FC Cincinnati took the long trip from Monterrey in Mexico to the rocky shores of New England to face off against the Revolution in league play on Sunday. With little rest and no time to train, Pat Noonan elected to roll out a rotated lineup and tweak the 3-4-1-2 formation the team used to great success. The Orange and Blue were able to hold serve in the first half before riding the coattails of Lucho Acosta off the bench in the second to grab the 2-1 victory.
Let’s look at where your favorite FCC players ranked for this match.
Check out Cincinnati Soccer Talk’s post-match report HERE for more details.
RULES:
- Each player starts off with a six 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 and statistics from websites like FB Ref, Who Scored and FOTMOB.
- All statistics used will be taken from fbref.com when possible.
- A player may receive a N/A if they are subbed on/off before any quantifiable statistics are available.
Expected Goals (xG): FC Cincinnati – 1.4, New England Revolution – 1.2, per mlssoccer.com
Formation: 3-4-2-1
Now, onto the ratings:
Manager – Pat Noonan – 8
I absolutely loved Pat Noonan’s tweak to his typical 3-4-1-2 formation, folding Corey Baird in as a second #10 in a 3-4-2-1 look. The “new” formation overloaded the midfield against the Revolution and allowed FCC to keep Carles Gil quiet for most of the match. I also think the gaffer did well to trust Malik Pinto and Dado Valenzuela from the start, giving the youngsters some much-needed minutes while providing some of his nailed-on starters with a bit of rest.
The one issue I had with Noonan was once again focused on his substitutes. I have zero issues with him electing to put Lucho Acosta and Luca Orellano on at half. However, they replaced Dado Valenzuela and Malik Pinto when I thought both performed admirably. Instead, he allowed Yuya Kubo and Corey Baird to stay on the pitch after coming off 90-minute and 66-minute outings, respectively, a few days prior.
GK – Roman Celentano – 8 (Man of the Match)
To be honest, Roman Celentano might not have won man of the match had I felt comfortable awarding it to a substitute, but as it stands the young goalkeeper kept his team in a match where they looked outgunned at times. His saves on the night included a very good save from a tight angle on Giacomo Vrioni in the 19th minute and a fantastic reaction save down to his right to deny Henry Kessler an equalizer in the 77th. In all, he faced a PSxG of 1.6 while allowing only one goal.
The biggest knocks on Roman have been his command of the box and his distribution. He made one play to alleviate some of the former, fighting through traffic to catch a near-post corner in the 26th minute. However, he continued to struggle mightily with the latter, completing just two of his 16 long balls.
RWB – DeAndre Yedlin – 6.5
DeAndre Yedlin had a typically solid match, winning six of seven duels, earning two tackles and having two blocks. He wasn’t without his hiccups, however, like in the 33rd minute when he lost his mark on a corner allowing Tomás Chocalay to hit the near post with a clumsy volley. He was also dribbled once.
Offensively, Yedlin got forward and provided an outlet for the team. His five progressive receptions were amongst the team leaders. However, he still provided just two progressive actions (one carry, one dribble) and two shot-creating actions. Overall, the veteran right back had a solid, if unremarkable, performance.
RCB – Miles Robinson – 7
Miles Robinson had an uncharacteristically quiet match. In possession, he was only credited with one progressive pass. Defensively, he won just three of his five ground duels and one of his three aerial duels. However, in key moments he was very good, adding two shot-creating actions and leading the team with six passes into the final third.
Robinson continues to stand out for his reading of the game and his constant ability to keep attackers from being able to run in behind him and receive the ball. He won both of his tackles in this match while adding a block.
CB – Matt Miazga – 7.5
Matt Miazga was called into action more often than a typical match in this one. Perhaps Vrironi was targeting him, or perhaps it was part of the game plan, but the big central defender was put into a lot more duels and 1v1 defending situations than on average. He was mostly fantastic, winning seven of eight duels and tying for the team lead with five tackles. He also added two key blocked shots. Most notably, his reading of the game allows him to snuff out key opportunities, like in the 35th minute when DeJuan Jones made a run from the left-back position and wasn’t tracked, but Miazga was able to spot the danger and make a key tackle.
However, the mercurial vice-captain wasn’t without his problems. He allowed Vrironi to get behind him in the 19th minute and get a shot off that forced Roman into a save. He also lost a key tackle on Chancalay in the 81st minute, allowing the Argentinian to dribble in on goal unopposed. Luckily, the team wasn’t punished on either occasion. He was also quiet in possession, adding just one progressive pass.
LCB – Kipp Keller – 6
Kipp Keller looked unsettled in possession to open the match playing on his unfavored left side. He tried to hit an ill-advised crossfield pass in the third minute turning the ball over in the defensive third. Though he settled down and ended the match with an 81 percent passing rate, he managed to complete only two of six long passes and only two progressive passes overall.
Keller also had some shaky defensive moments, like losing Vrironi in the 12th minute when Gil slipped him through, forcing Celentano into a risky challenge and ultimately gifting the Revolution a corner kick. He was also turned inside-out by Esmir Bajraktarevic in the 33rd minute, though he recovered in time to block the young winger’s shot.
LWB – Yuya Kubo – 7.5
It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times. That’s probably how you can introduce Yuya Kubo’s time at wingback on most occasions. He has fantastic moments where he works out of pressure or provides an excellent threat up the sideline, only to squander the end product. In the eighth minute, he was an outlet up the left and worked the ball all the way to the goal line, only to cut a pass simply back to a defender, turning the ball over. He tied for the team lead with seven progressive receptions yet managed only one shot-creating action and two passes into the final third.
Kubo also has moments defensively where he gets caught ball-watching or fails to work hard to backtrack defensively. However, he did enough in this match to tie for the team lead with five tackles and win six of his seven ground duels while also contributing two interceptions. Finally, though he was in the right place at the right time to score his goal, he still had to nod it home and was just about able to do so.
DCM – Pavel Bucha – 7
Pavel Bucha had what is becoming a prototypical match for the Czech. He was well-positioned to provide seven ball recoveries, tying him for the team lead. He also had a respectable four progressive actions and two shot-creating actions.
However, Bucha also didn’t make any outstanding plays. Defensively, he was dribbled three times in four attempts. Finally, he continued the worrying trend of getting caught on the ball occasionally in the defensive third leading to transition opportunities. In this match, he was dispossessed twice.
DCM – Malik Pinto – 6.5
It’s hard to fault Malik Pinto for playing just 45 minutes, but it’s hard to get him a higher grade with the limited time as well. His five progressive actions (four passes, one carry) and four passes into the final third are very good tallies for his one-half of play. He also was part of working a brilliant chance for himself in the 39th minute, though he put the final shot just over the bar. He showed a few moments of indecision early on, like in the fourth minute when he got the ball stuck under his feet and turned it over, leading to a New England transition opportunity. However, as noted above, I thought he did well enough to earn a further runout in the second half.
CAM – Gerardo Valenzuela – 6.5
Dado Valenzuela had a solid though somewhat anonymous half of play. His 73 percent passing was the lowest of all starters, though admittedly, he didn’t have the opportunity to see that rise as he continued to get used to the turf. However, his six progressive actions and four progressive receptions were excellent tallies for his limited minutes. I really would have liked to see him play in that dual #10 roll next to Lucho Acosta.
CAM – Corey Baird – 7
I thought Corey Baird had his best match for FCC in his new role as part of a double #10. He dropped a lot more defensively, meaning he was involved in more plays more often. He wasn’t terribly effective on that side of the ball, but he did make one great tackle in the 33rd minute leading to a Yedlin fast break. Ironically, his deeper starting position actually made him more effective going forward. He led the team with eight progressive actions (six passes, two carries), while adding four progressive receptions. He had a lovely turn and curling cross that led to the corner kick from which Kubo scored the opener.
However, Baird still had two mistouches and was dispossessed once. And, more frustratingly, he continues to look unsure on the ball. In the 22nd minute, he received the ball in transition and could have had a 3v3 opportunity if he drove forward, but he took too many touches slowing the play down and allowing the defense to recover. Hopefully, this slow speed of play will even out as he gets more comfortable with his teammates.
ST – Sergio Santos – 6
Sergio Santos looked like he benefited from being able to be the lone forward in the new setup as well. He tied for the team lead with seven progressive receptions. Notably, he also had four shot-creating actions and earned a goal-creating action for both of the goals. He also had a couple of moments of real quality, like when he showed great strength to earn the free kick from which Lucho Acosta doubled the lead or when he put an acrobatic scissors kick on frame in the ninth minute.
However, any discussion of Santos wouldn’t be complete without mentioning his severe lapses of concentration. Because he has moments like those mentioned above, concentration is the only thing I can chalk his three mistouches and three dispossessions up to. He also only won four of nine ground duels and one of five aerial duels. Finally, I have no idea what he was thinking when he gifted Vrironi the chance to cut the lead in half with his 40-yard lofted back pass to nobody. It’s tough to grade him any lower than a six due to his help in gaining the lead, but I can’t get him higher either since he was virtually solely responsible for almost losing it.
SUBS
Lucho Acosta (46th minute) – 8
If Lucho had played more than 45 minutes, he almost certainly would have been man of the match. He made an immediate impact after coming on and ended up leading the team with five shot-creating actions and four key passes despite his limited playing time. He got a bit fortunate to earn his assist but could have easily had after leading a break from which Luca Orellano appeared to score but for an offside call in the buildup. Finally, his very clever free-kick doubled the team’s lead and eventually proved to be the game-winner.
Luca Orellano (46th minute) – 7.5
Luca Orellano had some impressive moments coming on for Noonan as a game-changer. His shot in the 46th minute that found the back of the net was excellent even though it didn’t count. He also did really well to accelerate and dribble past two Revolution defenders in the 66th minute, though his shot went well over the bar. He led the team with six completed dribbles. Defensively, Orellano seemed to play with a bit of freedom and abandon, helping him to rack up three tackles while leading the team by winning 12 of 17 ground duels. He also tied for the team lead with seven ball recoveries.
However, the young Argentinian also showed some moments of real nativity. On the 66th minute chance noted above he had Pavel Bucha wide open to his right but elected to shoot. After Santos’s ill-advised back pass, he attempted to win a physical challenge with Vrironi instead of just dropping into a defensive position, and was easily muscled off the ball. He was also directly responsible for two New England scoring opportunities in the 77th minute when he pivoted inside on the ball and gave it away to Kessler for a shot, and in the 82nd minute when he whiffed on an attempted clearance when he should have just nodded the ball out of bounds. A lot of these “problems” can be attributed to youthful exuberance, however, and I expect Orellano to improve with every match he plays.
Aaron Boupendza (66th minute) – 5.5
Aaron Boupendza didn’t really do anything “wrong” in this match, but he had plenty of time on the pitch to make more of an impact than he did. He ended up with only eight touches despite playing 25 minutes. Furthermore, he didn’t do much with those touches, providing only one shot-creating action.
Ian Murphy (74th minute) – 7
Ian Murphy looked like an immediate upgrade in possession on the left side when he came in for Kipp Keller. He completed 100 percent of his passes and added two passes into the final third. Notably, he also had two progressive passes, which was the same amount as Keller and Robinson, who both played a lot more minutes. Defensively, Murphy didn’t have much to do, but did have a key intervention in the 75th minute to head a Carles Gil cross over the bar before it could find a target at the back post.
Stiven Jiminez (87th minute) – N/A
Availability Notes: Alec Kann (hand), Marco Angulo (family matter)
DEFINITIONS:
- xG – Expected goals (or xG) measures the quality of a chance by calculating the likelihood that it will be scored from a particular position on the pitch during a particular phase of play
- xA – Expected assist (or xA) is directly related to the xG of a shot that the pass creates.
- Post-Shot xG (PSxG) – Post-Shot xG is calculated after the shot has been taken, once it is known that the shot is on-target, taking into account the quality of the shot.
- Progressive Pass – A pass that advances toward the opponent’s goal where the distance between the starting point and the next touch is:
- at least 30 meters closer to the opponent’s goal if the starting and finishing points are within a team’s own half
- at least 15 meters closer to the opponent’s goal if the starting and finishing points are in different halves
- at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal if the starting and finishing points are in the opponent’s half
- Progressive Carry – Carries that move the ball toward the opponent’s goal at least 5 yards or any carry into the penalty area. Excludes carries from the defending 40% of the pitch.
- Dribble – Moving past the opposing player while maintaining possession of the ball. When a player shields the ball or otherwise uses physical strength to maintain possession, this is not a dribble.
- Key Pass – A pass that immediately creates a clear goal scoring opportunity for a teammate. A key pass does not have to lead to a shot, and thus is different than a shot-creating action.
- Long Pass – Definition depends on the site being used. Typically, a pass that travels a distance greater than 30 yards.
- Mistouch – When a player fails when trying to gain control of the ball without a defender earning a tackle or a ground duel.
- Ground Duel – A challenge between two players to gain control of the ball, progress with the ball, or change its direction.
- Dispossessed – The times a player loses control of the ball after a tackle from an opponent, not including attempted dribbles.
- Recovery – Any action that ends the possession of the opponent without the ball going out of bounds. Recoveries are typically duels (44%) or interceptions (16%), but can happen without any specific action from the player doing the recovery (positioning himself correctly or simply collecting the ball).
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