New York City FC player ratings are determined by you, the Hudson River Blue readers: Here are the NYCFC player ratings from the 1-0 away win over Charlotte FC in Round One of the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.
New York City returned to their winning ways when it mattered most, snapping a two-game losing streak by beating Charlotte for the first time at Bank of America, and becoming the first team in the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs to get three points on the road.
Your player ratings align with the impressive away win, with the Starting XI earning 7.2 on average. Even then, your numbers trail what the FotMob bot handed out — with the notable exception of Alonso Martínez, who earned an 8.7 from our readers and is the runaway pick for Player of the match. And your 8.0 for Matt Freese is a full half-point lower than that of FotMob, which named him POTM. No worries: He's in our Player Spotlight this week.
Head Coach Pascal Jansen's 8.2 marks the seventh time this year he earned higher than an 8.0 rating — by comparison, Nick Cushing pulled off that feat twice last year, and just once in 2023. Even the referee found some love from our readers, with Jon Freemon's 6.2 beating out the 5.5 you gave him after the loss to Philadelphia Union on Matchday 33. As the saying goes, a satisfying 1-0 win in the playoffs raises all boats.
Note: FotMob ratings are in parentheses.
Alonso Martínez, off 90' (8.0) – 8.7
Nico Fernández Mercau, off 90' (7.5) – 7.0
Andrés Perea (8.4) – 7.5
Maxi Moralez, off 82' (6.8) – 6.7
Aiden O'Neill (7.5) – 7.0
Kevin O'Toole (7.5) – 6.9
Tayvon Gray (7.9) – 6.6
Justin Haak (7.2) – 6.8
Raul Gustavo, off 72' (7.2) – 6.4
Thiago Martins (7.3) – 7.2
Matt Freese (8.5) – 8.0
