New York City FC player ratings are determined by Hudson River Blue readers — here are your NYCFC player ratings after the wasteful 1-1 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps in the Bronx.
Starting XI
Mounsef Bakrar (off 74′) – 7.2
NYCFC’s shiny new striker scored his second goal in as many games: It’s good to see Mounsef Bakrar in the lineup. And it’s maybe a little concerning that the fans grew accustomed to a toothless attack that they swoon like teenagers in love when they see a forward doing forward things. FotMob gave the striker a 7.3.
Andres Jasson – (off 56′) – 4.5
From here to zero 4.5 in just three days: Your POTM on Wednesday was a source of frustration on this disappointing afternoon. It wasn’t just that Andres Jasson skied a sitter he should have converted, it’s that he looked a little lost out there. The Connecticut Kid was pulled off early in the second half, and earned a 6.0 from FotMob.
Santiago Rodríguez – 6.1
NYCFC’s No 10 was back in the Starting XI, and he looked ok. As in, he was fine. We’re still waiting for Santiago Rodríguez, Designated Player, to step up and grab a game by the horns. In the meantime, we get solid performances like this one. FotMob gave the midfielder a 7.3
Maxi Moralez – 7.4
The NYCFC playmaker was back in the starting lineup and pulling the strings in the midfield. Hindsight is 20/20, but it’s hard to write about the afternoon’s performance without fixating on the knock he suffered in the dying minutes of the game — and that seemingly will send him to get season-ending knee surgery.
A less wasteful NYCFC would have been protecting a lead, not chasing a win. But after the attack failed to convert chances throughout the game, the 36-year-old Maxi Moralez lunged to get a ball and give the team one last chance — and couldn’t leave the field under his own power. FotMob gave the NYCFC legend a 7.5 for the second game in a row.
Maxi Moralez announces he needs knee surgery
Keaton Parks (off 46′) – 5.0
An off-day. After putting in a terrific shift on Wednesday, Keaton Parks never looked fully in synch this afternoon. Head coach Nick Cushing’s decision to pull the midfielder at halftime was the right one to make. FotMob gave Parks a 6.5.
Andrés Perea – 6.2
We could get used to seeing Andrés Perea in the middle of the pitch. The combative midfielder was (unfairly?) shown an early yellow card, which muted his game somewhat, but he still logged one of the better performances on the day. FotMob gave him a 7.3.
Wasteful NYCFC draw Vancouver Whitecaps in the Bronx
Braian Cufré – 5.6
John Baney, the regular Player Ratings scribe who is off yodeling his way through the Swiss Alps while you read this, often says he wants to see more from the left-back. Co-sign.
That’s because Braian Cufré is a player of almosts — almost an assist, almost a goal, almost a good night. He needs to find a way to round that corner and turn those almosts into elite performances. We believe he can do it, and we’ll be here for it when he does. FotMob gave Cufré an 6.7.
Tayvon Gray – 5.9
Baney also often points out that HRB readers are unfairly harsh with Tayvon Gray’s ratings. Co-sign.
Tayvon Gray had one of the better performances on the team, and yet was handed a sub-par rating by y’all. FotMob gave the 21-year-old a 7.5.
Birk Risa (off 70′) – 6.0
More hindsight: Birk Risa’s solid shift at left center-back was cut short by a knock in the box – and what seemed to us a clear foul – in the play that led to referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere awarding a penalty to Vancouver. (See below.) Maybe his limited minutes deflated your ratings? FotMob awarded the defender a 7.0.
Thiago Martins – 6.1
Another good day from the right center-back. FotMob gave Thiago Martins a 7.1.
Matt Freese – 7.3
The goalkeeper was unlucky to face a penalty shot from Ryan Gauld. Matt Freese had an otherwise solid outing, making one save and keeping NYCFC in the game.
But we’re stroking our collective chins here at HRB happy hour over the team-best 7.3 — which wasn’t jut the top number on the day, it’s one of the better ratings for a goalkeeper all season. Not to take anything away from a good performance, but he seems to be unusually popular with our readers. He’s the only player to outperform his FotMob rating — the algorithm awarded him a 6.4.
NYCFC loan Gabe Segal to Hapoel Tel Aviv
Substitutes
James Sands (on 46′) – 5.1
After the defensive midfielder came on for Parks at the half the team looked more comfortable in attack. There’s a reason why the team scored when he was on the field.
Unfortunately, Sands also committed the foul that led to the Vancouver penalty. It shouldn’t have been called — Sands can’t be held accountable for poor refereeing, but the fact remains he was the one who was whistled. FotMob gave him a 5.9
Julián Fernández (on 56′) – 4.8
Someday all that puppy energy will be harnessed and Julián Fernández will start scoring goals. In the meantime, the 19-year-old will continue to try to dribble through four defenders and find himself dispossessed. FotMob gave the winger a 5.9
Alfredo Morales (on 70′) – 4.9
A defensive substitute called in after the injured Risa had to leave the game, Alfredo Morales slipped into the midfield so that Sands could move back into the defense. FotMob awarded him a 6.7
Richy Ledezma (on 74′) – 4.3
The attacking midfielder was brought on to replace Bakrar after the striker complained of hamstring problems. Cushing must have had his reasons for picking Richy Ledezma over Talles Magno or other attacking options, but the midfielder has yet to score in MLS, and he wasn’t the team’s savior on this day. FotMob gave a 6.1.
What is Maxime Chanot hinting at on social media?
Player of the Match
Mounsef Bakrar
We love a goal.
Any goal. Really, NYCFC are so starved for goals that any ball that hits the back of the net will do.
But it’s that much sweeter when there’s some skill and flair in the execution:
NYCFC’s summer makeover not translating to immediate improvement
Head Coach
Nick Cushing – 2.9
It wasn’t the best day for the gaffer. Cushing went with a Starting XI that was almost a duplicate of Wednesday’s successful team, but he was faced with a different result. Should he have started Jasson? It was hard not to play the winger after his performance against Montréal, but Jasson didn’t reward Cushing’s faith. Was Ledezma going to help win the game in a way Talles Magno couldn’t? It didn’t turn out that way.
NYCFC playoff tracker
Referee
Pierre-Luc Lauziere – 2.9
Can we get some consistency? The whistle-happy ref called 10 fouls in the opening 20 minutes, but then missed key incidents later on. The most glaring lapse was his decision not to call an offensive foul against the Whitecaps for taking down Risa in the box, then giving Vancouver a soft penalty a second later.
That decision changed the game. Boo.
Maxime Chanot was the heart and soul of NYCFC
Broadcast Announcers
Keith Costigan and Maurice Edu (Apple TV) – 3.2
Once again, the announcers didn’t seem fully prepared to call the game: Let’s consider this first season of Apple TV as an expansion year, a time for the tech giant to figure things out.
Glenn Crooks and Matthew Lawrence (NYCFC Radio) – 6.2
Nobody escaped the afternoon unscathed. Even the much-loved NYCFC Radio duo of Glenn Crooks and Matthew Lawrence were handed a season-low of 6.2.
