New York City FC player ratings are determined by you, the Hudson River Blue readers: Here are the NYCFC player ratings from the team’s gritty 2-1 come-from-behind win over Orlando City on a sweaty night in Central Florida.
It was a typical away game for New York City FC — until it wasn’t. Coming into this one, NYCFC had just one away win in 10, scoring a mere six goals in that time. Orlando City, on the other hand, had only two losses at home all season, and these stats were apparent for the entirety of the first half.
If Hudson River Blue published first-half player ratings, the numbers would be a dumpster fire. While it was NYCFC who retained 52% first-half possession, they did virtually nothing with it. Orlando outshot the visitors 15 to three while creating 1.55 xG, and finally broke the deadlock with a goal in the 36th minute.
Sorry to say, the uninspiring first-half performance was nothing out of the ordinary for NYCFC this season. But as the second half played out, a combination of consistent goalkeeping from Matt Freese and Orlando’s inability to put the game to bed left the door open for a resurgent New York City side.
The Player Ratings benefited from the epic comeback, with the team’s average score a healthy 6.5, and three players earning a 7.0 or above. The player ratings are a mixed bag this time around, which is expected: A bipolar performance such as the one we saw Wednesday night is bound to give fans mixed emotions.
The ratings feel a bit unfair for Julián Fernández and Andrés Perea, both of whom played a massive hand in the triumphant comeback. Fernandez, who received a 6.7 player rating, was subbed on at halftime and was a threat throughout the second 45 minutes. His directness and creativity on the right led to three chances.
In the first minute of second-half stoppage time, Fernández picked up Orlando’s corner kick in his own box, and bolted down the field. Keeping his composure, Fernandez carried the ball out of pressure and slotted in a precision through ball to Alonso MartĂnez, who did the rest. The match-winning assist was Fernandez’s fourth of the season, leading NYCFC in that category.
Matt Freese was Wednesday night’s Player of the Match, with a player rating of 8.3. The only other players to receive POTM votes were MartĂnez, who earned a 7.6 rating, and PerĂ©a, who earned a 6.4. Having struggled in front of goal for most of the match, MartĂnez put that all behind him to score the winner in added time.
Note: FotMob ratings are in parentheses.
Mark Radigan
Alonso MartĂnez (8.0) – 7.6
Hannes Wolf, off 86′ (6.6) – 6.0
AgustĂn Ojeda, off 46′ (6.9) – 5.6
Maxi Moralez, off 70′ (6.8) – 6.2
Andrés Perea (7.2) – 6.5
Aiden O’Neill, off 85′ (6.5) – 5.9
Strahinja Tanasijević, off 46′ (6.4) – 5.2
Kevin O’Toole (7.2) – 6.3
Thiago Martins (7.0) – 6.8
Justin Haak (7.1) – 7.1
Matt Freese (8.1) – 8.3
Julián Fernández, on 46′ (7.8) – 6.9
Tayvon Gray, on 46′ (7.0) – 6.3
Mounsef Bakrar, on 70′ (6.2) – 5.8
Jonny Shore, on 85′ (N/A) – 6.4
Seymour Reid, on 86′ (N/A) – 5.9
Player Spotlight
Andrés Perea
Andrés Perea is playing his way to becoming a consistent starter in the heart of New York City FC’s midfield. This match marked the fourth match out of the last five in which he’s started and gone on to play the full 90 minutes.
Perea brought that extra bit of physicality and legs that the Pigeons midfield desperately required to triumph in the game. Perera’s energy was a spark plug to the second half comeback and was clearly leaving it all out on the pitch at Inter&Co Stadium.
The Tampa native was at the heart of dangerous counterattacks, his lung-busting runs and ball-carrying ability exploiting a stretched Orlando side who were desperately trying to get the decisive second goal. In the 63rd minute, Perea stormed down the left flank and delivered a peach of a ball with his weaker left foot for MartĂnez, how somehow missed a tap-in from six yards out.
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AndrĂ©s Perea created the chaos that lead to NYCFC’s first goal | Courtesy newyorkcityfc.com
In the 87th minute, Perea rose above everyone to get on the end of Fernández’s inswinging corner kick, a header across goal that required a spectacular diving save from Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. The chaotic sequence led to the save pinballing around the box and off Orlando defender Kyle Smith into his own net. While Perea’s involvement in New York City’s equalizer won’t go down in any stat books, he played a vital role in the chaos.
Perea earned himself a 6.5 player rating for his effort, and many may argue he played above that score. New York City FC fans will be hopeful the midfielder can maintain form into the latter stage of the season.
Andrew Leigh
Pascal Jansen – 7.4
It’s easy to assume this rating would’ve been incredibly lower at the end of the first half. Jansen made just one change from the Starting XI that featured against Charlotte, a match that saw NYCFC actually boss possession and create big chances, but were ultimately unable to find the back of the net in a 2-0 defeat. Whether or not you want to blame the first half on Jansen or the players, it was simply a poor performance.
However, Jansen was incredibly proactive and did not hesitate to make changes at the break like many others would, bringing on Tayvon Gray and Fernández, two players who positively impacted the second half. It was Fernández’s composed run and through-ball assist that allowed MartĂnez the breakaway winner. With 20 minutes to go, Mounsef Bakrar was brought in as attacking reinforcement. MartĂnez would’ve been the like-for-like switch, and he had just missed a huge chance, but Jansen kept his faith in him, and it paid off.
Jair Marrufo – 6.7
Player of the Match
Matt Freese
It has become increasingly easy to write about Matt Freese in recent times. The 26-year-old goalkeeper started every game for a United States men’s national team side that went all the way to the Gold Cup Finals, only to fall to noisy neighbors Mexico. Regardless of the loss to Mexico, this summer was a prosperous one for Freese, who has clearly gained the trust of USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, and now has his sights on next summer’s FIFA World Cup.
In the meantime, Freese is back to his day job at New York City FC, where he continues to excel. Freese returned to his post in the previous outing against Charlotte FC, when he struggled in a 2-0 defeat. However, Freese bounced back Wednesday night to earn his fifth Player of the Match this season.
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Matt Freese comes through for NYCFC | Courtesy newyorkcityfc.com
While most of New York City’s outfield players struggled to get going for the first half, it was Freese who kept the Pigeons in the game. Freese made four first-half saves, then added two in the second, each time making sure to give his team an earful, encouraging them to step up their efforts. The American now ranks fourth in Major League Soccer in save percentage, stopping 73.3% of shots faced, showcasing his ability to truly affect the outcomes of a game.
Early in the second half, Orlando’s MartĂn Ojeda, who was visibly offside, was slotted through for a one-on-one. Freese, of course, did not hesitate despite the clear infraction, moved into the challenge and made the save — and immediately let the assistant referee hear it.
It is the little things like this, putting his body on the line and being a vocal leader, that make Matt Freese stand out from the rest, and is a huge reason why Freese earned more than 60% of the Player of the Match vote.
