Don’t blink twice or adjust your screen. The seasoned veteran Coach Brad Gough earns a well-deserved night (week) off from CST. In steps the undrafted rookie Justin Blair with little to no experience to attempt to provide you the reader with a half-baked interpretation of the match that was Charlotte FC vs FC Cincinnati. The rules may temporarily go out the window as the subjectivity of ‘Vibes’ will most assuredly be leaned on here.
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 – 1.7, Opponent – 2.5, per mlssoccer.com
Formation: 3-4-2-1
Now, onto the ratings:
Manager – Pat Noonan – 8
Not much to say about Pat Noonan here. I like that Noonan went with Nick Hagglund to see what he could extrapolate from Hagglund’s match fitness. I thought the second-half subs could’ve come on earlier but not enough to ding him on the match.
GK – Roman Celentano – 7
Four saves on the night for Celentano. I think my favorite thing about Celentano on the night was his commanding voice to the defenders. Lack of communication has been something that I really think Roman can work on, but against Charlotte, he showed signs of improvement.
RWB – DeAndre Yedlin – 9 (Man of the Match)
Yedlin is my man of the match. His play high up the pitch and creativity brought tons of stress on the Charlotte defenders to cover space was promising. It is really hard to believe Yedlin has only been with the squad for just over three weeks. The way he can read his teammates’ movements and anticipate what runs to make is a credit to his soccer IQ. The back-heel assist to spring Aaron Boupendza’s game-tying goal was a thing of beauty. Yedlin read what Sergio Santos was doing and drew the eyes of the entire Charlotte backline, giving Boupenza a wide-open net.
RCB – Nick Hagglund – 6.5
Hagglund did not have his best performance on the night. He looked out of sync with the backline and lost his mark several times. One mistake in the 18th minute highlighted his off-character performance which was a late step forward to cover Agyemang, putting FCC in a vulnerable position. With this being Hagglund’s second appearance in over five months, you can excuse his off-night and halftime departure.
CB – Matt Miazga – 7.5
Miazga’s performance was predictable for the player who was MLS Defender of the Year in 2023. A few of Charlotte’s chances. particularly in the first half, required Matt to float out of position to respond to the situation. I also thought Matt was good at winning tackles with a 75 percent success rate.
LCB – Miles Robinson – 7
Miles didn’t do anything spectacular in the match. He also didn’t do anything disastrous. I think this is a product of the respect the opposition has for him to not challenge him throughout the match. One surprising stat from Robinson was he completed six passes into the final third. This shows that he is not only capable of elite defending, but he can also spring the attack.
LWB – Luca Orellano – 7.5
Orellano led the team in progressing the ball from the midfield into the final third. With only two progressive passes on the match, it was clear that Orellano’s role was as a disruptor rather than a distributor.
DCM – Pavel Bucha – 7.5
Bucha had one of the match’s best goal-scoring opportunities in the match versus Charlotte. In the 77th minute, a delayed pass from Lucho Acosta created a tougher chance, which ultimately resulted in a block. Pavel’s quality was on full display in this match, but the chemistry and timing are still lacking. I expect it will improve with Obinna Nwobodo back in the rotation and his role being properly defined.
DCM – Yuya Kubo – 7
A seven rating to me is showing up and doing your job. Kubo had another night of being the ultimate team player and filling multiple roles. He got his start in the CDM role in place of a returning Obinna Nwobodo but was able to step into the forward position when Corey Baird departed the match. Kubo struggled in 2021 and 2022 with his first touch on the ball. He has since improved tremendously in that aspect of his game. The next step for him is reading teammates’ runs when bringing the ball forward through the attacking third. Too many times he has failed to see the overload and switch the ball to an unmarked player on the other side of the box. Kubo’s tackle in the box in the 58th, while a weak call, resulted in a penalty kick for Charlotte.
CAM – Luciano Acosta – 7.5
Acosta’s night was a mixed bag. Several possessions were foiled by poor decision-making. Chances were created as the Orange and Blue’s number ten typically does. I really wish Acosta would wear the captain’s armband with a bit more conviction on nights when things aren’t going our way. Acosta is an incredible teammate and player, but body language can bleed into the confidence of the rest of the team. There are a lot of young and new players in the squad, and I believe he needs to coach his teammates more with constructive criticism rather than throwing his head back.
ST – Aaron Boupendza – 8.5
Being the match’s only goal scorer for FCC definitely gets you a higher grade in my book. Boupendza left a few moments out there, so he doesn’t notch ahead of Yedlin for me. I would like to see Boupendza get more adventurous going forward into the box. He has underrated on-the-ball skills that I think could open up better goal-scoring opportunities than just taking a stab at goal from outside the box.
ST – Corey Baird – 7.5
Corey Baird is getting into goal-scoring positions but has been unable to make a finish. In the 26th minute, Baird held his run in the box to create a .25 xG shot attempt, but the keeper was in position to make the save. The better play would’ve been the extra pass to Lucho whose defender left him to cover Baird. Only two touches in the box after 61 minutes is slightly concerning and must improve.
SUBS
Ian Murphy (45th minute) – 7.5
Whether Murphy gets a start or comes off the bench, he really has become a stable, reliable presence in the squad. Murphy also inserts himself well when FCC is playing a high line and needs a center back to play forward.
Obinna Nwobodo (61st minute) – 7.5
After the leg contusion injury in the D.C. United match, Nwobodo made his first appearance back Saturday night. It was a solid 30 minutes from FCC’s DP midfielder, but you can certainly see his match fitness needs time before we get the Nwobodo we all know and love.
Sergio Santos (82nd minute) – N/A
Bret Halsey (82nd minute) – N/A
Gerardo Valenzuela (84th minute) – N/A
Availability Notes:
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).
Recommended for you
