NYCFC vs Inter Miami Player Ratings

New York City FC player ratings are determined by Hudson River Blue readers — here are your NYCFC player ratings for the 1-1 draw with a Lionel Messi-less Inter Miami CF in South Florida on Matchday 6.

A draw with Inter Miami CF in 2024 seems like a solid result, but New York City FC finds itself in need of more than occasional one-point gains given the slow start to the team’s season.

Nick Cushing’s side walked out of Chase Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. with a point thanks in large part due to a few gargantuan saves from goalkeeper Matt Freese and a well-taken equalizing goal from a little-used player making his first start for the club, attacker Alonso Martínez.

This was a Miami playing without Lionel Messi, though that seemed to intensify the efforts of striker Luis Suárez, who peppered Freese with shots and did manage to give the home team the lead thanks to yet another NYCFC set piece defending breakdown.

Your player ratings showed Freese more love for his brilliance in goal, rewarded Martínez for his nice finish and vital role in securing the road point, and also pointed a particularly unhappy finger in the direction of the team’s first-choice striker, Mounsef Bakrar, who remains goalless this season (and received a match-low 4.1 rating from the voters).

It seems right that there would be a mix of admiration and disappointment reflected in player ratings for a road draw in which New York City FC was fortunate to keep the match level in the face of some great Miami chances, and also unfortunate to once again waste golden scoring opportunities in front of goal that could have seen them gain three points on the night.

Player of the Match honors might not come as much of a surprise, but you should read on to see who else got high and low grades in this draw that feels very much like the quintessential draw, where both teams walk away thinking they could have won and slightly disappointed they didn’t.

Player Spotlight

Alonso Martínez has been little used since signing with New York City in August 2023. The Costa Rican had made just four substitute appearances, totaling a meager 53 minutes played for NYCFC, until he was handed his first start for the meeting with Inter Miami.

The phrase “he had to wait for his chance” applies well to Martínez, and he took advantage of his latest, biggest chance by scoring the equalizer that helped his team earn a valuable road point.

It wasn’t just the goal, as Martínez was active and at times effective within the New York City pressing system. Martínez’s pressing almost earned him a second goal in the 49th minute, intercepting a Yannick Bright pass intended for Jordi Alba, then springing a counterattack with the help of a pass from Mounsef Bakrar, only to have his shot blocked by a retreating Sergio Busquets.

Three shots and one goal scored earned Martínez a 7.6 rating from the HRB voters, and likely bought him more opportunity as part of the rotating cast of players Nick Cushing has deployed on the right side of his attack in 2024.

Against Miami, Alonso Martínez became the fourth player Cushing has tried as his starter at right-wing through six games, and his performance both in his first MLS start, and in his dangerous if goalless substitute appearance vs. FC Cincinnati a week prior, likely earned him another look at a crowded position.

Player of the Match

Matt Freese

A second straight week sees Matt Freese voted your Player of the Match, with New York City’s No 1 goalkeeper who wears the No 49 jersey handed a sterling 9.1 rating following a second consecutive five-save performance on the road.

This time, Freese’s five saves translated to a point gained for New York City, and his performance against Miami might be more impressive when you consider that four of those five saves were to deny Luis Suárez.

The biggest stop of Freese’s great night came in the 80th minute, a point-blank denial of Suárez that ensured NYCFC kept things level and could see out a much-needed result away from home.

Miami finished the match with a team expected goals (xG) number of 2.48, and the one goal that Freese did allow was more due to his teammates failing to keep up with Suárez on a set play routine than anything the keeper did.

It’s strange to say Freese feels like the clear-cut MVP of the team through its first six games when considering New York City has yet to keep a clean sheet in any of those six games, all with Freese in goal. Despite the lack of clean sheets, Freese has been on his game consistently so far this season, and now has been voted your Player of the Match in three of his six games played.