NYCFC 4-4 Toronto FC: Match Review and Player Ratings

Three Good Things:

• Simply entertaining: For fans of the sport watching a nice 3 PM match on ESPN, the game was certainly fun to watch. While not the best example of soccer in the United States (hard to be when defenses take a game off), watching 8 goals and 4 penalties is a nice way to spend an afternoon.
• I lied last week, David Villa got hotter: Another two goals, another goal off a free kick, and the Captain is flying as high as possible these days. He probably could have had at least one more had a shot or two gone his way.
• Iraola and Angelino’s debuts: Iraola played the full 90 at right back and will remain there for the duration of his time with the team. Angelino was a revelation, I fully expect him to start regularly at the left back position, his speed was killer.

Three Bad Things:

• I mean, how can you not start with the defense?: For both sides, the back lines were absolutely horrendous. Giovinco was player of the match for his hat trick, but I’ve been enjoying the joke that Watson-Siriboe should have been MotM for his performance for Toronto.
• Ball watching: The real demon of our defense. Every goal can be attributed to somebody not paying attention to their man in favor of keeping an eye on where the ball was. Watson-Siriboe was guilty of this and was rightly blamed, but Facey was little better
• A distinct lack of Lampard: Due to a training injury, the shining star of this match was knocked out before it began. He’ll likely sit out against New England and will make his debut against Orlando City, perhaps alongside Andrea Pirlo!

Man of the Match:

I’m not sure how it could be anyone but David Villa for the third match in a row!

Player Ratings

Goalkeeping:

Josh Saunders: 6

Understand this when looking at Josh Saunders 6 in this match: most of the goals given up during this one were not his fault. Not only was he powerless on several of the attempts, but he correctly guessed both of Giovinco’s penalty kicks, just narrowly missing saving the second. A decent performance, but only that, you can go no higher allowing 4 goals.

Defense:

Iraola: 6                     Facey 5                    Watson-Siriboe: 3                    Wingert: 4

What a disgraceful performance from this back line. Iraola was the only starter to play to a level I felt comfortable calling acceptable. Facey and Watson-Siriboe were caught ball-watching so frequently you’d think they were in the stands rather than on the field. Wingert was regularly abused along the wing and was even worse when he moved inside to make room for Angelino. Say what you will, but the back line help can’t get here soon enough.

Midfield:

Ballouchy: 5                    Grabavoy: 5                    Jacobson: 5                    McNamara: 6

As bad as the back line was, the midfield was hardly any better. McNamara fared well, as his responsibilities were more attack-oriented and we at least played a strong game in that aspect. He also covered decently when Angelino was in, as they essentially swapped positions based on who was further back at the moment. Grabavoy, Jacobson, and Ballouchy were communally below-average. Jacobson did nearly nothing to help his floundering defensemen, and Ballouchy,  who’s strength comes in attack, was all but invisible. Grabavoy’s critics grow with each passing week, how much time will he get when help arrives?

Attack:

Villa: 8                    Mullins: 7

The best group of all. If the former 2/3 of the roster played badly, Villa and Mullins played exactly their opposite. David Villa looks better every game. His free kicks are lethal, his ball control sublime, and when he decides he’s going to score, he does. Mullins was solid as well, putting home Villa’s missed PK off a Toronto defender and then scoring the beautiful tying goal moments after City fell behind. It was a treat to see two dueling offenses look so good.

Subs:

Angelino: 7                  Poku: 6                    Alvarez: N/A

Alvarez wasn’t on quite long enough to get a grade, but that’s probably for the best based on his performance, he was as invisible as the man he replaced in Ballouchy. Poku put in solid work in his time, coming mere meters away from a game-winning fifth goal in the box. Angelino was beautiful. The speed was stunning, the ball control immaculate, and his aggression was refreshing. If one good thing came from this match, it’s that we found our LB.

Be sure to follow Andres at @TheAndresSoto and myself @Coltons13 on twitter for everything NYCFC Fan Podcast related and NYCFC related! If you enjoyed this, please check out my own blog, Great Balls of Fire! Let’s go, NYCFC!