New York City vs Philadelphia player ratings

New York City FC player ratings are determined by you, the Hudson River Blue readers: Here are your NYCFC player ratings after the team beat the odds (again) to beat heavily-favored Philadelphia Union 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs to advance to the Conference Final, where they will face Inter Miami.

Just two weeks after Hudson River Blue readers handed New York City players the best numbers of the year after the 3-1 road win over Charlotte FC, with the Starting XI averaging a stellar 7.9, this team hit new highs following the shock 1-0 upset of Philadelphia, with the Starting XI averaging an exceptional 8.1.

You gave season-high ratings to four starters: Matt Freese (9.4), Maxi Moralez (8.9), Raul Gustavo (8.0), and Thiago Martins (8.4). Even more intriguing, your player ratings for nine of the Starting XI topped the numbers handed out by the FotMob bot, reversing a years-long trend of our readers judging the players more harshly than the algorithm.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Pascal Jansen’s 9.3 isn’t just a personal best, it’s the highest rating for a head coach since HRB started publishing player ratings three years ago.

NYCFC stun Philadelphia at Subaru Park, book spot in Eastern Conference Final

Maxi Moralez reprised the role of playoff hero, Matt Freese made multiple match-saving stops, and a depleted New York City FC squad pulled off a major road upset against the Supporters’ Shield winners.

Hudson River BlueAndrew Leigh

Remember, New York City entered this knockout game with a squad so depleted that the club announced a few hours before kickoff that Sebastiano Musu, the NYCFC II forward with a total of 13 minutes of playing time with the First Team, had been signed to a Short-Term Agreement to fill out the roster. Jansen’s NYCFC not only thoroughly outplayed a full-strength Philadelphia in the team’s most important game to date, they did it with a patched-together squad. Or, as Matthew Doyle put it, “The Shield-winning Union just lost at home to a team starting a left back and a child in central midfield, and their No 10 as their No 9.”

Freese is your Player of the Match for the second time in these playoffs and the ninth time this year for his five-save clean sheet. Once again, this was a game that NYCFC lost on paper. Philadelphia ended the match with an xG of 2.35 according to Major League Soccer, or 2.04 according to FotMob. And once again, it’s New York City who found a way to score while keeping the hosts quiet, and who will continue this fairytale run through the postseason for at least one more week.

Note: FotMob ratings are in parentheses.

Player Spotlight

Tayvon Gray

This week, the Player Spotlight could belong to almost anybody in the Starting XI. From Shore stepping up in midfield, to Agustín Ojeda turning on the afterburners in the buildup to Maxi Moralez’s game-winning goal, to Nico Fernandez Mercau’s perfect through-ball assist, to the mind-boggling speed of Thiago Martins, to Raul Gustavo’s fearless physicality, to Justin Haak’s high-level versatility, to Kevin O’Toole’s adaptability in attack, virtually the entire team are deserving of the honor.

But Tayvon Gray earns this game’s spotlight for his contributions on both sides of the ball. Not only did the right-back make six recoveries and six defensive contributions, with two tackles, two interceptions, one block, and one clearance. It was Gray’s composure with the ball while in transition that sparked the attack that led to the game-winning goal: The 23-year-old beating three Philadelphia players to progress play into the attacking third and release Ojeda.

The fact is, Gray is having himself a postseason. From closing down Wilfried Zaha when playing Charlotte FC, to coping with a Philadelphia attack featuring five dangerous players who combined for 51 goals, Gray has been lights out ever since the MLS Cup Playoffs began.

In 2021, Gray proved himself to be a big-game player as NYCFC made an unexpected run to the title. In 2025, he’s doing it once again.

NYCFC 1-0 Philadelphia: 3 Thoughts

New York City FC brought the game to Philadelphia Union, scoring first then bunkering down to keep calm in a chaotic second half — and keep the hosts off the scoresheet to win this Eastern Conference Semifinal.

Hudson River BlueMatthew Mangam

Player of the Match

Matt Freese

First, some stats. Freese made five saves in this game, ending the night with a clean sheet despite facing an xGOT of 1.31. With that, Freese now leads all goalkeeper in the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs games with three clean sheets.

2025 MLS Cup Playoffs | Goalkeeper Stats

But the numbers only tell part of the story: The quality of Freese’s saves were exceptional. We could describe them, but it’s better to watch them yourselves. Roll the tape:

And that is why Freese is your Player of the Match, taking 39.4% of the vote in a three-way race with Nico and Maxi.