Just a day after the 2-0 senior team victory against Toronto FC, FC Cincinnati 2 faced off against Toronto FC 2 in the MLS Next Pro season opener for both sides.

A lack of quality chances for FCC 2 saw Toronto FC 2 come away with a close 1-0 win away from home, thanks to a well worked team goal that put Nathaniel Edwards into a position to tap in the only goal of the match. This FCC 2 side was only shut out on 4 occasions last season, but one of them was against Toronto 2, so there will be questions to be asked by Tyrone Marshall. 

Nonetheless, while this is an unfortunate, uncharacteristic result for this FCC 2 side, there were positive signs throughout the match. With a number of debutants tonight, it’s understandable to see problems with cohesiveness and communication. The talent is there in this squad and you can expect to see this side do well in the league this year. They will be looking to improve in the coming games in order to properly defend their first placed eastern conference MLS Next Pro finish from the previous campaign.

“We just need to be a little bit more aggressive, and get more in tune,” Tyrone Marshall said. “As you can see, we’re still not connecting yet in the final third and that’s just, again, a lack of playing together and a lack of training together, and you’re gonna see that throughout the league as we start the season just to get that cohesiveness.”

Notable events

10’ The first big chance of the match comes for Toronto FC 2 as Brian Schaefer gives away an unlucky foul in a really dangerous position right outside the Cincinnati box. Paul Walters made a fantastic double save to keep it 0-0. 

30’ Despite dominating possession during the opening 25 minutes of the first half, FCC 2 concedes first. A well-constructed array of passes opened up a through ball opportunity for Hassan Ayari of Toronto FC 2, who squared a ball across the face of goal for Nathaniel Edwards to fire home. 0-1 Toronto. 

39’ While ultimately the play was deemed offsides, Paul Walters makes another fantastic save to keep the game alive, this time in a 1v1 against Toronto FC 2 striker Charlie sharp. 

47’ Kenji Mboma Dem takes a long-ranged effort as a last-ditch attempt before half time is called. The shot is well placed considering the distance, but it’s comfortably saved by Toronto FC 2 keeper Adisa De Rosario.

56’ De Rosario plays a risky pass that is intercepted by Peter Mangione, who feeds Stiven Jimenez for a shot on goal. It beats De Rosario but is impressively cleared off the line by Reid Fisher. Despite gaining possession off the clearance, the attack comes to nothing, but momentum seems to swing in favor of FCC 2. 

60’ Two substitutes are made for FCC 2; Dado Valenzuela for former Portland Timbers man Tega Ikoba, as well as fullback William Kuisel, on for Yorkaeff Caicedo. All of whom, with the exception of Dado Valenzuela, making their FCC 2 debuts. 

73’ After an impressive display of technical dribbling by Valenzuela, the ball finds Kuisel. Kuisel fires a cross into the mixer, where it finds Mboma Dem, who sets up Brian Schaefer. His ranged effort skims over the top of the goal.

Player notes and standouts

Nick Hagglund: It’s good to see Hagglund back in action. A good display of accurate passing and leadership in that young back line are things you’d expect to see from a regular first team player. He was very aggressive in his press, at times finding himself in no man’s land, forced to thump the ball long to avoid giving the ball away in a dangerous area of the pitch.

Brian Schaefer: Showed real confidence and was the standout in defense. He had a really aggressive but meticulous press, bullied the Toronto forwards, commanded his defensive line, and did well to bring it out of defense – everything you want to see from your central defender, especially in a back five. Really consistent performer for Tyrone Marshall’s FCC 2. 

Stefan Chirila: Despite going goalless tonight, he showed really positive signs, doing really well to drop from his striker position in between the lines to link play. He displayed a real maturity for his age, being one of the youngest players on the field during the matchup. 

Mangione and Jimenez: Both showed good composure under pressure and did well to link play by finding players in space. They had good movement, leading the heart of the midfield’s press.

Yorkaeff Caicedo: Very lively display on his FCC 2 debut. He had lots of energy, runs into space, does well to shoot and cross the correct situations – everything you want to see from an attacking wingback.

Paul Walters: Should the first team need, they have amazing goalkeeping depth in Paul Walters. He had a great game, despite the loss. He commanded his back line, made some acrobatic saves, and distributed really well. Positive signs early on for Walters as he remains No. 1 for FCC 2.

William Kuisel: 17-year-old William Kuisel showed impressive technical skills and a high level of tactical awareness. In his limited time on the pitch, he completed some well-placed crosses and did well to recover when Toronto FC 2 counter attacked. 

Lastly, Gerardo “Dado” Valenzuela was the creative outlet the team had been missing all game. As soon as he came on, momentum heavily shifted in the direction of FCC 2. He looked really sharp, doing an impressive job of progressing the ball and winning 1v1 duels. It’s unfortunate he wasn’t able to get more time, likely down to his fitness and involvement with the first team. As soon as he came on, we looked unpredictable and silky in attack, and Toronto FC 2 was forced to sit back and defend deep, which made it extremely difficult for him and the rest of our attack to break down and find space in Toronto FC 2’s defensive third.

LINEUPS

CIN: Paul Walters, Nick Hagglund (Noah Adnan 46’), Brian Schaefer, Andrei Chirila, Monsuru Opeyemi (Dilan Hurtado 71’), Peter Mangione (C), Stiven Jimenez (Ademar Chavez 79’), Yorkaeff Caicedo (Will Kuisel 60’), Kenji Mboma Dem, Stefan Chirila, Tega Ikoba (Gerardo Valenzuela 61’)

Substitutes not used: Nathan Crockford, Xhosa Manyana, Juan Machado, Carson Locker

Head Coach: Tyrone Marshall

TOR: Adisa De Rosario, Reid Fisher, Lazar Stefanovic, Richard Chukwu (Ythallo 73’), Kobe Franklin (C), Nathaniel Edwards (Malik Henry 89’), Lucas Olguin, Michael Sullivan, Hassan Ayari (Andrei Dumitru 81’), Charles Sharp, Dekwon Barrow (Josh Nugent 73’)

Substitutes not used: Nathaniel Abraham, Antone Bossenberry, Micah Chisholm, Marko Stojadinovic, Stefan Kapor

Head Coach: Gianni Cimini

STATS SUMMARY: CIN/TOR

Shots: 9 / 10

Shots on Goal: 2 / 5

Saves: 4 / 2

Corner Kicks: 1 / 2

Fouls: 16 / 8

Offside: 1 / 1

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

TOR – Lazar Stefanovic (Yellow Card) 17’

TOR – Dekwon Barrow (Yellow Card) 40′

OFFICIALS 

Referee: Calin Radosav

Ast. Referees: John Krill, Jackson Krauser

Fourth Official: Salvador Flores

FCC 2 will be looking to bounce back during their next MLS Next Pro game against New England Revolution 2, who finished bottom of the eastern conference last season. This match takes place on Thursday, March 13, 5PM, at Gillette stadium. 

The post FC Cincinnati 2 fall 1-0 in season opener to Toronto FC 2 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

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 – 1.2, New England Revolution – 0.5, per fbref.com

Formation: 3-5-2

Now, onto the ratings:

Manager – Pat Noonan – 5.5

Pat Noonan had some difficult decisions to make in the lineup for this match due to a host of injuries, absences and fatigue in the center back corps. And, even though hindsight is 20/20, I would venture to guess that he wishes he wouldn’t have elected to roll with Alvas Powell and DeAndre Yedlin flanking the inexperienced Ian Murphy to start the match. This wasn’t the only decision he got wrong, in my opinion. Starting Luca Orellano on the left also weakened the team defensively. In all, the gaffer made six positional or personnel changes to his lineup from Wednesday’s win over the Philadelphia Union. That amount of rotation is difficult for any team to deal with, much less one with so few team leaders in the lineup.

That said, I have to give credit to Noonan for being quick to make changes at half to get his team back into the match. After a first half that created just 0.22 xG, Noonan’s changed team was able to generate more chances and even claw a goal back in the second half. However, even with these changes, he failed to recognize the danger of leaving Obinna Nwobodo in the match, already carrying a yellow card.

GK – Roman Celentano – 6

Roman Celentano gave up two goals on just 0.8 xG. Even so, it’s tough to see whether or not he could have made a play on either ball that beat him. From my point of view, he may have been unsighted for the Revolution’s opening goal. Even so, his dive was painfully slow because he set his feat far too early and lacked the ability to push off.

Roman also made a few other mistakes that didn’t cost the team, including dropping a cross at the feet of a Revolution attacker when it should have been caught easily. The young goalkeeper isn’t actively hurting the team at the moment, but he isn’t in top form either.

RWB –  Luca Orellano – 6

Luca Orellano is a top-class player but not a top-class defender. Even so, he is much better at defending from the left than the right. In this match, he made only two tackles while getting dribbled once. He also failed to limit the Revolution attack down his side on multiple occasions, including both of the goals that they scored. However, he was able to win five of 10 ground duels, which ordinarily wouldn’t earn him plaudits, but for the inability of so many FCC players to win more than half of their duels in the match.

Orellano didn’t have a great game offensively, either. Much of this may have been due to the fact that his teammates seemed intent on forcing the ball up the opposite side of the field, and Orellano only logged two progressive receptions. He had moments where he looked really good on the ball but could never quite make the final play. One such moment happened in the 43rd minute when he spun DeJuan Jones and carried the ball forward. However, hethen tried to stab a pass across with his left foot, which was easily cut out by the defender. In the end, he had four shots but only managed to put one on target. He also only managed a 75 percent passing accuracy without logging a key pass. Orellano’s saving grace was his outstanding output in ball progression, where he tallied 10 progressive actions, including four passes and six carries.

RCB – Alvas Powell – 4

Alvas Powell only lasted for one half in this match, and even with that short time, he is not going to want to watch that tape. Defensively, he had some real veteran moments of guile and played mostly well. However, he looked very unsure of himself anytime he got crossed up with one of his teammates. The Revolution relentlessly attacked down his side, and he and Orellano couldn’t keep them from sending in multiple cutback passes and crosses. Of his five ground duels, he won only two and also committed two fouls.

In possession, Powell was even more of a train wreck. His 66.7 percent passing rate would be poor for any player, but it is absolutely unconscionable from a center back. He also didn’t manage to make a pass into the final third or log a progressive pass. Powell hasn’t had a lot of game time of late, and he was playing out of position, so I wouldn’t expect this type of performance to continue. That said, he made it a little bit tougher for Noonan to justify inserting him as a starter any time soon.

CB – Ian Murphy – 5.5

Ian Murphy cannot really call himself an inexperienced player anymore. However, he has had the luxury of playing most of his minutes alongside veterans like Matt Miazga, and thus hasn’t developed the leadership necessary to play in the center of the defense, and it showed. He was mostly good at defending on the ball. He won both of his tackles and five of nine ground duels. He also wasn’t directly responsible for either New England goal. However, he failed to effectively communicate to make sure the necessary runners were tracked on both. For the opening goal, he tracked Vrioni into midfield, failed to win the ball,and then got pulled way out to the left in the aftermath, leaving Powell to marshall the back line. Then, for the game-winner, he failed to realize that Yedlin had tracked a runner in behind him, then collided with his teammate, trying to scramble to pick up that runner.

In possession, Murphy struggled right along with some of his teammates, logging a sub-78 percent passing rate. He did tally five progressive passes, but only one found the final third. I think Murphy has the physical tools to play in the center of a back line, but he’ll have to grow up in a hurry in the vocal leadership department if he’s going to be asked to do so again.

LCB – DeAndre Yedlin – 5.5

DeAndre Yedlin is an experienced enough defender to slide in from wingback and fill in as an outside center back. However, being asked to do so in a back line that also included Powell and anchored by Murphy was a bridge too far. As an individual, he was pretty good. He logged a tackle, a blocked shot and three interceptions. He also won all four of his aerial duels and two of his four ground duels. However, as part of the backline unit, he struggled to find his place. He shares a lot of the blame for the New England opener since he failed to recognize that Vrioni had peeled off the backline and was wide open. Then, watch below as he tracked a runner into an offside position, failed to communicate with Murphy and slipped trying to recover on Vrioni when the Albanian scored the game-winner:

Vrioni’s second beauty of the night! #CINvNE 0-2 | #NERevs pic.twitter.com/eY9vC3UE28

— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) June 23, 2024

In possession I thought Yedlin looked okay, considering he was playing on his less-favored left foot for much of the match. He managed two shot-creating actions and five progressive passes, even though only two of his passes found the final third.

LWB – Yamil Asad – 7.5

Yamil Asad got his first start in the Orange and Blue in this match and did his best  Orellano impression throughout. His teammates must have forgotten that he wasn’t Orellano because they forced the ball to his side time and time again, allowing him to lead the team with 12 progressive receptions. He ended up contributing four shot-creating actions and two key passes while scoring his side’s only goal of the match. However, it wasn’t all glitz and glamour as he passed at only a 78 percent rate and had three mistouches. He also failed to get himself back onside in the 52nd minute when Obi’s shot was saved right into his path for what could have been an easy goal.

Defensively, Asad didn’t do anything that made me think he looked out of place. He won both of his tackles and added two blocked passes. He did, however, manage to only win two of his six ground duels, but that wasn’t much worse than many of his teammates on the night.

DCM – Pavel Bucha – 6

Pavel Bucha had a hot and cold match. Uncharacteristically, he was quite good offensively while struggling to get a foothold in the game on the defensive side of the ball. He was second on the team with 12 progressive actions and also played a part in the play that led to the corner kick from which his team scored. He did, however, have two mistouches.

Defensively, he had one each of tackles, blocks, and interceptions while also logging five ball recoveries. But, he also was dribbled twice and won just two of his seven ground duels. Bucha looked like a player in need of a rest. Unfortunately, with Nwobodo out next match due to suspension (see below), he’s unlikely to get one.

DCM – Obi Nwobodo – 5

Any discussion of Obi Nwobodo’s performance has to start with him getting sent off. While his first yellow was a little soft, considering Vrioni had just gotten away with a similar challenge without a booking, his second was a head-clutchingly stupid decision to go to the ground from behind when he was already on a card. I guess it was indicative of his match as a whole however, as he never got going defensively. He didn’t log a tackle and failed to win any of his four ground duels. It still looks to me like he is chasing the game, trying to make plays that he doesn’t need to make. Just watch as he needlessly overcommits toward Vrioni’s right, allowing the striker to come onto his more favored left foot and score:

WHAT A GOAL! #CINvNE 0-1 | #NERevs pic.twitter.com/aZj9hQQZmA

— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) June 23, 2024

Interestingly, the Nigerian had some good moments offensively. He tallied six progressive actions. Furthermore, both of his shots were on target, including a well-improvised 36th-minute volley from distance and a nice snapshot in the 52nd that may have led to a rebound goal for Asad but for the wingback having strayed offside.

CAM – Luciano Acosta – 6.5

Did we get good Lucho or bad Lucho in this match? His 12 shot-creating actions, five shots, seven progressive passes, eight progressive carries and one assist would say that he was awesome. However, his only one shot on-target, mere three key passes and ability to complete just four of his 10 dribble attempts would say that he was poor on the night. He also won just six of his 17 ground duels.

The conclusion that I’ve come to is that Lucho was tuned in and fired up for this match but just too leggy to make it work. A case in point is the play in the 67th minute, where he had a chance to set up or score the game-tying goal while leading a 4v2 break. First, he uncharacteristically made the wrong decision to play the pass to the defense’s strong side to Pavel Bucha when Kubo was open on the left. Then, when Bucha returned the ball to him, he couldn’t get it out of his feet to get a shot off. If I’m Pan Noonan, I’m finding a way to leave Lucho on the bench for more minutes down the stretch, even if it makes the Captain angry.

ST – Gerardo Valenzuela – 6

Dado Valenzuela was one of the three players given the hook at halftime. However, I feel it was a little unfair due to the fact that he hadn’t really negatively impacted the match. He passed at an 84.6 percent rate and was only dispossessed once. Though, he also didn’t add any value in his 45+ minutes on the pitch. In the second minute, he had the chance to stride forward and shoot but elected to pass to Lucho on the left and turned the ball over instead. And, it didn’t get better from there. He failed to log a shot-creating action, managed only three progressive receptions and failed to get back and defend the quick free kick that resulted in the Revolution’s game-winning goal.

In all, the youngster could feel hard done that he didn’t get a second half to redeem himself, but he will have to up his game offensively if he hopes to keep getting put in the starting XI.

ST – Kevin Kelsy – 5.5

Unless he was injured, subbing Kelsy at halftime was puzzling. Two goals down and nobody else who offers any threat in the air – why not give him 15 minutes to make something happen and then bring on Santos?

Also, Kubo’s going to play CB at some point, right?

— Mike Prentiss (@mwprentiss) June 23, 2024

While I agree with Mike in principle (outside of the Kubo at CB comment!), Big Kev never really got going in this match. It’s tough to rely too much on stats since he only played in the first half, but his 63.6 percentpassing, zero shots, and zero shot-creating actions show that he wasn’t exactly hitting on all cylinders. I mentioned on this week’s Talking Tactics that, if I had to guess, Noonan also wasn’t happy with the way that he and Dado were triggering the press. However, only those in the locker room know for sure why the youngster didn’t get more time to make a contribution in this match.

SUBS

Yuya Kubo (46th minute) – 7.5

Yuya Kubo has been one of the most consistent performers for FC Cincinnati in 2024. He didn’t manage to score in this match, but his impact was felt all over the pitch with his great movement and tireless work ethic. Despite playing only the second half, he tied for the team lead with three key passes and was second with eight progressive receptions. He also logged four shot-creating actions.

Nick Hagglund (46th minute) – 8 (Man of the Match)

I may get accused of giving the Cincinnati Kid my man-of-the-match award only because I’m a homer and he took a season-ending injury (I’m looking at you, Rupesh). However, I honestly thought the introduction of Nick Hagglund into the back line made an incredible difference. In a match where Vrioni seemed to be able to get on the ball at will, link play and receive long balls out of the back, Hagglund came in and completely cut off the target man’s pipeline. The striker got so frustrated trying to gain some sort of advantage over Haggs that he eventually committed a frustration foul and picked up his team’s lone yellow. In the end, Hagglund had two tackles and an interception, won all three of his ground duels, and won six of his seven aerial challenges.

Hagglund was also calm and collected on the ball. In less than 45 minutes of play, he passed at a 90.5 percent rate and was second on the team with three passes into the final third.

Sergio Santos (46th minute) – 6.5

The oft-maligned Brazilian may not have made a big contribution in this match, but I was pretty happy with his performance nonetheless. His two shots and one shot-creating action put him among the team’s offensive leaders despite playing just one half. He also completed all 11 of his passes. Finally, I thought his energy was good as he pressed and tried to help out defensively. He ended the match with a tackle won and an interception to show for it.

Bret Halsey (75th minute) – N/A

Bret Halsey hasn’t had a lot of great performances of late. However, he acquitted himself pretty well in this match. In his limited minutes, the Revolution were defending deep trying to hold onto a one-goal lead. Therefore, Halsey didn’t have a lot to do defensively. On the offensive side of the ball, he added a shot and two shot-creating actions. Most impressively, he finished second on the team with 0.5 xA.

Aaron Boupendza (88th minute) – N/A

Availability Notes: Matt Miazga (knee), Miles Robinson (international duty)

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).

The post Player Ratings: FC Cincinnati 0, New England Revolution 2 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The Orange & Blue (9-3-2, 30 pts.) continue to roll together three-point efforts, defeating St. Louis CITY SC 3-1 in front of a sold-out TQL Stadium. Luciano Acosta again proved his worth in the MVP discussion, tallying a goal and two assists, while Yuya Kubo and Sergio Santos scored second-half goals to put the match to bed.

St. Louis (3-7-3, 16 pts.) was the recipient of a fluke own-goal in the second half, but was unable to display the performance that had the league talking last season. The 5-1 win over Cincinnati at CITYPARK in 2023 now feels like a distant memory.

Cincinnati opted to rest two players who came off early in the 1-0 win over Atlanta on Wednesday. Kevin Kelsy and Miles Robinson were both substituted for injury concerns midweek and started as bench players. Nick Hagglund and Bret Halsey started the match in their places. DeAndre Yedlin, Corey Baird, Alvas Powell and Aaron Boupendza also missed the match as they continue to recover from injuries.

CITY opted to rotate a large chunk of their starting lineup, resting seven players from Wednesday’s 2-0 loss to LAFC. Notably, designated player Edward Löwen returned to the squad and started on the bench.

In a moment of solidarity, FCC wore white armbands before the match marked with “IL” to honor Löwen’s wife Ilona, who had been diagnosed with brain cancer recently.

While Cincinnati was on the front foot from the opening whistle, it took some time for the Orange & Blue to penetrate the curtain that was St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Bürki. The first opportunity came from a cross in the 13th minute, when Kubo was unable to deposit an open cross from Bret Halsey.

Cincinnati opened their scoring account almost halfway through the first half. In the 26th minute, Acosta was pulled down in the box by Celio Pompeu, and referee Tim Ford quickly pointed to the spot. Acosta’s penalty kick sent Roman Bürki the other way for his first penalty-kick goal of the season and a 1-0 Cincinnati lead.

Acosta provided a scoring contribution in his eighth-straight match with his seventh goal of the season. The goal was also his 150th contribution of his MLS career, making him the 15th MLS player to do so. The only other active player with more is LAFC’s Kei Kamara (144 goals, 57 assists).

Much of the first half involved the defenders stonewalling any St. Louis attack. While St. Louis managed six shots in the first 45 minutes, none were on target, as Cincinnati combined to block four. The Orange & Blue also held the advantage in duels won in the first half (35-30).

Cincinnati managed to break out their biggest offensive output of the MLS season in the second half. In the 50th minute, Acosta quickly directed a pass through defender Kyle Hiebert’s legs, and Kubo polished off his fourth goal of the season.

After the goal, Kubo celebrated with the ball under his jersey, indicating to the fans that a youngster was on the way.

“Last time I scored a goal against Montreal, I forgot (to celebrate),” Kubo noted afterwards. “This time I remembered to do so.”

As good as the vibes were in TQL Stadium, there was a small lapse of judgment. Miazga played the ball back to Roman Celentano in the 54th minute, only for the goalkeeper to not be there to receive the pass. The own-goal made it 2-1, the only wet blanket during a complete win.

The door fully closed in the 80th minute. Acosta skirted around Chris Durkin and served a left-footed cross into the box. Santos scored an easy tap-in goal for his first of the MLS season. The Cincinnati defense held firm to finish their biggest offensive output of the MLS season.

Head Coach Pat Noonan was asked if there was anything to nitpick about the team’s performance, but saw none.

“I really don’t want to, because I think these guys were really, really good tonight,” he said. “And like I said, it’s a challenging week, and St. Louis had the same challenging week, so it’s not like we had less rest. But I just think the way we played tonight, with the ball, you know, how quick we were moving it, how we were able to play out a pressure and attack, I was really pleased with that against a team that certainly knows how to defend against the ball.”

Acosta was humble regarding the milestone he had reached.

“I came to the locker room, and Alvas (Powell) told me, ‘Congratulations. I said ‘Thank you, but why?’ I don’t focus too much on the statistics,” he said. “For me, my focus is here, raising the team up and doing what I can to help, but it’s probably good that I don’t focus on it. My head’s got to be here … It’s the mentality and the will to win and to help the team that supersedes everything. For me, it’s just working on the mentality that’s so important.”

The six-game winning streak has kept Cincinnati in contention for a second-straight Supporters’ Shield. The team remains one point behind Inter Miami CF in the standings, but continues to have a game in hand. St. Louis continues to seek its first road win of the 2024 season.

The Orange & Blue cross the Canadian border again to face Toronto FC on Saturday, while St. Louis returns home to take on the Seattle Sounders.

Match #14 – FC Cincinnati vs. St. Louis CITY SC
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance: 25,513
Result: FC Cincinnati 3, St. Louis CITY SC 1

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI (3-5-2):

Roman Celentano (GK); Nick Hagglund, Matt Miazga, Ian Murphy (Kipp Keller 86’); Bret Halsey (Yamil Asad 67’), Obinna Nwobodo, Luciano Acosta (c) (Malik Pinto 86’), Pavel Bucha, Luca Orellano; Gerardo Valenzuela (Kevin Kelsy 59’), Yuya Kubo (Sergio Santos 67’).

Bench: Alec Kann, Miles Robinson, Isaiah Foster, Stiven Jimenez.

St. Louis CITY SC Starting XI (4-4-2):

Roman Bürki (GK – c); Akil Watts, Kyle Hiebert, Joakim Nilsson, Nikolas Dyhr (Tim Parker 46’); Aziel Jackson, Njabulo Blom (Chris Durkin 60’), Hosei Kijima (Tomas Ostrak 46’), Celio Pompeu (Indiana Vassilev 60’); Sam Adeniran (Eduard Löwen 75’), Joao Klauss.

Bench: Ben Lundt, Jake Nerwinski, Rasmus Alm, Nokkvi Thorisson.

Scoring Summary:

CIN – Luciano Acosta 26’ (penalty kick)
CIN – Yuya Kubo 49’ (Acosta)
STL – Matt Miazga 53’ (own goal)
CIN – Sergio Santos 80’ (Acosta)

Discipline:
YC – Hosei Kijima 35’ (STL, foul)
YC – Ian Murphy 36’ (CIN, foul)
YC – Sam Adeniran 44’ (STL, foul)

Next up:
at Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m, Saturday, May 25th, BMO Field (Toronto, ON, Canada)

The post Gateway to Success: FC Cincinnati smothers St. Louis CITY SC 3-1 for their sixth straight win appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

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 – 2, Atlanta United – 1.9, per fbref.com

Formation: 3-5-2

Now, onto the ratings:

Manager – Pat Noonan – 9

I talked a ton about the tactical tweaks that Pat Noonan employed in this match on this week’s Talking Tactics pod. He not only adjusted the way his team pressed, leaving Obinna Nwobodo sitting in front of the back three with Pavel Bucha pushed higher next to Lucho Acosta, but he also adjusted the way his team got Lucho the ball in key areas. Furthermore, he made the bold call to leave DP striker Aaron Boupendza out of his starting XI on the night.

Noonan’s in-game management was also commendable. Immediately after his team took the lead, he swapped the tiring Lucho Acosta for the ever-energetic Yuya Kubo, leaving the former to hang around up top while the latter provided a bit more steel in the middle of the park. My one quibble with the gaffer is his lack of substitutions. After the forced change in the first half, he brought on Boupendza in the 76th minute and then didn’t make another change until the dying moments of the match. It’s hard to argue with a win, but I would have gotten at least one of those players into the match in the Boupendza window, giving them a bit more time to make an impact.

GK – Alec Kann – 8

Alec Kann ended in the net-positive, giving up only one goal on a PSxG of 1.6. In that, he made two excellent saves. First, he denied Saba Lobzhanidze at the doorstep in the 11th minute, stopping what should have been a certain goal. Then, he got off his line excellently in the 40th minute to snuff out a chance at the feet of Thiago Almada, though he did spill the rebound when he probably should have held onto the ball.

Kann had a couple of other decent moments as well. He made a save down to his right in the 53rd minute that was easy enough, and he was quick to gobble up the rebound as well. Then he had to be alert in the 93rd minute to swipe away a mishit cross that might have been headed for the far corner. Kann wasn’t a value-add in possession, but he wasn’t terrible, either. He completed six of his 14 long passes.

RWB –  DeAndre Yedlin – 8.5 (Man of the Match – non-Lucho category)

Lucho was undoubtedly the man of the match (see below). However, I simply couldn’t let Yedlin’s outstanding performance go unnoticed, so I made up an award for him. DeAndre was so good offensively in this match, leading the team with six shot-creating actions and an xAG of 1.2. He ended the match with four key passes and seven passes into the penalty area. These numbers included moments that could have, and possibly should have, led to assists for the veteran defender, like in the first, ninth and 55th minutes when he found Corey Baird in the box, but the striker couldn’t finish. However, he wasn’t to be denied that assist as he found Lucho with this incredible early cross to create the game-winner:

LOML (Lucho of my Life) pic.twitter.com/l7jGVCiOpG

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) April 21, 2024

Yedlin wasn’t just an offensive force in this match, either. He played well defensively throughout, logging a tackle, an interception and two blocks. He also wasn’t dribbled on the night and made several key plays with his recovery speed. The only reason to ding him here is that he let Edwin Mosquera get onto his right foot in the build-up to Almada’s goal, and won only two of his eight ground duels.

RCB – Nick Hagglund – 5

This is a tough grade for the Cincinnati Kid, as he played only 43 minutes and might have had the chance to earn some plaudits had he played more. However, in those minutes, he looked well off the pace of the match at times, getting beat for speed by Mosquera down the right on several occasions. He finished the night without winning either of his two ground duels and committing two fouls, including the one where he got hurt and that led to a dangerous chance for the Five Stripes.

It wasn’t all bad for Hagglund, however. He logged two interceptions in his limited minutes. He also had four passes into the final third. Then, and perhaps most importantly, we got good news on his injury, as it looks like it isn’t going to cause him a protracted absence.

CB – Matt Miazga – 6.5

Grading players in the center of a back three is difficult because if they do their job well, they often don’t have many stats to show for it. Simply put, the central defender’s job is to organize his team defensively and serve as a pivot point when in possession. Miazga’s performance in this match was a good example of this phenomenon. He had very few defensive stats, and though he completed 84.2 percent of his passes, none of them were progressive.

What did show up in the stat sheet for Miazga was pretty good. He completed five of his eight long passes, showing that he kept the ball moving for his team. He also won seven of his eight duels, including all but one aerial duel. However, his grade is still on the lower side for his performance because of his one major mistake: getting his header all wrong in the 11th minute, leading to the Lobzhanidze chance mentioned above.

LCB – Miles Robinson – 7

Miles Robinson was put in a lot of 1v1 situations in this match and came out on top in most of them. He logged just one tackle, two blocks and one interception but clearly prevented wingers on both sides of the pitch from getting off crosses on several occasions. He also led the team with six ball recoveries.

Offensively, however, Robinson struggled a bit. His 78 percent passing was the lowest of all center backs on the pitch and included moments like the fifth minute when he tried to pass the ball to the middle and played it right to an Atlanta player. He completed only three of six long passes and had only two progressive passes on the night.

LWB – Luca Orellano – 7.5

Any conversation of Orellano in this match has to start with his goal. He showed some real intelligence to combine with Lucho in the transition, then his finish was excellent. For reference, the chance was graded at only 0.22 xG, but Luca’s PSxG was a whopping 0.91, the highest of any shot in the match. Luca also contributed 10 progressive actions (six passes, four carries) and added seven progressive receptions.

So why isn’t the young Argentinian in the man-of-the-match conversation? I still think he didn’t do enough with the ball when he had it. His three shot-creating actions put him fifth on the team. He also led the team with being dispossessed five times, while adding two mistouches. In the end, I think he had a productive match but still plays like a rookie. It’s to be expected, but I hope he continues to improve.

DCM – Pavel Bucha – 8

Pavel Bucha has been asked to take on more of an offensive role of late. In this match, it felt like he finally clicked into gear. The only offensive player that had more touches than Bucha’s 56 was Lucho. Bucha contributed 12 progressive actions (nine passes, three carries) and tied for the team lead with five passes into the attacking third. He also contributed four shot-creating actions and completed all eight of his long passes. Finally, outside of his stats, I thought his presence in the attacking third really freed Lucho up to receive the ball in more dangerous areas.

Bucha wasn’t as strong defensively but wasn’t asked to be. He was present when needed, contributing a tackle, four blocks, and an interception. He was, however, dribbled once.

DCM – Obi Nwobodo – 7.5

Obi Nwobodo still wasn’t back to his best in this match. However, I think he took a step in that direction. In this match, he was asked to play a much more defensive role. Though he still managed three shot-creating actions, he logged only two progressive passes and one pass into the attacking third. Instead of being a big part of the offense, Obi was tasked with tracking the reigning Young Player of the Year, Thiago Almada, all over the pitch. And, for the most part, he kept the Argentinian quiet. However, he did ball chase at times and was partially culpable for leaving Almada in the run-up to his goal. He also got caught in no-man’s land in the middle third of the pitch, leaving Almada free in the build-up to the 11th-minute Lobzhanidze chance.

Outside of these moments, Obi was legitimately solid and even had some real moments of defensive prowess. He logged three tackles, winning them all, and contributed two blocks and an interception. Lastly, he contributed five ball recoveries.

CAM – Luciano Acosta – 8.5 (Man of the Match)

When your team wins 2-1 on the road, and you log a goal and an assist, you win man of the match. Full stop. Lucho’s assist for the game-tying goal was fantastic. You can see here that he waited until just the right moment to play Orellano in behind the defense, getting the defender to backpedal so his pass could go through at the right angle.

LOML (Luca of my Life) pic.twitter.com/nb86N5WAqB

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) April 21, 2024

Also, his first touch on the game-winning goal was pure class, allowing him to easily finish from the doorstep. In the end, Lucho had five shot-creating actions and led the team with 10 progressive passes. As a note to Noonan’s tactical tweaks mentioned above, Lucho received 11 progressive passes despite averaging under seven per 90 minutes.

I could nitpick Acosta’s performance by talking about how he completed only two of five dribbles, but instead, I’m going to tell you my favorite thing that I saw out of the captain. It’s impossible to know how effective this was, or how often he really did it, but I noticed on several occasions that he was giving his teammates “thumbs up” after a good idea that was poorly executed, or making the universal “calm down” signal by pressing his palms downward when his teammates turned the ball over going forward. This is a marked difference from the histrionics and poor body language that we’ve seen at times out of the veteran, and I loved it.

ST – Yuya Kubo – 7

As a striker, Yuya Kubo should probably be graded lower for this match. He was unable to put any of his four shots on target and had several bad turnovers. This included in the sixth minute, when he turned it over with both Yedlin and Hagglund moving forward leading to an Atlanta break and eventually a corner. He ended the match with only two shot-creating actions while logging three dispossessions and three mistouches. He was, however, right behind Lucho with 10 progressive receptions.

However, one of the best things about Kubo is that, when things aren’t clicking for him offensively, he still adds a ton defensively. In this match, he led the team with six tackles, winning four of them. He wasn’t dribbled despite the Five Stripes attempting it four times. Finally, he added an interception and four ball recoveries.

ST – Corey Baird – 6.5

You might be surprised at Baird’s high grade, considering he didn’t score despite having several decent opportunities. He had three shots but also a host of other chances where he didn’t even get a shot off. In the first minute of the match, he elected to try a one-yard square pass when he received the ball in the box and should have shot. Then, in the 15th minute, he practically took the ball off Lucho’s foot when Yedlin tried to pick the captain out with a cutback and failed to get a shot off. He also tallied four dispossessions.

However, Baird managed to make the most of some half-chances. His three shots totaled just 0.4 xG. Furthermore, he contributed five shot-creating actions. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt in this match, even though he still has yet to score. I hope that these near misses will buoy his confidence.

SUBS

Ian Murphy (42nd minute) – 6

Murphy acquitted himself well after coming in for the injured Nick Hagglund. He wasn’t dribbled and passed at a 95 percent clip. However, he didn’t make any great plays either. He had only one progressive pass, and his only defensive action was a blocked shot. He also only got into two ground duels but won them both. His one knock was when he lost Luis Abram on a corner in the 75th minute, though he wasn’t punished as the free-header sailed wide.

Aaron Boupendza (76th minute) – 5

Aaron Boupendza played limited minutes and had limited production. He logged a mistouch and a dispossession while only receiving two progressive passes. He had the chance to help kill off the game by heading to the corner when alone in transition in the 89th minute but elected to come inside and drill a pass off Lucho’s shins from a few yards away instead. Boupendza might need to get used to his super-sub role, but if this match was any indication, it may take some time.

Alvas Powell (89th minute) – N/A

Malik Pinto (89th minute) – N/A

Bret Halsey (90th minute) – N/A

Availability Notes: Roman Celentano (ankle), Sergio Santos (Haplessness)

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).

The post Player Ratings: FC Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 1 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

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 – 1.04, CF Montreal – 1.12, per fotmob.com

Formation: 3-5-2

Now, onto the ratings:

Manager – Pat Noonan – 5.5

Any time your team loses, it is going to be tough for you to earn more than the “average” score of 6 as a manager. So, let’s talk about why Noonan might have deserved that score. First off, it appears that the gaffer took Lucho Acosta off of corner kick duty. And, while Luca Orellano didn’t fare much better in that department, I think I speak for many of you when I say we couldn’t bear any more Acosta corners that hit the first defender or the near side-netting as he attempted yet another Olimpico. Second, I think Noonan intentionally asked Pavel Bucha to play a more active role in the offense. And, while it didn’t directly lead to any goals, he helped to set up one gilt-edged chance and played a part in the build-up to his side’s only goal.

Now, let’s talk about why I scored Noonan where I did. For me, like Mike below, this is all about substitutions.

Sorry for the spoiler, but we are 66 minutes into a dreadful performance and have made no subs. This is hard to understand.

— Mike Prentiss (@mwprentiss) April 14, 2024

As Mike stated, in a match where his team looked outpaced, outmanned and out of sorts, Noonan didn’t make his first substitute until the 72nd minute. Then, he brought in Dado Valenzuela just six minutes later meaning that he used two windows when one would have sufficed. In the end, Noonan only ended up making four of his allotted five changes.

GK – Alec Kann – 5.5

Do you believe the stats, or do you believe your eyes? Neither of the CF Montreal goals that Kann gave up looked particularly saveable. However, their PSxG was just 0.37 and 0.28, respectively, which indicates they absolutely were. Maybe Kann needed better footwork and anticipation on the first. Maybe he needed quicker reflexes on the second. Either way, he gave up two goals on a total PSxG of just 0.8, which means he was negative overall in the shot-stopping department.

Kann looked pretty decent in possession, which was a noticeable difference from both Evan Louro and Roman Celentano. Overall, I don’t think he did a lot to hurt his chances to start the next match, even if he didn’t cement himself as the locked-in second-choice goalkeeper.

RWB –  DeAndre Yedlin – 4.5

DeAndre Yedlin typically doesn’t add enough going forward to be a truly effective right wingback. This match was no exception, as he didn’t log a shot-creating action, a cross or a pass into the penalty area. His one progressive action (a carry) was far from enough to consider him an effective force progressing the ball, and his three progressive receptions were half of his per-90 average.

Typically, we can overlook his lack of offensive thrust because he is pretty excellent defensively. However, in this match, he was dribbled three times. One of those times was by a center back, Joaquin Sosa, who had wandered forward into the attack. Sosa beat Yedlin with a simple cut-move that created a dangerous moment in transition. One thing you can never fault Yedlin for is his effort, and in this match, he led the team with five tackles, even though he won possession with only two of them.

RCB – Miles Robinson – 5.5

Miles Robinson continued his concerning run of lackluster performances in this match. He wasn’t terrible by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, he was one of the only center backs that acquitted himself well in possession, logging four progressive passes and four passes into the final third while maintaining a decent overall passing percentage (88.3 percent).

However, the entire back line struggled all night trying to determine who was to cover which Montreal forward that was dropping off the back line to connect. Miles had the fewest recoveries of any of the center backs with three while logging only one each of tackles, blocks, and interceptions. To make matters worse, he was dribbled once and shares a bit of the blame for allowing Ariel Lassiter to score the game-winning goal (see Bucha below).

CB – Matt Miazga – 5

Matt Miazga had the worst performance of his FCC career in this match, outside of off-field incidents. He was woeful in possession, logging a far-too-low 77.5 percent passing that included moments like at the 14th-minute mark when he played the ball straight out of bounds trying to find Yedlin on the touchline. In the end, he only completed four of his 11 long pass attempts.

Furthermore, as the central defender and de facto captain of the defense, it is Miazga’s responsibility to get his central defenders organized. And, as mentioned above, they were not. Miazga’s lone saving grace was his three blocked shots, which were needed in large part due to the defense’s disorganization. I expect Matt to bounce back with a vengance after watching the film of this match.

LCB – Ian Murphy – 4

Ian Murphy was at odds with himself all match, not knowing whether to “stick or twist,” as they say. He fell asleep in the 10th minute, allowing right back Ruan to get behind him and rattle the far post with a shot. Then, it looked to me as if he grabbed the lion’s share of the blame for Montreal’s opening goal when he followed the run of Lassiter when it appeared that Miazga was trying to get him to pick up Josef, as seen in this video:

Le premier but au Stade Saputo de Josef Martínez

Josef Martínez scores our first goal against FC Cincinnati#CFMTL pic.twitter.com/OYtN7jWTiw

— CF Montréal (@cfmontreal) April 14, 2024

Murphy led the team in fouls with three, recorded zero progressive passes and his only defensive stat was a blocked shot. He also got badly turned in the open field by Bryce Duke and had to grab the attacker, earning a yellow card. Murphy did have a shot-creating action and a key pass, however, so I guess that’s something. I remain a Murphy believer, but I think he has a lot of work to do to figure out how and when to mark attackers that play within fluid offenses.

LWB – Luca Orellano – 6.5

Luca Orellano is trying to make things happen. In this match, he led the team with 11 progressive receptions and tied for the lead with seven progressive carries. He also led the team in attempted dribbles, a stat line that is nearly always Lucho Acosta’s, and also contributed eight crosses. However, the young Argentinian continues not to have much to show for his efforts. For all his ball progression, he still managed only 70.5 percent passing, including completing a mere one of seven long balls. Out of his six dribble attempts, he only completed three. Finally, only two of his eight crosses found a target. Emblematic of his lack of end product was the moment in the sixth minute when he blazed a shot well over the bar from a poor angle when he had targets in the box to aim for, ending a promising counterattack.

Defensively, Orellano is further along in his progression than Álvaro Barreal was at this stage in his MLS career. Luca had two tackles, winning possession on both. He also led the team with seven ground duels won. He did, however, commit a bad tackle in the 18th minute, earning himself a yellow card while giving away a free kick in a dangerous area.

DCM – Pavel Bucha – 7.5 (Man of the Match)

I have to be honest with this one: I wrestled over whether to give Bucha my man-of-the-match award. I mentioned on this week’s Talking Tactics that I loved how involved he was in the offense. He was more involved in the attacking third in this match than he’s been all season. He had a lovely pass to send Acosta through in the 53rd minute, setting up a great chance for Kubo. He ended the match with three shot-creating actions. Even with his more advanced role, however, he also contributed in a major way in ball progression. Not only did he tie for the team lead with five progressive passes, he added two progressive carries while leading the team with a 92.3 percent passing rate.

Bucha’s defensive stats were also pretty impressive, considering his more attacking role. He logged three tackles and an interception and also led the team with 10 ball recoveries. So, where did my trepidation in naming him man-of-the-match come from? Bucha’s defensive shifting was a problem all night. He often failed to drop back defensively when Obi Nwobodo pushed forward, allowing Montreal midfielders to get behind the FCC midfield unit time after time. This played a part in both goals. Just watch how Bucha fell asleep in the transition leading to the game-winner, allowing Lassiter to run by him en route to scoring his banger:

Le but gagnant

Tonight’s winning goal by Ariel Lassiter #CFMTL pic.twitter.com/uqGuHVQTS8

— CF Montréal (@cfmontreal) April 14, 2024

This team needs Pavel Bucha to be part of the offense if it is to start scoring goals at anything resembling a championship rate. However, it can’t be at the expense of rest defense or allowing huge transition opportunities. Whether that means Bucha flawlessly shifting forward and backward or Obi simply sitting as a more traditional #6, Pat Noonan will have to decide.

DCM – Obi Nwobodo – 4

“Obinna Nwobodo just doesn’t look right.”

That is a quote that I could attribute to a bunch of different fans. It is so odd to see FCC’s holding midfielder, whom we often hold up as one of the best in the league, look so helpless. To my eye test, he doesn’t look slower or off the pace. I just feel like he is constantly chasing the ball and getting out of position. And the numbers back up the fact that he is chasing the game to no avail. In this match, Obi had only three ball recoveries and didn’t log a tackle. He averages nearly six and nearly four, respectively. He also only got into two ground duels. That means he wasn’t close enough to the ball on most occasions to make an impact. This photo sums up his undisciplined ball-chasing:

As Raheem Edwards makes a run to the corner (blue arrow), Obi leaves the midfield to follow, creating a huge passing window. That meant that Bucha was left to figure out whether to deny Josef Martinez the entry pass or stay in the passing window to deny Bryce Duke the cross-field ball (both circled in red). The cascading effect of this was that Orellano had both Duke and Ruan to cover on the weak side. This is one example of a problem that happened all night.

Obi also wasn’t great in possession. His 81 percent passing was a fine rate, but he didn’t log a key pass or a pass into the final third and added only two progressive passes in total. That means he was passing mostly sideways and backward. Obi did, however, somehow log four interceptions.

CAM – Luciano Acosta – 7

For all the talk of Lucho Acosta playing hero ball, he was rather calm in this match. I mentioned above how he didn’t lead the team in attempted dribbles. He still managed to lead them in shot-creating actions with four. His 58th-minute assist was a moment of calmness where he didn’t overthink things and simply turned and played Kubo in on goal. Lucho also added 12 progressive actions (five passes, seven carries). However, Montreal was able to effectively limit Lucho from receiving the ball between the lines. He logged only two progressive receptions while he averages over six per 90 minutes. He also wasn’t clean on the ball, tallying five mistouches and being dispossessed once.

After watching this match, my question is: Did Montreal effectively limit Lucho’s production or is he just tired? Supporting the latter conclusion was his lack of defensive contribution. Lucho is usually the player that keys FCC’s press. Because of this, he usually racks up recoveries, tackles and even fouls. In this match, he logged only one recovery, while failing to log a tackle or interception. He did, however, win four of his eight ground duels.

ST – Yuya Kubo – 7.5

Justin Hoyte and I talked on Talking Tactics last week about Yuya Kubo’s movement being the best thing that he is bringing to the FCC front line. His slightly curled run off the shoulder of the defender to score his goal is a perfect example:

Needed this. Need another one. pic.twitter.com/eQ8LIwrhNN

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) April 14, 2024

It is a small thing, but players like Baird, Boupendza and Santos have all been in that position and stood still, waiting on Lucho’s pass before trying to make the run. This means that the defender gets to run even with them and narrow their angle or block their shot. Yuya’s run wasn’t direct, so he stayed onside. His finish was also pretty classy. Kubo also took up good positions throughout the match, coming in second on the team with four progressive receptions. Finally, he wasn’t dispossessed and didn’t have a mistouch.

So, why isn’t Kubo man-of-the-match? Even though he scored the game’s only goal, he also had the biggest missed chance in the 53rd minute when Lucho found him with a cutback and he sent his shot straight at the goalkeeper. Futhermore, he attempted three dribbles and didn’t complete any of them. Lastly, and most incredibly, he managed only 13 offensive third touches. That was fewer than Pavel Bucha and only two more than late-game substitute Dado Valenzuela.

ST – Aaron Boupendza – 2

I really wish I could rate Aaron Boupendza “N/A,” even though he played 71 minutes. His lack of involvement isn’t entirely his fault, as it seems like his teammates don’t always spot him when he’s open. However, the DP #9 had only five attacking third touches on the night, tying him for eighth place on the team with center back Miles Robinson. Consequently, Boup had no shot-creating actions. His lone shot was so tame it was logged at zero xG (rounding down from its paltry 0.02).

Part of me wonders whether Boupendza’s teammates aren’t passing him the ball because he takes so little care of it. In this match, his 62.5 percent passing was the worst on the team. He didn’t complete either of his two dribble attempts. Lastly, he added three mistouches, which is three too many when you are touching the ball so few times. So why did I rate him a “2?” I gave him a full point for his excellent turn in the 29th minute that left center back Joel Waterman in his wake and another full point for the yellow card that Waterman picked up on the play. Call me generous.

SUBS

Corey Baird (72nd minute) – 3

Corey Baird had only five touches in 19 minutes, plus stoppage time, of play. One of those five touches was a mistouch. He completed only two of his three passes. Furthermore, in a match where his team needed to win the ball back and score, he got into only one ground duel and one aerial duel. His only defensive stat was a blocked pass. Baird’s best role is not as a starter on this team. He is going to have to figure out how to provide a spark off the bench if he is to play any role at all.

Nick Hagglund (72nd minute) – 6

The Cincinnati Kid entered the match when his team was already trailing 2-1. Therefore, he had very little to do on the defensive side of the ball. He was able to grab two interceptions to win possession back for his team. In terms of offense, he added two progressive passes which is a good tally for his limited minutes. However, he wasn’t able to tally a pass into the final third.

Gerardo Valenzuela (78th minute) – 6.5

Dado Valenzuela looked crisp on the ball and worked hard defensively in his limited minutes. He had an impressive 11 attacking third touches despite playing so little. Before you stand up to clamor for additional playing time for the academy product, however, keep in mind that he wasn’t able to add a shot-creating action and had only one pass into the penalty area with those touches. He also had two mistouches. Overall, I think Dado deserves more time, but he probably isn’t a full-time starter just yet.

Sergio Santos (89th minute) – N/A

Availability Notes: Roman Celentano (ankle)

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).

The post Player Ratings: FC Cincinnati 1, CF Montreal 2 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

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).

The post Players Ratings: FC Cincinnati 1, Charlotte FC 1 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

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 – 1.2, NYCFC – 0.5, per mlssoccer.com

Formation: 3-5-2

Now, onto the ratings:

Manager – Pat Noonan – 7

Even with a whole week to prepare for NYCFC, Pat Noonan’s side didn’t quite look prepared for their press. His outside center backs too often resorted to dumping the ball down the line, and his team looked bereft of ideas on how to get Lucho Acosta on the ball in space. However, they worked their way into the match, started to find more success through Pavel Bucha and Yuya Kubo, and eventually did enough to earn the one-goal advantage.

Now, we can’t know if Noonan changed his tactics or if the players just settled down, but either way, the play improved as the match went on. However, I once again thought that the coaching staff left it too late to make substitutions. Corey Baird looked gassed well before he was replaced in the 82nd minute. In fact, outside of the forced change of Nick Hagglund for the hobbling Kipp Keller, Noonan and Co. didn’t make a single substitution that got enough game time to warrant a grade in this column.

GK – Roman Celentano – 7.5

Roman Celentano was left virtually untested in this match. Three of his four saves were low-percentage shots that he dealt with easily. However, NYCFC did create one gilt-edged opportunity in the 48th minute when Santiago Rodriguez snuck in behind Matt Miazga for a header, and Celentano not only made the save but pushed the ball well out of danger. In the end, he faced a PSxG of 0.7 and didn’t give up a goal.

Roman continues to struggle playing with his feet. I’m not sure how many times I can write that in this column without feeling completely redundant. In this match, he completed just eight of his 20 long pass attempts. And, before you think most of those were goal kicks hit into 50/50 opportunities, 18 of those passes were from open play. Simply put, when Celentano has to play long he is not hitting the ball with enough accuracy to allow his forwards to win it very often.

RWB –  DeAndre Yedlin – 7

I’ve been quick to call Yedlin an “average” player in this column, and he was just that offensively in this match. Yedlin provided only two progressive actions and two progressive receptions. He was also only credited with a single shot-creating action. In the 57th minute, he had a great opportunity to whip a ball in after Lucho Acosta megged a defender and slipped him down the right, but he overhit his cross and didn’t give anyone in the box a chance to get on the end of it. Finally, he had three mistouches on the night.

However, the veteran defender earns a better than average grade in this match from me due to his defensive play. Yedlin was a constant menace on the right both pressuring the ball and tracking back to get stray touches. He ended the night with four tackles, winning them all, and was credited with two blocks. NYCFC had little joy in this match, and Yedlin was a big part of that.

RCB – Kipp Keller – 6.5

It might be tough to see Keller receive an average grade when he was part of a back line that earned a clean sheet. However, he simply wasn’t that involved. He did a decent enough job tracking Hannes Wolf and limiting his ability to receive the ball in transition, but he got into only one ground duel on the night and didn’t win it. He also had just one blocked shot and one interception.

Offensively, Keller was more influential. He had four progressive passes on the night and four passes into the final third. In the 35th minute, he pinged a long diagonal to Luca Orellano that directly led to Acosta earning a free kick from which Baird nearly scored. Then, of course, he had the ball in the back of the net in the 15th minute but didn’t earn the goal due to an Acosta offside in the build up.

CB – Matt Miazga – 8 (Man of the Match)

Matt Miazga had the one mistake mentioned above that nearly proved costly in the 48th minute. Outside of that, he was pretty fantastic. Defensively, Miazga was constantly communicating with his back line to track Santi Rodriguez playing in a “false 9” position. He also had a few key defensive moments, including a great tackle that he had to get perfect in the ninth minute, with the aforementioned Rodriguez bearing down on goal and another in the 54th on a dangerous ball into the channel. Miazga won all four of his aerial duels and was second on the team with eight ball recoveries.

Offensively, Miazga was the only defender to complete more than half of his long passes (six of 11). Finally, he played the line-splitting pass into Aaron Boupendza that led to Lucho Acosta’s game winner. Being at the center of a clean sheet performance is good enough to earn you man of the match in my book, especially when you also play a part in the game’s only goal.

Have a (match)day, Matt #AllForCincy | @MLS

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) March 25, 2024

LCB – Ian Murphy – 6

Ian Murphy did not have his best game in possession. He completed only two of nine long passes and turned the ball over on several occasions at inopportune times. In the 10th minute, he tried to force the ball centrally to Lucho Acosta and passed it directly to an NYCFC midfielder instead. In the 39th minute, he couldn’t receive an Orellano back pass and bundled it out of bounds. In the 54th minute, he inexplicably dribbled into pressure in the offensive third and collided with a defender, earning a bloody lip to show for it. In the 69th minute, he played a hospital pass to Pavel Bucha, creating a transition opportunity that forced Orellano into fouling and giving a free kick away in a dangerous position. Defensively, Murphy did enough to help keep NYCFC quiet. However, he was dribbled twice and only won two of six ground duels.

All of that said, Ian Murphy still did enough to warrant an average grade for me. He had a few key interventions in the box late on and read the game well throughout. Finally, he contributed four passes into the final third and five progressive actions (three passes, two carries). In a match where FCC struggled to move the ball at times, I’ll take some of the bad to have that much good.

LWB – Luca Orellano – 7.5

Luca Orellano continues to show flashes of offensive ability that could make him a real weapon. In this match, he tied Acosta with five shot-creating actions and led the team with three key passes. One of those was an incredible moment in the eighth minute, when he worked himself out of pressure, touched the ball up the line and played a beautiful curling pass in behind for Boupendza to run onto. He also played a nice ball into the box that led to a Corey Baird shot. He was also vital to moving the ball forward, earning four progressive passes and two progressive carries.

So with all of this offensive output, how can Orellano still not be in the man-of-the-match conversation? The youngster still shows his nativity too often on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Orellano has to learn that if he loses the ball in the defensive or middle thirds it can lead to some really dangerous transition opportunities. In the 28th minute, he tried to dribble up the line and ran straight into pressure. A minute later, he was caught from behind in possession. In the 62nd minute, he tried to bring a ball down instead of clearing it and had his pocket picked by Andres Jasson, then ran and clattered the winger on the touchline, giving away a needless free kick. All of these moments led to NYCFC chances.

DCM – Pavel Bucha – 7.5

Pavel Bucha is quickly becoming one of the unsung heroes for FC Cincinnati. He led all starters in this match by passing at a 90.7 percent rate. He also contributed four progressive passes and five passes into the final third. In the 11th minute, he used a drop of the shoulder to turn, dribble upfield and get off a shot, even though it was a tame effort. Defensively, he continues to show an excellent ability to be spatially aware and eliminate danger before it starts. In this match, he recorded four interceptions and seven ball recoveries.

However, Bucha has yet to show the ability to be an offensive threat as the box-to-box midfielder he’s been billed as. He didn’t have a shot-creating action in this match. Bucha also had four mistouches, a dispossession and won only one of four ground duels.

DCM – Yuya Kubo – 8

Yuya Kubo did a pretty good Obi Nwobodo impression in this match, leading the team with seven tackles and nine recoveries. He also added two blocks and two interceptions and was a general nuisance to the NYCFC midfield throughout the match, getting into 15 ground duels and winning eight.  Offensively, Kubo was right behind Bucha, completing 90.2 percent of his passes. He took up decent spaces in possession, tying for third on the team with four progressive receptions.

However, Kubo continues to show an inability to convert all of that good work into real success. In this match, he had only one progressive action (a carry) and no shot-creating actions. In the 68th minute, he ignored an overlap from DeAndre Yedlin, electing to shoot from distance instead and had his effort blocked out for a corner. If Kubo’s only upside is as a roving defensive midfielder, then I can’t see him continuing to start once Obi is fit. However, if he can prove that he can add value in the offensive third, there are a lot of roles on this team that he could fill.

CAM – Luciano Acosta – 8

Lucho Acosta is the easy choice for man of the match, which is why I didn’t pick him. He had an incredible 11 progressive actions on the night (six passes, five carries) and scored the game’s only goal with a sublime passage of play and a fantastic near-post finish. He also makes so many plays that don’t really end up on the score sheet, like in the 13th minute when he chased a Yedlin long pass into the channel and made something out of nothing to get off a shot, which was blocked. In the end, Lucho was also only dispossessed once and completed four of his seven dribble attempts.

However, he made it easy for me to deny his man-of-the-match claim by making some pretty bad decisions in this match.  He should have laid the ball off for Boupendza on the aforementioned 13th-minute chance. In the 41st minute, he lost the ball trying to dribble through the box when Kubo and Bucha were both open centrally for a potential shot. Finally, he had a woeful 56.5 percent passing rate and picked up a needless yellow for dissent.

ST – Corey Baird – 6.5

Corey Baird does a lot of dirty work for this team. In this match, he chased a bunch of lost causes and tracked back to make a lot of defensive plays that didn’t end up in the stat sheet. It was good to see him get on the stat sheet with an assist when he laid the ball off for Lucho Acosta perfectly, even if it was a relatively easy pass to make. He was credited with two shot-creating actions and two key passes to go along with his assist.

However, for better or for worse, strikers will always be judged on their offensive output, and even with the assist, Baird left a lot on the table. Corey had a decent chance to score in this match in the 36th minute when the ball fell to him in the box, but he couldn’t squeeze it through traffic and had his shot blocked. He only received two progressive passes on the night. Finally, he led the team with seven non-passing giveaways, being credited with four mistouches and three dispossessions.

ST – Aaron Boupendza – 6.5

Boupendza came under a lot of criticism after this match. I’ve heard words like “bust” and “lazy” thrown around. Plays like his missed breakaway in the eighth minute, when it looked like he could have scored easily if he was willing to use his right foot, make fans furious. He is also quite indecisive at times, like in the 41st minute when he picked the ball up off the press but didn’t drive it forward and allowed the defense to recover. He won only two of his seven ground duels, had only one shot-creating action, and was right behind Corey Baird with six non-passing giveaways.

However, I don’t think Boup is a bust, and I certainly don’t think he is lazy. He got into eight aerial duels (winning four) which tells me that he is going after the balls that are in his vicinity. One of those duels was a nice flick-on for Sergio Santos and should have given the Gabonese an assist to show for his efforts. He was also second on the team with five progressive receptions. Finally, he didn’t have many moments of quality, but one of them led to Lucho’s goal when he steered the ball expertly toward the captain after receiving a line-splitting pass from Matt Miazga. I’m not saying that I’m happy with Boupendza or that the mercurial DP has lived up to his billing. I’m just saying that he’s doing enough at the moment to keep running him out there while demanding that he gets better.

Boup seems completely off tonight. Not at all dangerous and jogging after everything. I’d say a sub is needed.

— Just a soccer acct (@SandsSoccer) March 24, 2024

SUBS

Nick Hagglund (73rd minute) – 7

It was really good to see the Cincinnati Kid get some minutes after a long spell on the sideline, even if it was at the expense of Kipp Keller hobbling off. Nicky Haggs didn’t look like he missed a beat, aggressively tracking runners into midfield and challenging for the ball. In the 82nd minute, he did well to track a run in behind and tackle the ball away before any danger could arise. A minute later, he had a nice sliding challenge to deny an entry pass into Santi Rodriguez. Hagglund also contributed with three passes into the final third and completed two of his three long balls.

How we feelin’ Cincy pic.twitter.com/GGIf88Qh9y

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) March 24, 2024

Sergio Santos (82nd minute) – N/A

Malik Pinto (88th minute) – N/A

Dado Valenzuela (90th minute + 6) – N/A

Availability Notes: Alec Kann (hand), Obinna Nwobodo (contusion), Miles Robinson (international duty)

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).

The post Player Ratings: FC Cincinnati 1, NYCFC 0 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The first half opened with FCC on the front foot. In the eighth minute, Luca Orellano played a pitch-perfect through ball to Aaron Boupendza who had beaten the final defender. Boupendza’s shot left a lot to be desired, however. The first goal of the match appeared to have come from a header by Kipp Keller in the 15th minute. VAR called down to the match official and determined Keller was just offsides.  Later in the 36th minute, a beautiful set-piece delivery by Orellano appeared to have come off a NYCFC defender’s arm and fell to Corey Baird. Baird’s low shot deflected out and VAR took a look at a potential handball. After a brief review, no handball violation could be determined.

The first half closed out in a physical series of hard tackles, players on the ground and an Andres Perea yellow card.

The second half started with NYCFC’s best chance of the match. In the 48th minute, an overload on the right side of the attack saw Julian Fernandez deliver a left-footed cross into the box. Santiago Rodriguez got free but was only able to slightly redirect the ball toward frame. Roman Celentano was able to make the diving save.

The scoring breakthrough of the match came in the 57th minute. A Boupendza pass was dummied by Luciano Acosta to go through to Baird. Baird played the ball back to Acosta who navigated his way in the central area of the box to find a shot attempt. Acosta unleashed his shot and beat the NYCFC keeper Matt Freese to the near post. Another moment of brilliance fitting for the historic goal. With that goal, Acosta became only the seventh MLS player in history to score at least 60 goals and 80 assists.

The human cheat code that is Lucho!

Cincinnati up 1-0. pic.twitter.com/f6LigJBqbA

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 24, 2024

On October 21, 2023, Nick Hagglund had his campaign cut short due to a hamstring injury. After a long haul recovering from that injury, the Cincinnati native made his first 2024 appearance in the 72nd minute.

FCC had another couple of chances of note to close out the match. In the 85th minute, Sergio Santos showed off his class speed but was unable to beat the Freese one-on-one. Late in the second-half stoppage time, a penalty was awarded to FCC after a save by Freese ricocheted off  Strahinja Tanasijevic’s arm. After a VAR check, the penalty was unissued as it appeared that Tanasijevic’s arm was tucked close to his body when the ball struck him.

The final whistle sounded, and the Orange and Blue walked out of TQL Stadium for the first time this MLS season with three points. The three points place FCC in first place in the Eastern Conference standings thanks to other results in the league.

Goals

FCC: 57’ – Luciano Acosta

NYCFC: none

Attendance: 24,282

LINEUPS

FCC: Roman Celentano, Luca Orellano (Malik Pinto 88’), Ian Murphy, Matt Miazga, Kipp Keller (Nick Hagglund 73’), DeAndre Yedlin, Pavel Bucha, Yuya Kubo, Luciano Acosta (C), Corey Baird (Sergio Santos 82’), Aaron Boupendza (Gerardo Valenzuela 90’+5)

Substitutes not used: Evan Louro, Arquimides Ordoñez, Alvas Powell, Bret Halsey, Stiven Jiminez

NYCFC: Matt Freese, Birk Risa (Justin Haak 52’), Thiago Martins (C), Strahinja Tanasijevic, Kevin O’Toole (Agustin Ojeda 78’), James Sands, Andres Parea, Andres Jasson, Hannes Wolf (Alonso Martinez 67’), Santiago Rodriguez, Julian Fernandez (Malachi Jones 67’)

Substitutes not used: Luis Barraza, Rio Hope-Gund, Maximo Carrizo, Drew Baiera, Jacob Arroyave

Next Match: at Charlotte FC – Saturday, March 30th – 7:30 p.m. EST AppleTV+

The post FCC holds on to get first MLS win at home over NYCFC appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Highlights from this week’s show.

This week, Coach Gough and Justin Hoyte end 2023 on a high note. They give out end-of-season awards and answer listener questions like whether or not Pat Noonan will change formations for 2024.

The guys also play buy-or-sell, talk about which of Justin’s former professional friends will join the podcast, and much more!

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As always we’d love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We’d love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

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The post 2023 Season Awards and Much More appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Highlights from this week’s show.

What is FC Cincinnati’s defined “style of play?” Will Yuya Kubo be back with this team in 2024? This week Coach Gough and Justin Hoyte review their preseason predictions, play a round of buy-or-sell, and get to a host of listener questions in the mailbag.

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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!

Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk

Don’t forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We’re also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY!

As always we’d love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We’d love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

The show’s RSS feed is https://fcctactalk.libsyn.com/rss

The post International Break Mailbag Special appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.