New York City FC player ratings are determined by Hudson River Blue readers: Here are your NYCFC player ratings from the 2-1 loss to Austin FC in the first-ever matchup between these two clubs.
After a successful stint on home soil, New York City FC has begun another away trip in the loss column, losing 2-1 away at Austin FC.
With a quick strike in the 5th minute from Andrea Perea, it felt as if the Boys in Blue picked up from where they had left off at Citi Field and Yankee Stadium. But an injury to Tayvon Gray swiftly crushed that momentum, as Austin FC began to threaten Matt Freese and dominate in attack as the first half wound down. Another injury, this time to Kevin O'Toole, would follow suit, and NYCFC couldn't keep up. Austin forward Gyasi Zardes bagged his second goal in the 69th minute, sealing all three points for the host.
Though Nick Cushing's side managed to attempt 14 shots, with Alonso Martínez and Andreas Perea combining for six alone, the Boys in Blue were not clinical enough. Just four of NYCFC's 14 shots hit the target, with Austin registering four of nine.
Santiago Rodríguez was the squad's highest-rating attacker, according to Fotmob, with an 8.1 rating. You gave the Uruguayan a 6.1, a more appropriate rating for someone that, yes, created three chances, but managed zero shots and an xG of 0.0.
Note: FotMob ratings are in parentheses.
Alonso Martínez, off 77' (6.1) – 6.1
Santiago Rodríguez (8.1) – 6.0
Hannes Wolf, off 77' (6.8) – 6.4
Andrés Perea (7.3) – 7.2
Keaton Parks, off 83' (7.2) – 6.7
James Sands (7.0) – 6.6
Tayvon Gray, off 12' (7.0) – 6.9
Kevin O'Toole, off 46' (6.2) – 5.5
Thiago Martins (6.3) – 6.5
Strahinja Tanasijević (6.0) – 5.0
Matt Freese (6.1) – 7.0
Mitja Ilenič, on 12' (7.2) — 5.9
Justin Haak, on 46' (6.8) — 6.0
Agustín Ojeda, on 77' (6.0) — 6.3
Mounsef Bakrar, on 77' (5.1) — 5.3
Jovan Mijatović, on 84' (n/a) — 4.1
Matthew Mangam
Player Spotlight
Mitja Ilenič
After not seeing any action during New York City FC's previous two home contests, Mitja Ilenič was unexpectedly thrust into the defense, replacing the injured Tayvon Gray after 12 minutes.
He received a respectable 7.2 rating from Fotmob, but you gave the Slovenian international a 5.9. That seems a little harsh, considering Ilenič hadn't featured in two matches and still put forth a decent shift.
Going forward, Ilenič was the fifth-most creative player in the squad, creating one chance while managing 3/5 accurate crosses and 2/4 accurate long balls. The Slovenian also had three passes into the box, bested in the defense by only Strahinja Tanasijevic with five.
Defensively, Ilenič was solid as well. Ranking as the most effective defender in the squad, Ilenic won 100% of his tackles (2/2), won four duels, had two clearances, and made four recoveries. This was a strong performance on both ends, given the circumstances.
It would take some player to replace the output on display from Tayvon Gray in recent weeks. Gray has three assists in his last three games, including the cross for Perea's goal against Austin in the 5th minute. But Ilenič was a solid replacement, even with the loss.
Nick Cushing — 4.8
Following the 2-0 win over CF Montréal, Cushing talked about how the depth of his side was going to be tested over the upcoming away games. But one game into the away trip, and two starters are injured and the substitutes brought on weren't able to make any magic. NYCFC were a better team on paper than Austin FC, but once the early momentum stalled, Cushing simply wasn't able to adapt, and paid the price.
Timothy Ford — 5.9
No complaints here. Only one yellow card was issued from 12 combined fouls. Far cry from the poor officiating displays New York City saw in recent weeks.
Player of the Match
Keaton Parks
Sometimes the Player of the Match picks himself: Martínez in the 4-2 win over CF Montréal, Gray in the 4-2 win over Orlando City. Scoring goals and providing assists will do that.
And sometimes the POTM isn't so clear. This week, the vote was almost evenly split between Keaton Parks and Rodríguez, with Gray, Andrés Perea, and James Sands not far behind. But Keaton came out ahead, and is your POTM for the first time this season.
His 7.3 rating from FotMob was the joint third-highest on the team, and he did a little bit of everything: Keaton created two chances for an xA of .42, had a pass completion rate of 88%, won five duels, and made two recoveries.
To put it another way, he put up a good fight in a losing battle.
Oliver Strand
