FC Cincinnati rode into City Field to take on NYCFC on short rest. With a heavily rotated lineup and no Lucho Acosta due to yellow card accumulation, the game was noticeably ugly and disjointed. However, FCC was able to take the lead when Thiago Martins passed the ball directly into his own net under heavy pressure from Barreal. The Pigeons had complete control of the match throughout, however, and after dominating possession, shots, and shots on goal they finally broke through with a Gabriel Pereira header in the 41st minute. Halftime adjustments and a few key substitutions steadied the ship for the Orange and Blue and they were able to escape the Big Apple with a 1-1 draw and a point.
Check out Cincinnati Soccer Talk’s post-match report 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 – 0.2, New York City FC – 1.5, per mlssoccer.com
Formation: 3-5-2
Now onto the ratings:
Manager – Pat Noonan – 6
Pat Noonan admitted post-match that he got things wrong from the start. Making 7 changes to the starting lineup (5 new players and 2 positional changes) was always going to make things difficult for the visiting side. His biggest decision to start might have been who to play in the place of the suspended Lucho Acosta. He elected to pick Álvaro Barreal and the young Argentinian looked lost throughout.
However, credit must be given to the manager for changing things at the break after a dreadful first half. He brought on Brenner for Dom Badji and pushed his team’s press much further up the field, constricting the space that NYCFC had in midfield to build attacks. This helped things quite a bit and allowed his team to play much better in the 2nd half.
I’m not sure what to make of the manager’s substitutions. Bringing on Junior Moreno for John Nelson pushed Kubo to the 10 and dropped Barreal to left wing back. I thought this was a good tactical change since Kubo had been making plays and Barreal seemed utterly clueless. However, he then waited until the 84th minute to make another change, leaving him with an unused substitute option. I thought Powell should have been introduced for Gaddis at a minimum.
GK – Roman Celentano – 8 (Man of the Match)
At the time of writing the post-shot xG numbers haven’t been released. However, it seems evident that the play of the young goalkeeper is just about the only thing that kept this game from getting way out of hand in the first half. After his team took the lead NYCFC started amping up the pressure on the FCC goal. Roman made a fantastic reaction save in the 23rd minute to deny Acevedo an opener after a badly deflected shot. Then, in the 24th minute, he clawed a header off the goal line to keep the match at 1-0. All said, Roman made 7 saves to help his team earn a difficult point.
RWB – Ray Gaddis – 4
Ray Gaddis entered the starting lineup to give Alvas Powell a chance to rest midweek. Unfortunately, it wasn’t his night. During a spell of severe NYCFC pressure in the 1st half, it was Gaddis who needlessly gave the ball away leading to a good chance that was luckily hit right at Celentano. He ended the match completing just 68% of his passes and winning only 40% of his ground duels.
Perhaps the biggest indictment of his play was the fact that he was dispossessed 5 times. Finally, he also squandered what looked to be a very good scoring opportunity in the 87th minute by hitting the first defender with his cross.
RCB – Nick Hagglund – 6
On a night when FCC was under immense pressure, Nick Hagglund was one of Orange and Blue’s better defenders. He applied pressure throughout without committing any fouls, won all 5 of his ground duels, and added 3 interceptions.
However, when in possession it was a different story. He ended the night completing just 62% of his passes, including only 1 of 8 long balls.
CB – Matt Miazga – 7
Miazga slid into the center of the back three for this match for the first time in the Orange and Blue. He was typically solid, winning 5 of 7 aerial duels while adding a block and 2 interceptions. However, the new role didn’t provide him the opportunity to press as often, and he failed to earn a tackle or get into a ground duel.
In possession, his 89% passing rate looks stellar compared to the rest of the team. He completed 3 of 5 long passes, and his great clipped ball in behind the defense toward the end of the match should have led to a shot on goal had Brenner not badly misjudged the bounce.
LCB – Ian Murphy – 5
Ian Murphy got a chance to start for the first time in a while, and he did not take the opportunity to make a claim for more playing time. In possession, he was careful and composed with his short passing, but completed only 1 of 7 long balls. He was also dispossessed once.
Though he was aggressive and applied good pressure throughout the first half, he failed to make a tackle and won only 1 of his 3 ground duels. Finally, Murphy let Pereira slide behind him for a free header to give the home team their only goal of the match.
LWB – John Nelson- 5
Nelson had a fairly average performance. He wasn’t able to get forward and contribute when in possession, but he was solid defensively throughout. He completed 69% of his passes and wasn’t able to complete a long ball.
However, he was also extremely slow to get out and close down Tayvon Gray when the Pigeons scored in the 41st minute, and when he did he took the wrong angle allowing the NYCFC wing back to have an easy time bending the ball in with his right foot.
DCM – Obinna Nwobodo – 5
Obi continued his run of performances that seem to be below his standard. In this one, he took care of the ball completing 88% of his passes. However, he seemed constantly reluctant to play the ball forward and often stopped FCC counterattacks by playing a negative or square ball. He only passed the ball into the final third one time. Furthermore, he completed only 1 of his 4 dribbles.
Then, in the 2nd half, he came out full of fire but late in every challenge. He picked up a yellow card in the 64th minute.
DCM – Yuya Kubo – 8
In a match where FCC was looking for a player that could create chances, Kubo stepped up to the plate. His ability to dribble in tight spaces can be a real asset to this team. In the 3rd minute, he twisted away from a defender and played a dangerous ball to Dom Badji whose poor touch ended the play. He also penetrated into the box on the dribble in the 18th minute but had the ball poked away just before he could pull the trigger.
In his 84 minutes, he completed 87% of his passes, including 6 into the attacking third. In the 16th minute, his excellent pass slipped Brandon Vazquez in and looked to have earned the Orange and Blue a possible penalty, but Vazquez was marginally offside. Then, in the 75th minute, he was able to spring Santos in on goal, forcing Thiago Martins to bring him down and get sent off for denial of a goalscoring opportunity.
CAM – Álvaro Barreal – 5
Prior to the introduction of Santos, Barreal was just about the only offensive threat for FC Cincinnati, He led the team with 3 shots, had the team’s only shot on target, and sent in 5 crosses. However, he failed to create anything for his teammates. None of his 5 crosses were accurate and he simply couldn’t get on the ball in dangerous situations. Barreal spent most of his time as the 10 running around like a chicken with its head cut off. When he got FCC’s first look at goal he sliced his shot well over the goal.
The young Argentinian also made some key mistakes. After being moved to wing back he tried to dribble out of his own half and was dispossessed, leading to Heber hitting the crossbar and nearly winning it for the home squad. However, it was also his pressure that led to Martins passing the ball into his own net.
ST – Dom Badji – 2
Whether it was rust, a lack of service, or just poor play Dom Badji had a night to forget. His touch was very poor throughout his time on the pitch. Though he received 10 passes, he was only able to attempt 2 passes, completing just one of them. He was mercifully given the hook at halftime.
ST – Brandon Vazquez – 5
Vazquez didn’t have a great game, but he was also afforded no service because the team behind him struggled to keep the ball. When he did get it, he was able to complete 75% of his passes and create a chance.
However, it looked like the NYCFC central defenders had his number throughout the match. Vazquez won only 2 of his 6 ground duels and 4 of his 11 aerial duels and was unable to record a shot.
SUBS
Brenner (46th minute) – 6
Brenner was introduced at halftime, presumably to help his team get control of the game. He was able to record 15 touches and looked pretty good on the ball. However, it seemed like he was short on ideas and was quickly surrounded by NYCFC players before he could make any plays. He won only 1 of his 4 ground duels.
The Brazilian completed 89% of his passes but was unable to get a shot or create any chances.
Sergio Santos (65th minute) – 7
Santos provided a needed spark to his team when he came on in the 65th minute for Brandon Vazquez. His speed and power were immediately evident in the match. Not only did he win 5 of his 10 ground duels, but he was able to simply outrun Thiago Martins on the play that put FCC up a man. He also used speed and acceleration to cause Acevedo and Chanot to both pick up yellow cards.
However, other than his speed Santos wasn’t exactly an offensive threat. He attempted only 3 passes, completing one of them. He also failed to earn a shot or create any chances.
Junior Moreno (65th minute) – 5
I thought that Moreno’s introduction to the match would help FCC immensely in possession. He is typically calm and assured on the ball. However, in this one, he completed only 64% of his passes and never really seemed to settle into the match.
Ronald Matarrita (84th minute) – N/A
Availability Notes: Other than backup goalkeepers the squad was fully healthy for this match.
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