New York City FC player ratings are determined by Hudson River Blue readers — here are your NYCFC player ratings after the 1-2 loss to the Portland Timbers, the first home opener defeat in club history.
For the first 35 minutes of Saturday's game, New York City looked unstoppable. The attack charged hard at a Portland defense that looked like they were going to buckle and cede so many goals that replacement ref Esteban Rosano would need to evoke the little-used MLS mercy rule.
It didn't happen. NYCFC did score for the first time this season, breaking a two-game drought. But they didn't capitalize on what the quants call "Big Chances," and this fragile team couldn't protect a one-goal lead in the second half — or a 1-1 draw through eight minutes of stoppage time.
Your ratings reflect that collective performance. The numbers aren't as savage as they were last week, when New York City were outclassed by a high-pressing St. Louis City that fully earned their 2-0 shutout win. But they aren't exactly good. They're not even mediocre.
Only two players earned more than a 6.0, which is the benchmark for an ok performance: It's what you get when you show up and don't make any major errors. Another five earned above a 5.0, which is what you get for a bad day at the office. As for the other eight, well, those players might consider taping these ratings to their lockers to motivate them in training this week.
Notably, you reserved your harshest numbers for the substitutes: Julián Fernández, Tayvon Gray, Justin Haak, and Jovan Mijatović have four of the five lowest ratings. You expect more from this team.
