New York City FC Player Ratings are determined by Hudson River Blue readers — here are your NYCFC player ratings for the rough road loss to DC United at Audi Field that put New York City’s season on the brink.
Starting XI
Mounsef Bakrar (off 80′) – 3.9
Mounsef really struggled to get into the game, registering only 20 touches and 2 shots on the night. He didn’t get the level of service he’s seen in recent matches, but he could have done more to get involved.
FotMob gave the striker a 6.1.
Talles Magno (off 72′) – 5.9
I thought Talles was our most dangerous player on Saturday, even if he wasn’t at his best himself. I was disappointed to see him substituted.
FotMob gave the winger a 6.7 for his contributions.
Andres Jasson (off 60′) – 4.0
While the Homegrown came into the match in great form, he just didn’t bring that same end product we’ve seen in recent games. As usual, he progressed the ball well and was effective on the dribble, but it all just seemed to come undone when he reached the final third.
FotMob gave the American a 6.8.
Santiago Rodríguez – 5.6
I though he looked solid enough, but Santi didn’t quite take over this game in the way we needed him to. We’ve seen the DP take games by the scruff of the neck in big matches before, even as recently as last week in Miami, but it wasn’t to be on the night.
FotMob gave the No 10 a 7.1, the highest of any NYCFC player on the evening.
James Sands – 5.4
Jimmy was getting stuck in all over the field on Saturday, and seemed to relish the importance of this match to our season.
In my mind, he did his part. He broke up play effectively, and was crisp in possession all night.
With the exception of a complete takeover game, I guess there’s only so much you can do from holding midfielder in games like this.
FotMob handed Sands a 6.7.
Andrés Perea – 5.2
While no one looked quite at it down in DC, Andrés Parea continues to impress as a versatile midfield option for this NYCFC side on loan, especially with the late-season injuries to Maxi Moralez and Keaton Parks.
If there’s a way to get Perea through the door on a permanent basis, I’d be here for it.
FotMob dished out a 5.8 to the Philadelphia loanee.
Kevin O’Toole – 4.6
I think there are questions to be asked of O’Toole’s marking on DC’s first goal, where it looked like a miscommunication between he and Perea led to Steve Birnbaum’s free header and Mateusz Klich’s rebound tap-in.
Set pieces aside, O’Toole was effective going forward and created dangerous moments for himself and his teammates. On another night, he could have easily had a goal, an assist, or both.
FotMob gave a 6.6 to the fullback.
Tayvon Gray – 5.3
Tayvon wasn’t quite as comfortable in possession as he’s been in recent matches, but I thought he had a solid-enough outing. But, given the number of big chances DC were able to generate, I’m hesitant to celebrate any defender’s performance too much.
FotMob gave the Jamaica international a 6.7.
Birk Risa (off 72′) – 3.9
This was a run-of-the-mill performance marred by a brutal moment. DC United’s second goal was practically gift wrapped by Risa, who nodded the through ball straight back to Chris Durkin before slipping and removing himself from the play entirely.
I love Birk for what he’s brought to NYCFC so far, but that just can’t happen in big games like this.
FotMob gave a 5.9 to the Norwegian.
Thiago Martins – 4.9
The DP center-half looked decent enough, and wasn’t at fault for either goal in my book. But, two goals is two goals, right?
FotMob gave a 6.1.
Matt Freese – 6.0
You can hardly point the finger at Freese for either goal, can you? He made a few decent saves along the way, and was more or less mistake free for 90 minutes. That’s the life of a goalkeeper sometimes.
FotMob gave a 6.2.
Substitutes
Julián Fernández (on 60′) – 5.4
Julián came on in the 60th minute for a banged-up Andres Jasson, giving him a solid half hour to make an impact on the match.
While I was personally super excited to see him get such a run out, I don’t think he quite lived up to my expectations. Maybe that’s only because I think this kid’s potential is sky high, or maybe it’s because this lad is only 19 years old, but he didn’t quite make the impact I think he could have.
FotMob gave the young Argentine a 6.6 for the performance.
Alonso Martínez (on 72′) – 4.3
This was a bit of an odd decision in my book, as we subbed out a dangerous-looking Talles Magno for a player who has only seen 12 minutes all season.
I don’t think Alonso looked bad out there necessarily, but that was a big decision from Nick Cushing to have not paid off.
FotMob gave the Costa Rican international a 5.8.
Justin Haak (on 72′) – 4.8
Haak entered the frame in the 72nd minute as part of a double change alongside Alonso Martínez, with the tandem coming on for Birk Risa and Talles Magno.
He played deeper in this match, operating as a defender rather than occupying a midfield role. He looked solid enough on the day, and pitched a clean sheet in his 18 minutes of work.
FotMob handed the Homegrown a 6.4 rating.
Keaton Parks (on 80′) – 5.0
Keaton came on in the 80th minute for center forward, Mounsef Bakrar, in an interesting substitution from Nick Cushing. He got off one decent shot from the top of the box, but it wasn’t enough to mount the comeback NYCFC needed to keep their playoff hopes realistic.
FotMob says Keaton earned a 6.4.
Player of the Match
Talles Magno
The people have spoken: Talles Magno is officially back in the good graces of NYCFC fans. Regardless of New York City’s playoff situation this season, the bounce-back of Talles Magno down the stretch has been a bright spot for fans and players alike.
Everyone’s rooting for the kid, and it’s great to see him playing with more confidence. Now, I just hope he stays…
Head Coach
Nick Cushing – 2.7
I felt for Nick after the Miami match, where his team was mere seconds away from an absolute statement win on the road. I thought we did more than enough to win that match.
How does that one cliché about falling and getting back up go again? After a gut punch in Miami, how did we respond? We lost to a DC United side that, by the end of the night, was eliminated from playoff contention and without a head coach.
In my opinion, the starting XI was spot on, but the substitutions were questionable. But above all, the team didn’t rise to the occasion on the mentality level.
No matter how you split it, squad mentality is the responsibility of the manager, and it’s been lacking all season.
Referee
Fotis Bazakos – 3.8
I don’t know what y’all are talking about—we literally had a DC goal called back for no reason and still lost 2-0. The referee did not impact this result.
Broadcast Announcers
Eric Krakauer, Lloyd Sam (Apple TV) – 5.0
A middle-of-the-road rating for this Apple duo, though it’s an improvement on the 3.9 mark they earned from readers for calling NYCFC’s match with Charlotte FC back in July. Voters seemed to have fewer issues with ex-Red Bull and DC United player Lloyd Sam this time around.
