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Talking Tactics – 2025 Season Predictions

Brad Gough — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 22:38:44 +0000

Highlights from this week’s show.

Coach Gough is joined by Justin Hoyte, for what just might be the final time, to make predictions for FC Cincinnati’s 2025 season. Will Yuya Kubo start more than 50% of available matches? Who will be the team’s MVP?

The guys also talk about Justin’s new role as assistant coach in the FCC academy, and much more!

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FC Cincinnati kicks off 2025 with a CCC match versus FC Motagua

Cliff Adams — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 13:04:58 +0000

YOU’RE DONE WAITING

The waiting ends at 10 PM EST on Wednesday. You’ve done the holidays, you’ve braved record-setting blizzards and stocked up on food and beverages. You might have accumulated as many questions about the upcoming season as inches of snow on your driveway. What you’re now reading is the first competition preview from Cincinnati Soccer Talk for 2025. And it’s also the first article I’ve written in my new position as a contributing writer for CST. I’m honored and brimming with excitement. In simply creating this content, I’ve sensed how much I’m going to learn about writing, about FC Cincinnati, about the global world of futbol, and our community. I would be remiss if I didn’t express my deepest gratitude to CST and you. Grab your courage and your love of this team and this game. Ready? Let’s begin.

THE OPPOSITION

FC Cincinnati travels from Florida, through a lush rainforest filled with jaguars and macaws into a valley surrounded by mountains, to Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés in Tegucigalpa. They face one of the most successful clubs in Honduran football history, FC Motagua (mo-TAH-guaaaaaaah), dubbed Ciclón Azul (Blue Cyclone). This is the first in a two-leg competition, each game played in respective home stadiums.

Founded in 1928, Motagua has a long history and has participated in CONCACAF since 1969. They completed 2024 by winning their Liga Nacional over Olimpia, who they faced Sunday during their seventh contest of the year. Motagua is formidable, and with a season-opening victory over Real Sociedad, 3-0, picked up right where they left off last season. They qualified for the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup tournament after winning their Play-In series vs. CD Águila in the 2024 CONCACAF Central American Cup.

Coach Diego Vásquez, a former goalkeeper who once played many seasons for Motagua and saved the penalty that gave them a national championship, also holds their league record for coaching over 300 consecutive games.

Motagua Season Record

THE EAGLES TO WATCH

Motagua have had their forward power decimated in recent weeks. The man who would have been the eagle to watch was Argentine forward Agustín Auzmendi, a 27-year-old who started as a youth with Acassuso before working his way through to Motagua. He departed for Godoy Cruz of the Argentine Super League, leaving his younger brother, Rodrigo Auzmendi, behind. Rodrigo, a 24-year-old standing at 6’3”, is no slouch, scoring 12 goals in 24 matches last season. He plays an aggressive game and can rack up yellow cards quickly. He scored a hat-trick on February 6th over UPNFM, and another goal against Juticalpa on the 12th, assuring the Motagua faithful that the Auzmendi name still means goals and victory. Although likely available Wednesday, Rodrigo may soon face disciplinary action and possibly lose his position with his team following an incident on Sunday where he spit on an opposing player during their loss to Olimpia.

In addition, Motagua has made a compelling recent acquisition of striker, Diego Iván Ledesma. Ledesma, a 6-foot, 31-year-old veteran, arrives from Tecnico Universitario, to make up for the other recently departed Rubilio Castillo, who left and signed with Deportivo Pereira. Ledesma already contributed two late goals in their 3-0 victory over Juticalpa.

WHO ARE WE?

Ever wake up during your school years and realize you hadn’t quite completed that big science project due that morning? It feels like we’re finishing this team project just in time, especially with the signing of Evander, just before wheels up to Honduras. The MLS home opener is Saturday against the NY Red Bulls. With three games in eight days, it will certainly be interesting to see how Noonan plays the first of this two-game series and how the team will handle the wildly varying climate conditions.

We come off a frustrating but well-fought final pre-season match with a 2-2 draw against Atlanta. Kubo, Bucha, and Nwobodo all received cards in just the first half. That Atlanta scored a PK in the 91st minute might leave a bad taste in our mouths. We need to be sharp at the start of this next contest.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The “expect the unexpected” mantra has proven accurate since the season’s outset, particularly concerning player transactions, and this opening game is no exception. We should anticipate a starting lineup similar to the pre-season Atlanta match against Motagua, with Anunga and Mboma Dem as likely substitutes. Evander’s participation remains uncertain, possibly contingent on a comfortable lead.

For the first game that counts, taking a six hour plane trip into the rainforest to a stadium at 3,248 feet above sea level (Denver is 5,280), and playing a team that, despite recent shakeups, is still championship caliber and well into their league season at 10 PM sounds like the opening premise to a new installment of the Mission: Impossible series. Why not blindfolded?

Look for our returning midfielders, Bucha, Kubo, and Nwobodo to continue to scrap and thread forward to Denkey. We should expect a decent performance from our stalwart defense as well. Which means we are right back where we were at the end of last season: wondering, can we score?

Where to watch:

You can watch this match Wednesday night at 10pm EST on FS2 for english or ViX ($5 a month app) for spanish.

The post FC Cincinnati kicks off 2025 with a CCC match versus FC Motagua appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Orange and Blue Profile – Lauren Donovan

Justin Blair — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 02:14:11 +0000

Today I have the pleasure of speaking to Lauren Donovan. Lauren grew up in Loveland, OH. She came up in the Cincinnati United Premier Soccer Club, Cincinnati Development Academy and Ohio Premier Soccer Club. Lauren played for Loveland High School where she won districts in 2019 and was honored as a first team All-Ohio player and Cincinnati Enquirer co-player of the year in 2020. Lauren started her collegiate career at the University of Minnesota before transferring to the University of Florida. Lauren recently signed with FC Slovacko of the Czech Women’s First League.

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Graphic: Brandon Wolf

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An update on #NWSL2Cincy prospects

Gracin Galbreath — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 19:15:24 +0000

The expansion process for NWSL’s 16th club is coming to a close. Approximately seven cities were being considered in June, and by the beginning of this month, a handful of finalists emerged: Cleveland, Denver, and Cincinnati.

Cleveland is owned by the Haslam family, who also own heated rivals Columbus Crew and the Cleveland Browns. They’ve acquired the land necessary to build a stadium. They have also successfully launched an MLS NEXT Pro franchise to the city for 2025.

Denver’s bid seems to be the least ready, although they have a name and a color scheme. They are known as For Denver FC and feature a wordmark that is black with green and pink accents. It is being led by Rob Cohen, who unsuccessfully pushed for a WNBA franchise in the Mile High City. They are yet to have plans for a stadium or training ground.

Cincinnati has the most concrete proposal out of the three. The franchise would play at TQL Stadium with locker rooms ready for a women’s side, and they would train at the expandable Mercy Health Training Center. The facilities are only a few years old as well. The bid is being led by Carl Lindner III, and in a surprise announcement on Thursday, the ownership group was bolstered by Caitlin Clark—one of the world’s most famous female athletes.

A day after that announcement, league commissioner Jessica Berman stated in a press conference that they’d “have news in the coming weeks,” and that they were “honored” by Caitlin Clark joining Cincinnati’s bid. It has been said that the next expansion will be officially announced before the end of this year. The process has likely advanced enough for that to happen.

Despite the positivity surrounding the bid, new reports emerged that showed Cincinnati had the lowest fee out of the finalists. A $5 million grant has been proposed by Hamilton County commissioners for the facilities to be expanded—such a proposal could boost its chances.

NWSL had a very successful season. The women’s club game has grown immensely in the United States, as expansion has continued to grow in the West. Kansas City Current recently constructed the first-ever women’s soccer-specific stadium, known as CPKC Stadium. It hosted the NWSL Final on Saturday.

If Cincinnati’s bid doesn’t come to fruition for the 16th club, it would still be the frontrunner in the next process. Still, though, they have the best chance of securing it—the only bid with facilities ready, and an impressive ownership group that has added a global star.

If NWSL chooses a market based on its readiness and competitiveness, Cincinnati is a no-brainer. But if they choose based on the expansion fee, fans from the Queen City may have to wait longer to see a professional women’s soccer club.

The post An update on #NWSL2Cincy prospects appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Poor Weather, Poor First Half, and Poor Fans Who had to Watch It

Brad Gough — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 00:45:51 +0000

Highlights from this week’s show.

Coach Gough goes solo to break down FC Cincinnati’s drab 2-1 loss at home to Los Angeles Football Club. Why was FCC so bad in the first half? Which players underperformed most? What changed in the second half to make the performance better?

Coach also goes in depth about what he’s hoping to get out of the final three matches of the season and much more!

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Stale Offense Brings Stalemate in the Music City

Brad Gough — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 22:37:48 +0000

Highlights from this week’s show.

Coach Gough and Justin Hoyte break down FC Cincinnati’s 2-2 draw with Nashville SC. Why couldn’t FCC deal with Nashville’s long balls? Were they better in the 2nd half or did Nashville just slow down?

The guys also ask what FC Cincinnati’s attack was supposed to look like, why they struggled to create chances, and much more!

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Good or Lucky? FCC Hold Crew off With Makeshift Defense

Brad Gough — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 22:09:34 +0000

Highlights from this week’s show.

Coach Gough and Justin Hoyte break down FC Cincinnati’s 0-0 draw with Columbus Crew in the Hell is Real Derby. Was the makeshift defense good, or just lucky? Why couldn’t FCC get their offense going?

The guys also talk Niko Gioacchini, how Crew deferred to FCC, and much more!

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The post Good or Lucky? FCC Hold Crew off With Makeshift Defense appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Talking Tactics Episode 176 – Six Minutes Sink FCC’s Supporter’s Shield Hopes

Brad Gough — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 21:08:56 +0000

Highlights from this week’s show.

Coach Gough and Justin Hoyte break down FC Cincinnati’s dismal 2-0 loss on the road to Inter Miami CF. What happened in those first six minutes? And, why does FCC seem to start slow a lot lately?

The guys also ask how FCC does, and how they should, play when up a man, and much more!

Follow Coach

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Support Talking Tactics and CST!

Want to help the Talking Tactics Podcast grow? Leave a rating and a review! Want to help support Cincinnati Soccer Talk? Become a supporter today!

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The post Talking Tactics Episode 176 – Six Minutes Sink FCC’s Supporter’s Shield Hopes appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

What’s Luck Got to Do With It? FCC Lose 3 in a Row.

Brad Gough — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 01:07:56 +0000

Highlights from this week’s show.

Coach Gough and Justin Hoyte break down FC Cincinnati’s third loss on the trot, a 3-1 beat down at the hands of the New York Red Bulls. Can these bad results be marked down to inexperience, bad luck, or just bad play? Or, is this team just not as good as we thought they’d be?

The guys also talk about Bret Halsey’s 2024 contribution so far, ask what’s wrong with Kevin Kelsy, and much more!

Follow Coach

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Support Talking Tactics and CST!

Want to help the Talking Tactics Podcast grow? Leave a rating and a review! Want to help support Cincinnati Soccer Talk? Become a supporter today!

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The post What’s Luck Got to Do With It? FCC Lose 3 in a Row. appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Player Ratings: FC Cincinnati 0, Chicago Fire 1

Brad Gough — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 15:06:15 +0000

FC Cincinnati looked to bounce back from their woeful display in their loss to Charlotte on the weekend by welcoming in the struggling Chicago Fire to TQL Stadium. However, with no Lucho Acosta due to an injury and no Miles Robinson due to suspension, the home side looked like it had no clue how to break down the Fire defense.

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 – 1.5, Chicago Fire – 1.6, per fbref.com

Formation: 3-5-2

Now, onto the ratings:

Manager – Pat Noonan – 3

Okay then… I really hate placing too much blame on a manager for a team’s poor performance. However, when the game started as it did (FCC seeing lots of the ball but unable to create chances), then ended as it did (a complete meltdown that saw Alvas Powell and Pat Noonan both receive red cards), I had to make an exception.

First, let’s talk tactics. I think Pat Noonan got his game plan wrong before the first whistle ever blew. Starting Corey Baird as half of a dual #10 was a mistake. First, he had played only five minutes since coming back from a two-month-long injury layoff and was bound to be rusty. Second, even before his injury, he wasn’t helping FCC progress the ball or receiving progressive passes. That put a ton of pressure on Yuya Kubo to drop in to link up play and Dado Valenzuela to be the primary ball progressor and chance creator. Then, after the game started it was immediately evident that Chicago was playing a very high and tight defensive line. That meant that there was very little space in which to operate for those attackers. A game like that screams for playing with a target player like Kevin Kelsy to bounce the ball off of or to play a few long balls into the channel for a speedster like Yuya Kubo or Sergio Santos. It looked to me like Noonan tried to have his team play the exact same possession-based, combination-play-oriented style that they play when Lucho is available. I’m not breaking any news when I say that Corey Baird and Dado Valenzuela, even with their efforts combined, are NOT Lucho Acosta. The gaffer didn’t get his starting lineup right, then didn’t adjust his tactics and didn’t make a meaningful offensive change until his team was already trailing by a goal. I said it before the match kicked off, and I’ll say it again here: this should have been a Kevin Kelsy match and he needed to get more than 11 minutes of game time.

Now for the other bit. Note: If you love to boo officials, think all referees would be better if coaches and players told them exactly how terrible they were at every moment and generally like the more negative sides of sports participation, you may want to skip to Roman Celentano’s rating.

@FCCincyTacTalk – Gotta ask what your thoughts are on PN giving it the ref last night? I’ve coached and reffed at the youth level. I have mixed feelings about it.

— Just a soccer acct (@SandsSoccer) July 18, 2024

Well, @SandsSoccer… you’re about to hear it. A team will NEVER get an official to start calling the game better by yelling at him or getting in his face and picking up cards. Think about it: if someone, not a boss but a coworker or even someone from a different department that you outrank, comes up and screams in your face and tells you that you suck at your job are you going to be more or less likely to work well with them? When coaching staffs meltdown and start blaming the officials, it gives their team permission to do the same. When coaches yell at the referees to the extent that there are three yellow cards issued (two to Pat and one to Kenny Arena), it sends the message that the result of the game is out of their control. It doesn’t matter if they play better. The referee is against them.

So, am I saying that coaches and captains should sit idly by while a referee fails to book rash challenges, makes the horrible decision to let Fabian Herbers stay on the pitch after a terrible challenge on Dado in the first half and fails over and over to address the clear time-wasting tactics of the Chicago Fire? No! I am saying to let the referee know about it. Do it often. But, do it respectfully. Heck, even take it too far sometimes and get a yellow card… just not three.

Telling a referee that they suck has two possibilities: either they stay the same or they suck worse because they’re angry at you.

Showing the referee respect has two possibilities: either they stay the same or they give you the benefit of the doubt when your hair-brained veteran outside back throws someone into the advertising boards and then forcefully uses his forearm to fight off the onrushing opponents as he jogs back down the field.

I’m picking the chance, however small, at a more positive outcome every time.

GK – Roman Celentano – 7.5

If you watch the highlights of Roman Celentano’s saves, you would have thought he was a shoo-in for man-of-the-match. He made seven on the night, including this one pushing a long-range Arnaud Souquet rocket wide:

ROMAN pic.twitter.com/iDLFrHG5Jc

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) July 18, 2024

He also made a nice save in the 54th minute, denying Hugo Cuypers from 15 yards. Roman also came out of his net much more aggressively than he has of late, though he wasn’t always effective. In the 14th minute, he was out quick to punch a ball that was clipped into the box and would have been tricky for Kipp Keller to deal with. He also flew out bravely, taking some contact, to punch a ball away in the 23rd minute, though the play was ruled offside so it doesn’t show in the stats sheet.

However, Roman had a few huge mistakes with his feet that, though they didn’t end up costing the team, still clouded his otherwise excellent performance. In the 20th minute, he did well to come out of his box on a long ball only to clear the ball right to the onrushing Cuypers who luckily couldn’t capitalize on the moment of chaos. Later, in the 93rd minute, he passed a simple ball out directly to Tom Barlow when Luca Orellano was open and ready to launch a counterattack, giving up possession when FCC was desperately searching for an equalizer. All that said, he was still very unlucky not to earn a clean sheet, and I hope his aggressiveness continues going forward.

LWB – Yamil Asad – 6.5

Yamil Asad had a very active match, even though he struggled to make a big impact. He did well to work two shots for himself by cutting in from the left and firing at the near post. In the 19th minute, he hit the ball directly at goalkeeper Chris Brady, but in the 57th minute, he forced Brady into one of his best saves of the night. He also proved integral in ball progression, login eight progressive actions. However, he couldn’t prove to be a consistent outlet when FCC was building as evidenced by his mere four progressive receptions. He also failed to log a key pass.

Defensively, Asad was solid, though he still relied on Ian Murphy to cover quite a bit as he struggled to get up and down the line. He logged a tackle, block, and interception while winning six of his seven ground duels.

LCB – Ian Murphy – 8 (Man of the Match)

Wow, nice to see Murphy get a nice grade.

— Rupesh Sharma (@rupe45) July 17, 2024

Alright, Rupesh… how about an 8! I thought Ian Murphy was quite excellent in this match. As noted above, he was put in the position to cover for Yamil Asad quite a bit and did so with aplomb. He won both of his tackles, tallied a blocked pass and seemingly won every 50/50 ball coming his way out of midfield, leading the team with eight ball recoveries. Murphy is rounding into an excellent 1v1 defender, with his highlight being when he completely shut down Georgios Koutsias in wide-open space in the 90th minute. He also had this goal-saving challenge after a ball deflected kindly into the box and it looked like Chris Mueller would have an easy goal:

14′ | Mueller is this close to putting us up early!

[0-0] #CINvsCHI pic.twitter.com/bSJjnmSox0

— Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) July 17, 2024

Oh, and by the way, Murphy was also one of the best players for the Orange and Blue in possession. He passed at a 93 percent rate, which isn’t unusual for a central defender who gets to pass sideways and backward quite a bit. However, he also led the team with an outstanding 13 progressive passes. And, if that wasn’t enough, he chipped in four progressive carries to round out his man-of-the-match performance.

CB – Kipp Keller – 5.5

Kipp Keller’s otherwise very solid match has one huge stain. In the 69th minute, he whiffed on a fairly routine header on a ball that was aimlessly looped forward, serving only to flick it on for Cuypers and leading to the game-winner from Brian Gutiérrez. He wasn’t perfect outside of that moment, logging two mistouches, including when he failed to clear a 60th-minute cross that fell straight to Barlow, who luckily smashed his shot into the outside netting of the goal.

However, Keller still showed signs of growth playing in the center of defense. His 94.7 percent passing included completing four of six long balls. He also tallied two blocked shots and two interceptions. I thought his lack of speed allowed Chicago to dump balls into the channels and retain possession, but he did well enough to close down those attackers and keep them from creating opportunities. I don’t think Keller has the physical tools to ever be a best XI center back, but I think he is performing well as a backup who is being forced into a starting role.

RCB – DeAndre Yedlin – 6.5

DeAndre Yedlin opened the game with an awesome line-splitting pass into the feet of Kubo in the fourth minute. However, he spent the rest of the match trying to replicate that pass but failing over and over, completing just five of 13 long ball attempts. Outside of that, I thought he was bright in possession, providing a useful outlet as an advancing outside center back. He tallied six progressive passes and chipped in with two shot-creating actions.

The newly minted captain also struggled a bit in 1v1 defense. He won only two of six ground duels and was dribbled twice. However, I thought he showed good coverage at times, using his speed to limit the effectiveness of Chicago’s hoof-and-hope offense. Overall, I think DeAndre is who he is: a solid veteran who won’t typically lose games by making big mistakes but also won’t make many game-winning plays.

RWB – Luca Orellano – 7

I had a couple of friends in town from Germany who went to the match with me. One of them leaned over pretty early on and said of Orellano, “That guy sure likes to dribble, huh?” Luca Orellano looked like a player who tried to take on the mantle of go-to Argentinian playmaker with Lucho Acosta out of the match. He had some real moments of positivity, including nine shot-creating actions and three key passes. His brilliant outside-of-the-foot pass to send Sergio Santos through on goal created FC Cincinnati’s best chance of the match. He also added nine progressive carries and five progressive passes.

However, Orellano also constantly tried to do too much. He was denied easily from a very narrow-angle in the 56th minute, with Yuya Kubo and Dado Valenzuela standing free in prime cut-back zones, ready to shoot. He attempted eight dribbles and only completed three. He launched nine crosses into the box and only found the target with one. Of Luca Orellano’s team-leading five shots, four of them were from outside of the box, with two coming from over 30 yards out. Orellano is becoming a fantastic “Robin” to Lucho Acosta’s “Batman.” However, he needs more time to be able to truly excel in the role of “Lone Ranger.”

DCM – Pavel Bucha – 6.5

I thought Pavel Bucha did well trying to step up and take on some of the on-ball slack left with Lucho being out. He was amongst the team leaders with four shot-creating actions and second on the team with 11 progressive passes. He was also a constant option offensively, logging more attacking third touches than everyone but Kubo and Orellano. However, he also led the team with a combined three mistouches and three dispossessions.

Bucha wasn’t called on a ton to make tackles or win balls. He logged just three ball recoveries, one tackle and one block. When he was put in positions to affect the play defensively, he struggled, winning just one of five ground duels.

DCM – Obi Nwobodo – 6

Obinna Nwobodo was really active in this match, chasing down attackers and not allowing them to have a free run through the midfield. He was second on the team with seven ball recoveries. However, Obi wasn’t very effective at winning the ball back once Chicago had firm possession. He tallied just one tackle and two interceptions and was dribbled twice.

In a match with no Lucho Acosta, Obi also didn’t do enough to help the team in possession. His 84.8 percent passing was fine but only included two progressive passes and four passes into the final third. Obi may never be a plus-passer, but there are games when FCC has a lot of the ball that I want to see a lot more out of the Nigerian.

CAM – Gerardo Valenzuela – 6.5

Another obvious thing to me watching in the stadium: Dado gets the press. He’s looking at his teammates, adjusting his angles of pressure, and releasing at the right moments. Highly impressed with the defensive side of the ball for him. #AllForCincy

— The Rev. Coach Gough (@FCCincyTacTalk) July 18, 2024

I stand by that tweet that I sent at halftime of the match. Dado Valenzuela gets it. He takes up good spaces, presses well and has become a very solid role player on this team. His four progressive receptions and 16 attacking-third touches are evidence of his game understanding and chemistry with his teammates.

However, the hope that he might be more than that is a bit premature. In the 17th minute, he did well to receive the ball on the half-turn with a lovely first touch, carried the ball forward, but then chose the wrong pass trying to fit the ball into Corey Baird at the back post when he could have slipped Kubo in at the near. In the 29th minute, he lost the ball trying to dribble through pressure during a promising attack. In the end, he had three shot-creating actions but failed to log a key pass. He also only passed a total of 40 progressive yards and was credited with four mistouches.

CAM – Corey Baird – 5

If you got through my rant in the “Pat Noonan” section of this post, then you know my thoughts on Corey Baird: he shouldn’t have been on the pitch … at least not to start. With FCC’s prime ball-progressor out, you simply can’t put a guy like Baird, who doesn’t help in ball progression even a little, on the pitch. He logged only one progressive reception and had a mere five touches in the attacking third. He also passed forward a total of just 34 yards! He wasn’t terrible by any stretch, and asking him to impact a match when he’s had such little game time due to injury was not really fair. However, he still didn’t do enough to warrant a decent grade in this match.

ST – Yuya Kubo – 7.5

In a match where FCC was struggling to break down Chicago’s tight lines, Yuya Kubo was really effective in receiving the ball and playing forward. He had an incredible 16 progressive receptions, the most by an FCC player in any match this year. He also added eight progressive actions, including a fantastic turn in the 35th minute, rolling his defender and bursting forward, forcing Herbers to bring him down and pick up the first of what should have been his two yellows. Kubo chipped in with four shot-creating actions and two key passes. Finally, he tallied 39 attacking third touches.

Kubo absolutely could have been man-of-the-match in this one… he was that good. However, he wasn’t quite as clean in possession as I would’ve liked. All of his five shots didn’t count as on target because they were blocked. He was also credited with three mistouches and two dispossessions. Lastly, he completed only one of four dribbles. I think if Kubo had a true forward or aggressive-running midfielder ahead of him when he dropped in to link up play, he might have created a few goal-scoring opportunities. However, with only Baird and Dado with him for the first half, then the erratic Santos with him in the second, he struggled to find that last cutting edge.

SUBS

Sergio Santos (46th minute) – 6

Sergio Santos missed a golden opportunity to play the hero when he was sent through on goal by Orellano in the 79th minute and had only Chris Brady to beat. However, as he so often does, he got the chance horribly wrong. This time, it was an arrant toe-bash three yards wide of the net.

Outside of that huge let-off, Santos was pretty good. He had six progressive receptions and was really active running the channels, even though his teammates failed to give him the chance to stretch his legs with a few balls in behind. His 76.5 percent passing was adequate, if not great, and he added two shot-creating actions.

Bret Halsey (61st minute) – 6.5

Bret Halsey hasn’t been the most consistent performer for FC Cincinnati’s first team. However, he has had some good moments and I’d be surprised if we didn’t see him playing more with the amount of defensive rotation needed for injuries, suspensions and absences. In this match, he completed all 27 of his passes and was second on the team with 0.3 xA. He also added five progressive actions. Defensively he was fine, logging two tackles and not being dribbled in two attempts.

Alvas Powell (61st minute) – 4

If you ignore Alvas Powell’s rush of blood to the head, he … well, he still wasn’t very good. In his 27 minutes of play, he completed only 68.8% of his passes and had three mistouches. He failed to log a progressive pass or a defensive action. His first yellow for throwing a defender into the advertising boards was unnecessary, and his second for swinging a forearm into the chest of multiple Fire players was just dumb. However, these things happen to fierce competitors, and I think Powell is a useful veteran to have on this team. The racist abuse that he suffered post-match was far dumber and more hurtful than any of Powell’s mistakes on the pitch.

Kevin Kelsy (80th minute) – N/A

Aaron Boupendza (87 minute) – N/A

Availability Notes: Matt Miazga (leg), Nick Hagglund (Leg), Malik Pinto (ankle), Miles Robinson (suspension)

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
xAG – Expected assisted goals (or xAG) is directly related to the xG that follows a pass that assists a shot
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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