The only thing worse than when the fans turning on their team is when the fans don’t care.
That’s exactly what happened over the weekend, when the Hudson River Blue player ratings form received a record-low turnout after New York City FC‘s lifeless loss to CF Montréal on Decision Day.
To be clear, the numbers you handed out aren’t absurdly small, and nowhere near as brutal as the ratings you dolled out after the home loss to Philadelphia Union in September when the team average was a dismal 3.7. What stands out instead is the poor rate of participation, which is around 25% of the season average.
That’s right: About 75% of our regulars decided they had better things to do with their Saturday night than spend two minutes reflecting on how this New York City squad played on Decision Day.
Your indifference is noted.
And it should concern a club looking to fill the stands at Citi Field on November 2, when New York City host FC Cincinnati in Game Two of Round One of the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Note: FotMob ratings are in parentheses.
Andrew Leigh
Alonso Martínez (5.9) – 4.7
Santiago Rodríguez (6.4) – 5.0
Hannes Wolf, off 69′ (6.5) – 4.0
Maxi Moralez, off 79′ (6.2) – 5.3
Keaton Parks (7.3) – 5.2
James Sands (7.7) – 6.2
Tayvon Gray, off 61′ (6.3) – 4.2
Kevin O’Toole (7.2) – 4.5
Thiago Martins (6.6) – 3.7
Justin Haak, off 69′ (5.7) – 4.5
Matt Freese (6.0) – 5.3
Mitja Ilenič, on 61′ (5.9) – 4.2
Andrés Perea, on 69′ (6.1) – 5.2
Julián Fernandez, on 70′ (6.2) – 3.8
Birk Risa, on 79′ (5.9) – 5.2
Player Spotlight
James Sands
The Guy from Rye was one of the few New York City players to put in a shift. James Sands received a squad-high rating from both HRB readers (6.2) and the FotMob algorithm (7.7). He had a solid game statistically, with the best pass completion rate on the team (94%), the most passes (91), the most long balls (7), and the most tackles (2).
He was forced to cover for a defense that was making basic mistakes, and tried to jump-start an attack that looked out of ideas. He even took a shot — it was just his 11th this season, and earned him an xG of 0.2.
But Sands couldn’t do it alone, and now the team will need to find a way to regain the focus and intensity on display in the weeks leading up to the international break if they are to advance when they open the MLS Cup Playoffs one week from today.
Matthew Mangam
Nick Cushing – 3.3
Throughout this season the New York City head coach has shown a knack for neutralizing the opposition’s biggest scoring threat: From Lionel Messi to Christian Benteke, Nick Cushing has successfully positioned his team to take the league’s best attackers out of the game.
Laurent Courtois gave Cushing a taste of his own medicine on Decision Day, rendering Alonso Martínez mostly invisible for the first time since emerging as one of the best strikers in the league.
Cushing didn’t have a response to Courtois putting 10 players behind the ball and clogging the box. Montréal allowed New York City to triumph in the possession battle and come out on top in xG. But the only numbers that count are on the scoreline, and Montréal ended the night with a well-deserved 2-0 win.
Allen Champman – 4.7
No awards, no complaints.
Player of the Match
None
For the first time this season this category is empty.
The reason is simple: There is no clear winner. Four players received the same number of votes, dividing the low turnout equally. And by “low” we mean what the total count might be after the zombie apocalypse empties out New York City, and you log your player ratings via shortwave radio on the days when you find enough fuel to run the generator for a few minutes.
Not only that, many of you who registered your player ratings decided not to vote for the Player of the Match. You couldn’t be bothered.
To honor your disinterest, there is no POTM on this Decision Day.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Ouch. And I thought *I* was frustrated!
It was a very mid game. An underwhelming but not totally infuriating performance by the team during a week when the rest of New York sports was going crazy.
that C word was intentional i’m afraid? pls tell me ya meant ‘count’ plz… and sorry yes i didn’t care to much participate, had too much beer during the game lol. gosh, i hated Clark, since his short tenure in the Bullies & especially after he said he’d hated NYCFC… then hated most when we gave him a chance to rise… F^*k
Freudian typo!Yes, it should be “count” as in one-two-three. Correction made.