 3 interceptions, a key pass, and 2 shot-creating actions. However, he was beaten for pace by Miami’s left winger, Robert Taylor, on several occasions. All 3 of Miami’s credited through balls were received by Taylor on the FCC righthand side. However, his patience and decision-making in the final third were a huge part of Brenner’s first goal, earning the Jamaican an average score.
RCB – Ian Murphy – 6
Murphy definitely looked to have some discomfort playing on the right side. A lack of communication with Powell was noticeable and born out in the through ball stats listed above. However, his on-ball defending was excellent. He was 2 for 2 against players trying to dribble him, and also wracked up 2 tackles, an interception, and 5 recoveries. In possession, he was more than competent. His brilliant ball out of the back to Vazquez led the break on Brenner’s first goal and his 93.9% passing was excellent. The fact that he was the only CB that stayed on the pitch when Noonan elected to make a line change in the 2nd half says a lot about the rookie.
CB – Geoff Cameron – 4
Cameron didn’t have any glaring weaknesses in his match, but that doesn’t mean he was good. His lack of mobility showed up in his only earning 7 pressures in the match, with only 1 being successful and only having 1 ball recovery. He also only won 1 of his 3 aerial duels. Perhaps worse, his rash challenge set up the free kick that opened the scoring, and his biting on Higuain’s run face made Pozuelo’s assist for Miami’s 2nd that much easier. It was a poor night for the veteran… a trend that looks to be occurring more frequently these days.
LCB – Tyler Blackett – 3
Tyler Blackett could be a useful outside center back in a match where FCC expects to have the lion’s share of possession. In this one, he had an excellent passing percentage (92%) and was 100% with passes of longer than 15 yards. However, he continues to play lackadaisically in defense. Only winning 1 of 4 ground duels is damning for a center back. He was dribbled once, and only had 1 tackle on the night. To add insult to injury, he stood and watched while Higuain ran in behind for his 2nd goal, and bundled over Mota unceremoniously to cause the PK that led to his 3rd.
LWB – Álvaro Barreal – 7
Barreal should be rated much higher based on his offensive output. His 2 assists were excellent, and he was instrumental in Brenner’s 2nd goal as well. Furthermore, he had 3 shot-creating actions and 2 key passes. However, defensively he was a bit more of a mixed bag. Though he was credited with 2 tackles, he was also dribbled twice. Yedlin also looked like he could get behind the young Argentinian at will. Finally, his terribly scuffed clearance helped lead to Miami’s final goal.
DCM – Obinna Nwobodo – 7
I think Junior Moreno’s first appearance in the starting lineup in some time affected Obi drastically. His 2 tackles, 1 interception, and 7 successful pressures are right on his per 90 averages for the season. However, it took 41 total pressures to get him those numbers (he averages just under 29)! This shows that he covered more ground and put forth more effort for the same statistical output. Because of this, his offensive numbers were all down. His 57 touches, 40 completed passes, 1 key pass, and 1 shot-creating action were all below his average per 90 output.
DCM – Junior Moreno – 5
For as good as Moreno looked coming off the bench against Nashville, he took a major step back for his first start coming back from injury. He looked immobile, and the stats support show that he struggled to impose himself on the game defensively. He had 0 tackles and only 3 successful pressures (20 total). His 44 touches, 0 shot-creating actions, and 0 key passes also show that he struggled to find a foothold in the match.
CAM – Lucho Acosta – 7
In his first match in a month Lucho looked extremely rusty at times. To begin the match he was a turnover machine. However, once he settled down he looked much like the Lucho that is in the MLS MVP conversation. He racked up 7 shot-creating actions, 7 key passes, and a sublime outside-of-the-boot assist for Brenner’s opening goal.
ST – Brenner – 8
Scoring a brace is going to get any striker high marks for the match. Both of Brenner’s finishes were excellent, and his opener particularly showed how much confidence he has built of late. However, beyond his finishes, he wasn’t incredibly involved, tallying only 3 shot-creating actions and 0 key passes. He had a good opportunity in the first half when the score was still 0-0, and he dragged his shot wide. Then in the 2nd half, he had a free header off of a Lucho Acosta cross that he badly misjudged and sent over the bar. Finally, he also was dispossessed twice and had 2 missed touches.
ST – Brandon Vazquez – 8 (Man of the Match)
Vazquez continues to gain support for a USMNT call-up, and it isn’t unwarranted. His brace in this match showed elite natural-finisher ability, and his holdup play continues to improve. His excellent 1-touch pass in transition to Lucho Acosta was instrumental in Brenner’s opener. In fact, he was an outlet for his teammates throughout the match, being targeted with 41 passes and receiving 27 of them.
SUBS
Ray Gaddis (53rd minute) – 6
Gaddis came on for Alvas Powell in the 2nd half and looked extremely lively. His 5 recoveries tied for the team lead amongst all players, not just substitutes. However, he wasn’t able to be a major impact on the game, tallying only 1 key pass, 0 tackles, and 2 successful pressures. At this stage in his career, a substitute’s role might be the best one for the veteran.
Nick Hagglund (53rd minute) – 7
Hagglund was introduced early in the 2nd half to play RCB and push Ian Murphy to the center. He provided much-needed aggression to the FCC back line, earning 5 successful pressures in 7 attempts. One has to think that this performance off the bench proved that he is undroppable when healthy.
John Nelson (53rd minute) – 6
Nelson was introduced along with Gaddis and Hagglund early in the 2nd half and played left center back for the first time for Pat Noonan. He looked fairly uncomfortable in the role and was uncharacteristically sloppy in possession. He completed just 71% of his passes and had 0 key passes and 0 passes into the final third. Though he didn’t win many balls for the Orange and Blue (0 tackles, 0 ground duels), his 1v1 defending against Indiana Vassilev was a huge help in locking down FCC’s left side.
Haris Medunjanin (65th minute) – 6
Medunjanin came on for a tiring Junior Moreno and looked to spark his team to life offensively. He had an excellent passing percentage as usual (96%), and was able to complete 4 of 5 long balls. His 5 pressures and 2 shot-creating actions were also good contributions in his limited minutes, and his 5 recoveries tied for the team lead.
Yuya Kubo (85th minute) – N/A
Availability Notes: Sergio Santos (contusion), Dom Badji (leg), Nick Markanich (undisclosed injury), and Ronald Matarrita (ankle).
Recommended for you
