Obinna Nwobodo Archives - Cincinnati Soccer Talk

FC Cincinnati Strike Out in New York

Brad Gough — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 12:13:26 +0000

Highlights from this week’s show.

Coach Gough and Justin Hoyte break down FC Cincinnati’s 3-1 loss to New York City Football Club in the 2nd game of the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. What changed between games 1 and 2 to make the match seem so much more depressing? How much did playing on a baseball field affect the team?

The guys also talk about veteran leadership, how this team should go into the final game of the series, and much more!

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FC Cincinnati Unleash 22 Shots in Win Over NYCFC

Brad Gough — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 22:10:27 +0000

Highlights from this week’s show.

Coach Gough and Justin Hoyte break down FC Cincinnati’s 1-0 win over New York City Football Club. Was it a good thing that FCC generated 22 shots? Or a bad thing that so many of them were not on target? Was their defense stellar on the night or was NYC just impotent?

The guys also talk about Teenage Hadebe’s performance, whether Obinna Nwobodo has found his 2023 form, and much more!

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The post FC Cincinnati Unleash 22 Shots in Win Over NYCFC appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Fixing FC Cincinnati for the Playoffs

Brad Gough — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 15:33:52 +0000

Highlights from this week’s show.

Coach Gough and Justin Hoyte spend a few minutes breaking down FC Cincinnati’s 3-1 loss to Orlando City before turning their sights to the playoffs. What are the biggest issues with this team, and are they fixable? Is there reason to hope for a deep playoff run?

The guys also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each FCC striker, give their opinions on who should start, and much more!

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

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

Highlights from this week’s show.

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

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

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The post Poor Weather, Poor First Half, and Poor Fans Who had to Watch It appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Stale Offense Brings Stalemate in the Music City

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

Highlights from this week’s show.

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

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

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Player Ratings: FC Cincinnati 1, New York Red Bulls 3

Brad Gough — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 12:36:22 +0000

FC Cincinnati looked to stem the tide of its first two-game losing streak since April by getting the best of Red Bull New York on the road. Instead, they did something they haven’t done since the dark days of 2021 by adding a third loss on the trot. Once again, without Lucho Acosta from the start, the Orange and Blue looked bereft of ideas and unable to progress the ball. After giving up an early goal to Lewis Morgan, they never looked like getting back into the match and were down 3-0 by the hour mark. Despite Corey Baird netting a consolation goal to make the final score 3-1, FCC still heads into the League’s Cup break with a very sour taste in its mouths.

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 – 0.5, New York Red Bulls – 1.9, per fbref.com

Formation: 3-5-2

Now, onto the ratings:

Manager – Pat Noonan – N/A

Though the manager was presumably in charge of setting the overall game plan, which at times looked nonexistent, I didn’t think it was fair to give him a grade since we can’t know how much influence he had on in-game adjustments or substitutions.

GK – Roman Celentano – 6

Roman Celentano had a bit of an up-and-down match. No goalkeeper will be happy to have to pick the ball out of the net three times, but he faced a PSxG of 3.3, so he wasn’t underwater in his shot-stopping metrics. I thought his positioning and timing to close down Lewis Morgan on the opening goal was spot on, but Morgan just finished in the one place that Celentano couldn’t cover. Roman also did well to come out and deny Morgan at the near post in the 54th minute when the match still hung in the balance.

Celentano still has some curious moments of inexplicable panic, such as when he elected to palm a back header from DeAndre Yedlin away in the 94th minute instead of grabbing it. However, he was able to bail himself out with a fantastic save from point-blank range to keep the deficit at 3-1. Overall, Roman seemed to make the saves you’d expect him to make in this match.

LWB – Bret Halsey – 7 (Man of the Match)

It is a bit ridiculous to give Bret Halsey the man of the match when he only played 45 minutes. However, for my money, he was the best performer in his time on the pitch and was unlucky to be pulled at halftime for tactical reasons. He completed 93.1 percent of his passes, while most of his teammates were struggling in that regard. Furthermore, that number included four progressive passes and a key pass.

Halsey was also full of vigor getting into the attack. He grabbed a respectable four progressive receptions and was tied for second on the team with 13 touches in the attacking third despite playing only one half of the match. If anyone else on the team had stepped up, Halsey might not have graded out as the best player for me, but that doesn’t take anything away from his overall good performance.

LCB/CB – Kipp Keller – 6.5

Kipp Keller surprisingly started on the left of the back three in this match. He ended the match with a very respectable seven progressive passes and four passes into the final third despite playing for 45 minutes on his weaker foot. However, there were still some moments when FCC was trying to build out of the back that Keller was unable to use his left foot efficiently enough to move the ball forward and was instead forced to play back to the middle.

Defensively, Keller’s positioning was solid. He ended the match with five ball recoveries and four blocked shots. He also won eight of 14 duels. Keller does share some blame for the first goal, when he came all the way across the field to try to challenge Elias Manoel, leaving Morgan open for the tap-in when Yedlin was clearly yelling at him to stay in the center. All said, Keller still doesn’t look like an everyday starter for a championship-caliber club, but he is performing admirably as a backup forced into the starting rotation by injuries and absences.

CB/LCB – Ian Murphy – 5.5

Ian Murphy started in the center of the back three before swapping with Kipp Keller for the start of the second half. Whether it was the positional change or the Red Bulls press, he often looked out of sorts when in possession despite leading the team in touches. There were moments like in the 94th minute when he picked the ball up after Roman pushed Yedlin’s header back into play, only to give it right back to the Red Bulls, nearly gifting them a fourth goal. He was under his season average, completing “just” 83 percent of his passes. He did log four progressive passes and two progressive carries but only managed to complete four of his 10 long pass attempts.

Defensively, Murphy’s match was marred from the start by a big mistake that cost his team an early goal. He got a bit over-aggressive and tried to win Dylan Nealis’s long ball out of the back but failed to get a touch, allowing Manoel to run through unopposed to set up Morgan’s tap-in. That type of mistake is an easy one for a young player to make when playing out of position, but falling behind in New York in just the seventh minute definitely colored the rest of the match for FCC. I thought Murphy settled down after that and was very good at choosing when to challenge the Red Bull strikers at midfield. In the end, he won four of five aerial duels.

RCB – DeAndre Yedlin – 5

DeAndre Yedlin struggled in this match both in possession and defensively. He completed 83 percent of his passes but only managed to progress the ball with three of them. He was also credited with two mistouches and a dispossession, which just can’t happen when you’re playing as a central defender.

Yedlin tallied two tackles, a block and an interception. However, he failed to win or effectively communicate that he was going to win the long throw that led to the Red Bull’s second goal. He also struggled with his body position, allowing Kiki Carmona to bundle the ball toward Morgan in setting up the third. He won just one of his three aerial duels while committing three fouls and earning a yellow card.

RWB/LWB – Yuya Kubo – 5.5

Yuya Kubo started this match at right wingback with Luca Orellano on the bench and Alvas Powell suspended. He struggled to effectively impact the match from that position but was a bit better when he slid to the left in the second half. He was very active offensively, leading the team with 17 touches in the attacking third and seven progressive receptions. However, he also led the team with a combined one mistouch and four dispossessions and failed to capitalize on a wide-open header in the first half that could have tied the match. He made up for that miss a bit with this fantastic pass to help set up Corey Baird’s consolation goal:

Corey finds the net to get us on the board

RBNY | 3 – 1 | CIN pic.twitter.com/0HTIdP9EAn

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) July 21, 2024

Kubo definitely struggled with the kind of physicality that the Red Bulls brought to the match. He won just three of 12 ground duels and failed to win any of his three aerial duels. He was also dribbled three times.

DCM – Pavel Bucha – 6

Bucha was not fantastic in this match. I think most of that was due to the way the Red Bulls fought for 50/50 balls and turned the match into a rock fight. Bucha played the ball straight out of bounds on a couple of occasions, seeming to feel pressure coming when there wasn’t any. He was also credited with two each of mistouches and dispossessions and won just two of five ground duels.

However, in a match where Lucho didn’t start and looked like a shell of himself when he finally entered the match at halftime, Bucha was one of the only players who looked capable of moving the ball forward. He tallied eight progressive passes in all. He also was pretty good at winning second balls on the night, leading the team with 11 ball recoveries.

DCM – Obi Nwobodo – 5

Insert mentions about Obinna Nwobod not looking the same since his injury here. The biggest thing that I can take away from his performance is how much it looks like he’s chasing the game. He is working so hard to try to win every ball that he gets pulled out of position over and over again. He led the team with three tackles in this match but only managed four ball recoveries. Just watch as he runs himself out of the play in the lead-up to the Red Bulls’ third goal of the match:

MAKE THAT FOR OUR #9#RedRunsDeep @Audi pic.twitter.com/9S16TL08zT

— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) July 21, 2024

When Obi manages to make those tackles consistently, he is the best #6 in the league. However, too often this season, he hasn’t quite been able to knick the ball. Then, in possession, he struggles to make any kind of positive contribution. In this match, he only completed 72.7 percent of his passes and failed to log a progressive action. Whether he is pushing because he feels like his team needs him to step up, because he doesn’t trust Pavel Bucha next to him, or because he’s worried about the ball getting by him due to the absences along the back line, Obi needs to settle down and play positionally sound or he’s going to keep having very erratic performances.

CAM – Gerardo Valenzuela – 5.5

Dado Valenzuela struggled to open the match. Even though I think he was starting to settle down as the first half ended, he didn’t stay on the pitch long enough to improve his overall stat line. He completed just 57.1 percent of his passes and only logged one progressive pass. Like many of his teammates, he also struggled with the pace and physicality of the Red Bulls, winning just two of seven ground duels.

Dado did, however, tally two progressive carries and three progressive receptions. I also thought he started looking dangerous as he got into better positions late in the first half. He only managed one shot-creating action, but it was a 0.4 xG chance in the 38th minute when he floated a cross in for a wide-open Yuya Kubo, who failed to hit the target with his header.

ST – Kevin Kelsy – 6

I gave “Big Kev” an average grade in this match despite him only having 12 touches and zero progressive receptions in his 59 minutes of play. As I rewatched this match, I thought his movement was good in the middle third of the pitch, but his teammates often ignored the chance to play into him. He failed to win an aerial duel, but the few long balls sent in his direction were overhit and didn’t give him a chance to hold the ball up.

Kelsy also managed two shot-creating actions in a match where FCC didn’t create a lot. Finally, he was one of the only players that met the Red Bulls’ intensity, winning six of his eight ground duels.

ST – Sergio Santos – 4

If Sergio Santos’s good performances off the bench had anyone wondering if he could replicate them in a start, he put that question to bed in this match. Not only did he fail to log a shot, he also didn’t create any shots for his teammates. He was a human turnover machine, passing at just 54.5 percent and logging four mistouches. Defensively, he failed to show any urgency on New York’s second goal, allowing Bucha to run past him to pressure Kyle Duncan. Finally, he nearly set up a goal for the opposition by underhitting an ill-avised crossfield pass in the 54th minute, forcing Roman into one of his better saves on the night.

SUBS

Lucho Acosta (46th minute) – 5.5

Lucho Acosta in no way looked like himself in this match. He logged only 20 touches and didn’t have a key pass. I give him credit that his lone shot-creating action helped set up Baird’s consolation goal, but he also wasted a number of other chances by straying offside. He also hit a lot of stray passes, like in the 81st minute when Aaron Boupendza gave him the ball at the top of the penalty area, and he proceeded to harmlessly chip the ball to a non-existent runner at the back post. In the end, he completed just 55.6 percent of his passes.

Luca Orellano (46th minute) – 3

If Santos proved he couldn’t perform from the start, Luca Orellano may have proved that he can’t perform as an impact substitute. He was simply a non-factor in this match despite playing the entire 2nd half. Orellano had zeros across the board in progressive passes, shots, shot-creating actions, and key passes. He logged just 19 touches and was credited with a mistouch and two dispossessions.

Aaron Boupendza(60th minute) – 6

It is telling that Aaron Boupendza may have had his best appearance for the Orange and Blue in 2024 and graded out at only a “6” for me. He still displayed the head-clutching decision-making that has many fans encouraging the front office to jettison him into the far reaches of Eastern Europe, like in the 90th minute when he hit a cross-field pass directly to a defender, forcing Murphy to foul and pick up a yellow card. However, he also had an assist on the night. Even though he may have been trying to set himself up for a shot, he showed enough skill to scoop the ball over a tackle, allowing Baird to come in and poke it home. He also logged four progressive receptions, which is more than all other FCC strikers combined.

This performance might not have left me begging for more Boup, but I think he has to find more minutes unless he is going to be sold imminently.

Corey Baird (60th minute) – 6.5

One might think that it would have been easy to give Corey Baird the man-of-the-match as the goalscorer since so many of his teammates underperformed. The goal that he scored was a very tough finish from an extremely tight angle and is the kind of opportunistic goal that we have been expecting based on his time in Houston. However, goal aside, Baird logged only four touches total in his 31 minutes of play! Furthermore, one of those touches was defensive. Having one offensive touch per 10 minutes of game time is never going to be good enough.

Yamil Asad (85th minute) – N/A

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

DEFINITIONS:

xG – Expected goals (or xG) measures the quality of a chance by calculating the likelihood that it will be scored from a particular position on the pitch during a particular phase of play
xAG – Expected assisted goals (or xAG) is directly related to the xG that follows a pass that assists a shot
Post-Shot xG (PSxG) – Post-Shot xG is calculated after the shot has been taken, once it is known that the shot is on-target, taking into account the quality of the shot.
Progressive Pass – A pass that advances toward the opponent’s goal where the distance between the starting point and the next touch is:
- at least 30 meters closer to the opponent’s goal if the starting and finishing points are within a team’s own half
- at least 15 meters closer to the opponent’s goal if the starting and finishing points are in different halves
- at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal if the starting and finishing points are in the opponent’s half
Progressive Carry – Carries that move the ball toward the opponent’s goal at least 5 yards or any carry into the penalty area. Excludes carries from the defending 40% of the pitch.
Dribble – Moving past the opposing player while maintaining possession of the ball. When a player shields the ball or otherwise uses physical strength to maintain possession, this is not a dribble.
Key Pass – A pass that immediately creates a clear goal scoring opportunity for a teammate. A key pass does not have to lead to a shot, and thus is different than a shot-creating action.
Long Pass – Definition depends on the site being used. Typically, a pass that travels a distance greater than 30 yards.
Mistouch – When a player fails when trying to gain control of the ball without a defender earning a tackle or a ground duel.
Ground Duel – A challenge between two players to gain control of the ball, progress with the ball, or change its direction.
Dispossessed – The times a player loses control of the ball after a tackle from an opponent, not including attempted dribbles.
Recovery – Any action that ends the possession of the opponent without the ball going out of bounds. Recoveries are typically duels (44%) or interceptions (16%), but can happen without any specific action from the player doing the recovery (positioning himself correctly or simply collecting the ball).

The post Player Ratings: FC Cincinnati 1, New York Red Bulls 3 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Player Ratings: FC Cincinnati 0, Chicago Fire 1

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

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

Let’s look at where your favorite FCC players ranked for this match.

Check out Cincinnati Soccer Talk’s post-match report HERE for more details.

RULES:

Each player starts off with a six as a standard rating. Six signifies an “average performance” for the match.
Players will receive additions or subtractions to their score based on individual moments and the overall team performance.
We’ll look at multiple criteria and statistics from websites like FB Ref, Who Scored and FOTMOB.
All statistics used will be taken from fbref.com when possible.
A player may receive a N/A if they are subbed on/off before any quantifiable statistics are available.

Expected Goals (xG): FC Cincinnati – 1.5, Chicago Fire – 1.6, per fbref.com

Formation: 3-5-2

Now, onto the ratings:

Manager – Pat Noonan – 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GK – Roman Celentano – 7.5

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

ROMAN pic.twitter.com/iDLFrHG5Jc

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) July 18, 2024

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

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

LWB – Yamil Asad – 6.5

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

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

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

Wow, nice to see Murphy get a nice grade.

— Rupesh Sharma (@rupe45) July 17, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

CB – Kipp Keller – 5.5

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

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

RCB – DeAndre Yedlin – 6.5

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

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

RWB – Luca Orellano – 7

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

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

DCM – Pavel Bucha – 6.5

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

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

DCM – Obi Nwobodo – 6

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

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

CAM – Gerardo Valenzuela – 6.5

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

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

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

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

CAM – Corey Baird – 5

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

ST – Yuya Kubo – 7.5

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

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

SUBS

Sergio Santos (46th minute) – 6

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

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

Bret Halsey (61st minute) – 6.5

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

Alvas Powell (61st minute) – 4

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

Kevin Kelsy (80th minute) – N/A

Aaron Boupendza (87 minute) – N/A

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

DEFINITIONS:

xG – Expected goals (or xG) measures the quality of a chance by calculating the likelihood that it will be scored from a particular position on the pitch during a particular phase of play
xAG – Expected assisted goals (or xAG) is directly related to the xG that follows a pass that assists a shot
Post-Shot xG (PSxG) – Post-Shot xG is calculated after the shot has been taken, once it is known that the shot is on-target, taking into account the quality of the shot.
Progressive Pass – A pass that advances toward the opponent’s goal where the distance between the starting point and the next touch is:
- at least 30 meters closer to the opponent’s goal if the starting and finishing points are within a team’s own half
- at least 15 meters closer to the opponent’s goal if the starting and finishing points are in different halves
- at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal if the starting and finishing points are in the opponent’s half
Progressive Carry – Carries that move the ball toward the opponent’s goal at least 5 yards or any carry into the penalty area. Excludes carries from the defending 40% of the pitch.
Dribble – Moving past the opposing player while maintaining possession of the ball. When a player shields the ball or otherwise uses physical strength to maintain possession, this is not a dribble.
Key Pass – A pass that immediately creates a clear goal scoring opportunity for a teammate. A key pass does not have to lead to a shot, and thus is different than a shot-creating action.
Long Pass – Definition depends on the site being used. Typically, a pass that travels a distance greater than 30 yards.
Mistouch – When a player fails when trying to gain control of the ball without a defender earning a tackle or a ground duel.
Ground Duel – A challenge between two players to gain control of the ball, progress with the ball, or change its direction.
Dispossessed – The times a player loses control of the ball after a tackle from an opponent, not including attempted dribbles.
Recovery – Any action that ends the possession of the opponent without the ball going out of bounds. Recoveries are typically duels (44%) or interceptions (16%), but can happen without any specific action from the player doing the recovery (positioning himself correctly or simply collecting the ball).

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

Player Ratings: FC Cincinnati 6, Inter Miami 1

Brad Gough — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 12:04:43 +0000

FC Cincinnati put a royal beatdown on the self-appointed Kings of MLS on Saturday, beating a heavily depleted Inter Miami squad 6-1. Five different goal scorers and four different providers combined to lead the Orange and Blue to a comprehensive win, moving them to first place in the Supporter’s Shield standings.

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 – 3.7, Inter Miami – 1.2, per fbref.com

Formation: 3-5-2

Now, onto the ratings:

Manager – Pat Noonan – 8.5

Pat Noonan has to be given credit for rolling out the innovative formation that some are calling “the Sword.” Playing Yuya Kubo as a lone forward with Lucho Acosta and Luca Orellano underneath as duel #10s brought a ton of team speed and versatility to the lineup and helped FC Cincinnati dominate a slow and ponderous Inter Miami back line. I also thought the team showed the proper levels of intensity and energy throughout this match, bringing the heat to a top-of-the-table clash without boiling over or melting down and getting unnecessary cards.

My one complaint with Noonan continues to be his substitutions. I’m really glad that he didn’t leave any subs until late, making his final change by the 75th minute, but I question leaving players like Lucho Acosta on the pitch once the team was up 5-1 and playing against 10 men following the Sergio Busquets red card. This match looked great on the gaffer’s resume, but I wonder if his lack of rotation will cause problems down the stretch.

GK – Roman Celentano – 7.5

Roman Celentano gave up just a single goal on a PSxG of 2.0, and that goal was a wide-open header from six yards out. He had to be alert to keep the match scoreless in just the third minute when Serhiy Kryvtsov was left free on a set piece, and though the defender didn’t make great contact with the header, Roman did well to scramble across the net and push it wide. He also made a great reaction save in the 18th minute when Robert Taylor got the best of Alvas Powell and fired a shot at the near post.

However, FCC continues to hemorrhage goals on set pieces and I have to put some of that blame on the goalkeeper. Celentano seems to be glued to his line when it looks as if he should come out to claim or punch the ball clear. He also needs to be more forceful and commanding when setting his defense. So long as FCC can’t defend set pieces, I can’t imagine them winning silverware.

LWB – Yamil Asad – 8

Yamil Asad was instrumental in ball progression, tying for the team lead with 10 progressive receptions and chipping in with six progressive passes himself. He continually showed great willingness to get forward into the attack and combined effectively with Lucho and others in the final third, tallying six shot-creating actions. He showed incredible awareness to explode forward when Lucho won the ball off the press late in first-half stoppage time, then just watch his patience as he waited for the perfect opportunity to finish through the recovering defenders and scrambling goalkeeper:

And last but certainly not least, YAMIL. pic.twitter.com/EZhkZ6Vzvg

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) July 7, 2024

All of that being said, Asad contributed four shots but put only one on target. He also only managed to win two of his eight ground duels and had some pretty head-clutching turnovers. He was credited with two mistouches and a dispossession on the night. Finally, what little joy Inter Miami had on the night seemed to involve exploiting the space behind Asad and his clear lack of effort recovering defensively.

LCB – Ian Murphy – 7.5

Ian Murphy had another incredibly solid but unspectacular night. He was excellent on the ball, completing 94.4 percent of his passes. He tallied five progressive passes and led the team with seven passes into the final third. As stated above, Miami seemed intent on attacking the FCC left as Asad bombed forward, and Murphy did well putting out fires on his side all night.

Murphy had one glaring mistake when he kept Leo Compana onside in the 19th minute, allowing him to get a free shot at goal. However, the striker screwed the shot wide, and Murphy got to exhale and learn from the mistake without being punished. Murphy continues to be a vital part of a very good defense, but he needs to clean up the slight positional mistakes before he can be considered an elite defender.

CB – Miles Robinson – 8.5

I think the performance of Miles Robinson in the center of defense was a huge reason that FCC was able to suffocate Inter Miami’s offense in this match. Not only did the veteran win both of his tackles, he added a block and two interceptions. Impressively, he both of his ground and all four of his aerial duels. He limited Compana’s influence all evening, cutting off any hope the Herons had of using him as a target to transition through. In fact, 40 of Robinson’s 80 touches came in the middle third of the pitch, indicating that he was often stepping forward to win the ball defensively and help control things offensively.

Speaking of offensively, Miles was pretty excellent in that phase of the game as well. He passed at a 91.8 percent rate, including completing five of seven long passes. Lastly, he added three passes into the final third.

RCB – Alvas Powell – 6

In a match where there were very few weak spots for the Orange and Blue, Powell has the honor of being the worst performer. He wasn’t terrible by any stretch, drawing three fouls and winning all four of his ground duels. He was good positionally for the most part, not allowing Taylor to run in behind him despite Miami trying to force the issue on several occasions.

However, Powell’s 83.3 percent passing, though not bad, was worse than most on his team. He added very little in ball progression and turned the ball over, trying to dribble out of pressure early in the match when a goal still could have been costly. He was torched by Taylor in the 18th minute but was bailed out by an excellent Celentano save. He got picked on a set-piece in just the third minute, giving Kryvtsov the opportunity at a free header, which he luckily failed to capitalize on. However, Powell wasn’t as lucky when he fell for the exact same play in the 21st minute, leading to the only Inter Miami goal on the night. Powell is not a natural center back, but has shown in the past that he could be a capable fill-in. He wasn’t great in this match but he did enough of the little things to make me think that is still the case.

RWB – DeAndre Yedlin – 6

DeAndre Yedlin got to move back to his more natural right wingback position in this match and showed the qualities that make him a solid veteran presence on this team. He helped the team in ball progression, logging seven progressive passes and five passes into the final third.

The problem with Yedlin continues to be his lack of a cutting edge. He had a few really nice long diagonal passes in this match but often failed to push the ball forward effectively. Twice he tried to receive passes in behind the back line but couldn’t do anything with them. He wasn’t able to log a progressive carry, and in a match where FCC was on the offensive most of the time, he received only five progressive passes. Finally, even though he logged a tackle and two blocks, he was dribbled three times.

DCM – Pavel Bucha – 7

Pavel Bucha had a workman-like game, connecting passes and showing good instincts and ball retention throughout. His goal was a bit fortunate, but he did well to put it on target and not try to overhit it or do too much. Even though he logged only three progressive actions, he completed six of seven long passes to help the team keep the ball moving.

Speaking to Obinna Nwobodo’s fantastic performance (see below) and the lack of need for Bucha to spend much time defending, he wasn’t a significant contributor with locking down the middle when Miami had the ball. He was dribbled three times and won only two of five ground duels. He also only grabbed two ball recoveries.

DCM – Obi Nwobodo – 8.5 (Man of the Match)

FC Cincinnati has been missing the presence of an in-form Obinna Nwobodo. Defensively, they got him back in this match. He had an incredible 19 ball recoveries, dominating the middle of the pitch all game. The next closest player had only seven. He earned an assist with his excellent defensive instincts, stepping forward to win the ball at the edge of the offensive third and then giving it to Lucho to do the rest. He read the game so well all evening that he was a constant presence defensively, yet he needed to make only one tackle. Though at least three players could have won man-of-the-match, I thought the reason FCC could play so much of this game on the front foot was due to the sheer dominance of Obi in the middle of the park.

Offensively, Obi continues to struggle at times. When he’s asked to keep the ball moving simply, he connects passes and doesn’t turn it over. He passed at a 91.5 percent rate in this match. However, when he tries to split lines or carry the ball forward, he has some real struggles. His turnover in the 19th minute trying to pass out of pressure led to the best chance Inter Miami had from open play all night. However, when he is as dominant defensively as he was in this match, I can live with the struggles in possession.

CAM – Luciano Acosta – 8.5

Lucho Acosta’s 17 progressive passes were more than three times that of anyone else, and he added seven progressive carries. He officially tallied a goal and two assists and could have had more. In the 15th minute, he followed some fantastic combination play with Luca Orellano by hitting a shot right at goalkeeper Drake Callender when Yuya Kubo was wide open to his left for a tap-in. However, he made up for it in the 36th minute when he showed fantastic patience in the box to sit down two defenders before finishing to the far post.

Acosta also had six key passes on the night and put both of his shots on target. I’m not sure whether or not it was a coaching directive, but he elected to take nearly all of his corner kicks short, eliminating the set-piece woes that I love to criticize him for. Finally, Acosta’s work rate defensively was fantastic. At the end of the first half, when he would have been forgiven for having one foot in the locker room, he tracked back defensively to win a ball, then followed it with an unreal chip to the back post for Asad, leading to the wingback’s goal. He tallied seven ball recoveries on the night.

CAM – Luca Orellano – 8.5

Young Luca Orellano got to play in a purely offensive position for the first time in his FCC career, and he did not disappoint. Both of his assists were goals that he created out of virtually nothing. The first goal of the night came when he received the ball at midfield, and he would have been expected just to hold it up. Instead, he did this to Kryvstov:

The first of six. pic.twitter.com/pMM7EH0q4u

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) July 8, 2024

Later, he cooked Busquets in the 57th minute en route to laying the ball back for Kubo again on a platter for the Japanese’s second goal. He led the team with 1.5 xA and could have had more. In the sixth and 45th minutes, he had good chances to set up Kubo for simple finishes but elected to shoot both times and couldn’t beat Callender on either occasion.

Orellano was also really good in other areas. He had seven progressive actions and tied for the team lead with 10 progressive receptions. One of his major areas of growth, however, needs to be in his strength on the ball. When he can’t use his speed and illusiveness to avoid defenders, he gives the ball away far too easily. He had two mistouches and four dispossessions on the night and only won three of 11 ground duels.

ST – Yuya Kubo – 8

Despite scoring two goals, Kubo actually didn’t have a stand-out performance on the ball. He had the fewest touches of any outfield starter with 27. However, even though he only logged two shots, he scored with both of them.

For me, Kubo’s biggest contribution to this match was his incredible movement. He was a constant menace to the Inter Miami back line, tirelessly dropping in to link play and running in behind to stretch the center backs and give Acosta and Orellano space to operate underneath. Despite having so few touches, he logged eight progressive receptions. Virtually every goal that his teammates scored involved Kubo pulling a defender by making a darting run or dropping into space.

SUBS

Sergio Santos (56th minute) – 6.5

Sergio Santos put in another workman-like performance in this match, doing well for his team despite not adding a lot of offensive output. He had only 14 touches, but four of them were progressive receptions. He also tallied a key pass and a shot-creating action. Defensively, he pressed well and logged three ball recoveries. However, he also only won one of six ground duels.

Gerardo Valenzuela (66th minute) – 7

Dado Valenzuela got a bit lucky to log the first MLS goal of his young career, megging Callender with a shot that the goalkeeper would want to have back. However, he hit it with enough pace and texture to force the goalkeeper into a save, and good things happen when you do that. Dado also took good care of the ball in his cameo, completing all 20 of his passes.

Bret Halsey (66th minute) – 6.5

Bret Halsey had the luxury of coming into this match when it was already well out of reach and playing against 10 men in his time on the pitch. Though he didn’t log a key pass, he could have had an assist in the 70th minute when he came inside from the right and found Santos with a fantastic outside-of-the-foot pass, but the Brazilian had strayed just offside. Halsey also had a great opportunity to score when he took an Acosta pass up the left and cut into the box on his right foot, but he hit his shot tamely at Callender in the end.

Kipp Keller (75th minute) – 6

Kipp Keller had virtually nothing to do in his time on the pitch. He completed all 22 of his passes, including one long and two progressive passes.

Kevin Kelsy (75th minute) – 6

Kevin Kelsy had only seven touches in his 16-plus minutes and didn’t have the chance to make much of an impact.

Availability Notes: Matt Miazga (leg), Nick Hagglund (Leg), Malik Pinto (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
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 6, Inter Miami 1 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Player Ratings: FC Cincinnati 0, New England Revolution 2

Brad Gough — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 20:38:48 +0000

FC Cincinnati conceded a first-half brace to much-maligned striker Giacomo Vrioni on Saturday. Despite the deficit, the Orange and Blue were able to play much better in the second half. However, despite cutting the lead in half due to Yamil Asad netting his first goal for FCC, the team couldn’t complete the comeback.

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.

Player Ratings: FC Cincinnati 4, Toronto FC 3

Brad Gough — Tue, 28 May 2024 12:30:01 +0000

FC Cincinnati picked up its seventh win in a row on Saturday, coming from behind to take the lead, then needing to retake the lead two more times to earn an incredible 4-3 win. At times, the match looked more like two prize fighters trading punches than a tactical faceoff, but the Orange and Blue held their nerve to score the final knockout blow in added time through the oft-maligned Sergio Santos.

Let’s look at where your favorite FCC players ranked for this match.

Check out Cincinnati Soccer Talk’s post-match report HERE for more details.

RULES:

Each player starts off with a six as a standard rating. Six signifies an “average performance” for the match.
Players will receive additions or subtractions to their score based on individual moments and the overall team performance.
We’ll look at multiple criteria and statistics from websites like FB Ref, Who Scored and FOTMOB.
All statistics used will be taken from fbref.com when possible.
A player may receive a N/A if they are subbed on/off before any quantifiable statistics are available.

Expected Goals (xG): FC Cincinnati – 1.5, Toronto FC – 1.3, per fbref.com

Formation: 3-5-2

Now, onto the ratings:

Manager – Pat Noonan – 7.5

Pat Noonan’s primary impact on this match came in a way that we haven’t seen much from the manager to date: taking a big tactical swing to change things during the match. After TFC scored its opening goal Noonan flipped Luca Orellano to the right and Bret Halsey to the left, meaning both wingbacks were playing inverted. This move forced the Toronto outside defenders to defend the middle of the pitch and clearly made them quite uncomfortable. Noonan also had his team press the home side to great effect, generating multiple first-half chances through their defensive setup.

Noonan also appeared to pull the right strings at the right times with his substitutions, replacing a struggling Bret Halsey and Dado Valenzuela with enough time for their replacements to make an impact. However, he still used only three of his five subs in a stretch where FCC will have a quick turnaround to play again on Wednesday. Furthermore, I thought Luca Orellano should have been replaced before the 88th minute and was nearly proven right when TFC had the chance to score late on with the wingback unable to recover defensively.

GK – Roman Celentano – 6.5

It’s tough to grade a goalkeeper in a match like this. Celentano gave up three goals, none of which appeared to be savable. Deybi Flores kissed a perfect header off the post through traffic, a ball ricocheted in off Ian Murphy for an own goal and Lorenzo Insigne’s penalty drew a PSxG of 1.0.

From there, Roman just wasn’t called on to make any important saves. He made a few plays coming off his line and did well to punch at least one corner clear, but he wasn’t called on to be a world-class shot-stopper in this match.

RWB – Bret Halsey – 5

There is a contingent of FCC fans who have been clamoring to see more Bret Halsey. I’m wondering if that group has fallen silent after this match. He wasn’t catastrophic by any means and still looks to be a very nice depth piece as a wingback. He has popped off with a few nice moments in a few appearances.

However, he too often makes the wrong decision on the ball and does not make up for it with lock-down defensive play. In this match, he missed a fantastic opportunity to open the scoring for his team in the 17th minute when he couldn’t steer the ball on frame past an onrushing Sean Johnson despite Pavel Bucha playing him in on goal. Also, despite having three shot-creating actions, he still had moments like the photo below, where he chose to try to drive a low cross in to a cutting Lucho Acosta when Kevin Kelsy was open and ready to dunk on a defender at the back post.

With Kevin Kelsy was ready at the back post, Bret Halsey chooses the more difficult pass.

All of these difficulties for Halsey can be attributed to his lack of playing experience at the top level. I don’t think that he is a lost cause by any stretch. However, as he’s learning to make the right decisions and be more clinical in the final third, I’d also like to see him do some of the simpler things more consistently. In this match, he won only one of his five ground duels and was dribbled once while failing to record a tackle, block or interception. He was also credited with three mistouches and a dispossession while failing to log a progressive pass.

RCB – Miles Robinson – 7

Miles Robinson’s impact on the back line is often seen more in his effect on the players around him rather than in the stat book. His numbers in this match were fine, if not glowing. He passed at a 91.7 percent rate while contributing six progressive actions, including three carries and three passes. He was also solid defensively, winning all three of his tackles while contributing a blocked shot and an interception.

Robinson’s numbers will rarely be better than this. It is not a coincidence that Toronto attacked down his side just 23 percent of the time. Luca Orellano looked like an entirely different defender with Robinson behind him, and not because the young Argentinian actually played better. Simply put, Robinson is such a class act as a central defender that the FCC right wingback is always going to have an easier outing with the veteran behind him. Robinson isn’t without his mistakes, however. In this match, he got caught ball-watching for just a split second in the 84th minute, meaning he was on the wrong side of Prince Owusu and had to foul him, giving away a penalty kick.

CB – Matt Miazga – 7

Matt Miazga had a rather quiet outing despite some of the dirty play that Toronto was employing in an attempt to bait FCC into some shenanigans. He importantly stayed out of the referee’s book, even though he was the recipient of an Owusu undercut that looked pretty dangerous. Miazga was dribbled once in the match and failed to log a tackle, block or interception. However, he also won four of his five aerial duels and kept Owusu quiet for most of the match.

Offensively, Miazga was close to making a big impact when he sent Acosta in behind, though the captain’s shot hit the post, and he was later ruled to be slightly offside anyway. His 88.7 percent passing included completing four of five long attempts.

LCB – Ian Murphy – 7.5

Ian Murphy’s scores on the major platforms are going to look very sad because he was saddled with an own goal. However, I don’t fault him in the slightest for it, as his defensive positioning was excellent, and there were a few players who fell asleep on the play, allowing Insigne to waltz into the box with the ball. As noted in Robinson’s score, Murphy took the lion’s share of the defensive responsibility as Toronto looked to avoid attacking his counterpart. He mostly acquitted himself well, making three tackles, blocking a shot and earning an interception. He also won all three of his ground duels.

Murphy’s offensive numbers don’t look stellar, as he had the lowest passing percentage of any center back at 76.2 percent. However, his numbers were hurt most by completing only five of 15 long passes, and most of those were emergency clearances toward attackers rather than legit pass attempts. He also contributed a respectable three progressive passes and tied for the team lead with six passes into the final third.

LWB – Luca Orellano – 8

@FCCincyTacTalk if you give Orellano less than an 8.5

— Jared, Redsquad (@JKnuevil) May 26, 2024

Well, Jared, if Luca Orellano was a winger, he would absolutely get that 8.5 for me… and maybe higher. Both of his goals were incredibly well taken. Look at how calmly he drifts into the central channel, then finishes after Dado Valenzuela is obliterated by the TFC defender:

2⃣3⃣! pic.twitter.com/FcggDkqbN1

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) May 26, 2024

He also didn’t get credited with an assist for Kelsy’s goal, but his low and hard shot forced Johnson into a save. Offensively, Orellano was fantastic. He completed all five of his dribbles without having a mistouch or dispossession. He also had eight progressive actions, including three passes and five carries. However, Luca isn’t a winger… he’s a wingback. And that, unfortunately, means we have to talk about the defensive side of the ball. Look at how poorly Orellano is positioned at the back post in the lead-up to TFC’s penalty:

Justin Hoyte and I talked about that on this week’s Talking Tactics podcast. Orellano played a decent part in all three of the goals that FCC conceded. He also fell asleep a number of times at the back post, including in the 88th minute, when he let substitute Kobe Franklin nearly waltz in on Roman’s goal and put his side ahead with a volley. He was dribbled twice in the first half, both leading to dangerous half-chances for the home side, and he committed three fouls. Let’s not kid ourselves, Orellano is not on the pitch for his defensive prowess. And scoring two goals earns you a lot of credit. However, he will need to be at least competent on the defensive side of the ball before he will earn that 8.5 from me.

DCM – Pavel Bucha – 7

The FCC midfield was kept fairly quiet in this match due in large part to Orellano coming into that space and dominating offensively. Pavel Bucha was solid, however, coming in second on the team with four progressive passes while also adding two progressive carries. He had a few nice moments that could have led to more if his teammates didn’t let him down (see Halsey above), and earned two shot-creating actions and two key passes on the night.

Defensively, Bucha wasn’t at his best. He tied for the team lead with six ball recoveries but also failed to drop in and help the back line on a couple of occasions, including when Miazga tracked Insigne into the midfield in the run-up to the TFC penalty kick. However, when an “off night” includes 93 percent passing, a few really nice offensive moments and no big mistakes, I’d call that a win.

DCM – Obi Nwobodo – 6

Obinna Nwobodo hasn’t looked like the same player since his injury layoff earlier in the season. He has started getting back to the rangy, ever-present defensive ball hawk that we’ve come to know and love. However, his on-ball defending has been borderline shambolic at times. He was dribbled twice in this match and was rounded way too easily by Insigne in the build-up to Murphy’s own goal:

We’re level https://t.co/d1v6D3hTXY pic.twitter.com/X74oFMtm5p

— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) May 26, 2024

However, Obi still managed to log a tackle, two blocked passes and a blocked shot. His five ball recoveries put him among team leaders, and he chipped in with six passes into the final third. Like Bucha, when being not at your best still leaves you as a major nuisance for the opposition, you’re doing something right. However, FCC will need the Obi that they had last season to re-emerge if they don’t want to keep letting goals in for fun.

CAM – Luciano Acosta – 7

Lucho Acosta might not have recorded a goal or an assist on the night, but he still played a key role in three of the four FCC goals. Even on a night when it didn’t appear like the offense was flowing through him, the captain still led the team with seven shot-creating actions. Even more impressively, without as much to do offensively, he upped the ante on the defensive side of the ball, winning all three of his tackles while blocking two passes and earning an interception.

Toronto keyed on Lucho, limiting him to only four progressive receptions. That meant much of his night was spent dragging Matty Longstaff and Deybi Flores out of position so Orellano could cook. However, Lucho also left some plays on the field. He completed only one of his four dribble attempts and turned the ball over in transition in the build-up to the Toronto penalty kick.

ST – Gerardo Valenzuela – 6.5

Valenzuela had some really nice moments in this match. When he can play on the half turn, his vision and ability to feel defenders and move off of them is that of a player beyond his years. However, when he has to receive a ball with a defender on his back, he too often tries to use his first touch to get away from the player rather than receive the ball. This means that his six mistouches cloud his offensive contribution even on a night when he tied for the team lead with five progressive receptions. He also found space tight when he dropped in to link play and managed only one shot-creating action and zero progressive actions while passing at only a 61.5 percent rate.

However, Dado’s best contribution might be his grit and determination defensively out of the forward spot. He led the team with four tackles and five fouls committed in this match. That kind of work rate from a forward allows Lucho Acosta to get some rest defensively and cannot go unnoticed.

ST – Kevin Kelsy – 8 (Man of the Match)

Coach?! Are you kidding me? Kevin Kelsy as man of the match when he only scored one goal? And even that was just cleaning up the rebound on a chance that Luca Orellano created… right? Well, I submit that his finish was incredibly difficult after Luca probably should have passed it to him rather than shot:

Calm, cool, Kevin. pic.twitter.com/q8vQ7lYBdw

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) May 26, 2024

Plus, Big Kev’s contribution goes so far beyond goals. He battles center backs for the entire match, allowing his teammates the freedom and space to operate underneath him. He tied for the team lead with five ball recoveries while also drawing a team-high four fouls. Furthermore, his hustle and acceleration played a key role in FCC’s first goal, and he contributed four ball recoveries. I would like to see him have fewer mistouches (five) and dispossessions (two), but for now, I have been incredibly impressed with the youngster.

SUBS

DeAndre Yedlin (65th minute) – 6.5

DeAndre Yedlin was solid in his return to play after re-aggravating his hip pointer. He took care of the ball, passing at a 92.3 percent rate while having no mistouches or dispossessions. However, he also didn’t log a long or progressive pass. Yedlin was able to be effective defensively as well, earning two tackles while not being dribbled despite TFC attempting it twice. To me, it looked like he still had some trouble running, but it was a good sign to see him back on the pitch for the Orange and Blue.

Sergio Santos (72nd minute) – 8

This might have been Sergio Santos’s best 19 minutes as an FCC player. He may not have played a pass for his assist on Luca Orellano’s second goal, but he showed great movement to get on the ball, a good touch to settle it and then great patience when he would have been forgiven for just slamming a shot and hoping it got through the defense. Then, start at the 37-second mark of this video and just watch his consistent work rate to get forward and grab the game-winner:

SERGIO SANTOS FTW pic.twitter.com/vglS7e0pLY

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) May 26, 2024

When you have less than 2o minutes to make an impact on a match, getting an assist and scoring the game-winning goal isn’t too shabby.

Yamil Asad (88th minute) – N/A

Availability Notes: Yuya Kubo (leg), Corey Baird (hip), Alvas Powell (hamstring), Aaron Boupendza (jaw)

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 4, Toronto FC 3 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.