New York City FC player ratings are determined by Hudson River Blue readers — here are your NYCFC player ratings after the team put five goals past Sean Johnson’s Toronto FC in the club’s biggest offensive output since beating Real Salt Lake last year. There were good feels all around, and it’s reflected in your ratings.
Starting XI
Mounsef Bakrar (of 67′) – 8.5
It took some time, but we’ve finally found our No 9.
Wednesday’s match against Toronto marked exactly 366 days since the departure of Taty Castellanos to Girona on loan was made official. While that year and one day felt like an eternity for NYCFC fans, the wait for a forward appears to finally be over.
We saw a player who ran in-behind. We saw a player who held the ball up in possession. We saw a player who pressed with tenacity and intelligence. And we saw a player who scored a goal starting from the center forward position.
It may have taken us an entire revolution around the sun to get here – but Baki may have finally ended our striker woes. No pressure, kid! FotMob gave a 7.9 to the debutant.
Santiago Rodríguez (off 78′) – 9.1
This article is so much more fun to write when NYCFC are playing well – take a look at this score! A 9.1?? Who are you people and what have you done with the usual HRB voters?
In all seriousness, Santi earned every bit of that best-ever HRB rating with an absolutely dazzling display on Wednesday night. He scored two, assisted one, and humiliated sets of Toronto defenders who looked wholly petrified by the Uruguayan’s mazy dribbling and direct play. They simply could not handle him.
