Two of the Eastern Conference’s top sides locked horns in torrential conditions, as Nashville SC and New England Revolution played to a 0-0 draw Wednesday.
Below are our player ratings.
Each member of the Speedway Soccer crew gives each player that saw the pitch a rating based on their match performance. Below is a quick guideline for our evaluation process.
- A rating of 6 denotes an average performance. Each player starts out with a 6 and their performance either adds or subtracts from that rating.
- Scores are determined after re-watching the match and looking at the stats, and are the averaged total of each Speedway member’s ratings.
Joe Willis – 8: Willis didn’t necessarily have to make any spectacular saves, but his positioning on all of New England’s shots was excellent en route to his league-leading eighth shutout and man of the match honors.
Dave Romney – 7: Romney continues his iron man campaign and did a good job tracking the New England attack spearheaded by Gustavo Bou and Adam Buska.
Jalil Anibaba – 7: Anibaba was almost the subject of a foul in the box that would’ve been a game-altering penalty, but VAR determined simulation and a handball in the buildup.
Jack Maher – 7.5: The youngster also did excellent at nullifying New England’s potent attack.
Taylor Washington – 7.5:  Washington’s strong showing as a starting left back/winger continued as he made some great runs down the flank to set up the Nashville attack. The front office might have a decision to make if he continues to play like this and his value rises.
Matt LaGrassa – 7: LaGrassa led the way with four tackles, but he has to be careful as some of them were pretty reckless.
Brian Anunga – 7.3: Another good outing for Anunga, who completed 85% of his passing and registered one tackle. He did commit an unnecessary foul early in the match for a free-kick, but nothing came of it.
Eric Miller – 7.3: Made some good runs and won half of his duels. Overall, Miller has played wonderfully during this run, and his play should give fans some confidence in him when he gets some starting nods in the future for squad rotation.
Alex Muyl – 6.5: Muyl, who scored against New England in the previous meeting, shifted more centrally and completed 83% of his passes, but wasn’t a real factor in the attack other than a key switch of play in the second half.
Ake Loba – 6.5: Loba got in 45 minutes of action and was withdrawn to potentially save his energy for the clash with Miami Sunday. During his time, he showed off some slick turns, but his passing accuracy (63%) was less than ideal.
Jhonder Cadiz – 5.3: Cadiz led the way with five shots, but all of them were less than convincing. He’ll need to do a bit more if he wants to continue his stay in the Music City.
SUBS
Hany Mukhtar – 7.3: Won 67% of his duels when he was introduced in the second half and made a key pass after putting some pressure on New England’s backline.
CJ Sapong – 6.3: It’s obvious Sapong and Mukhtar have some chemistry going, as the two linked up well again upon Sapong’s introduction.
Anibal Godoy – 6.5: Godoy made his first appearance back since his injury and completed 89% of his passes. Will he be ready to unseat Anunga from his spot after his excellent performances?
Dan Lovitz – 6.3: Lovitz’s substitution appearance left little to be desired, as his passing wasn’t great and he couldn’t adjust to a late cross. Better days will be ahead though for him.
Randall Leal – 6.5: Made a good cross late in the match, but didn’t really have enough time to grow into it.
MANAGER
Gary Smith – 8: Smith knew that a point against the Eastern Conference’s top side on the road in the rain would be a point well-earned. Not saying that he wouldn’t want three, but considering the heavy squad rotation and the formation he put out that focused on absorbing pressure, a point would certainly suffice.
What say you? Do you agree or disagree with our match ratings? Feel free to reach out to us on Twitter and let us know your thoughts!
