New York City FC at Chicago Fire: Player Ratings

Meara had one error but made many good saves

New York City FC suffered its fourth loss in five games at the hands of the Chicago Fire.

Player Ratings (1-10)

Ryan Meara (8)

Meara’s debut howler determined the outcome of the game, and like all howlers, will be replayed ad nauseam. Nevertheless, his six saves prevented a considerably heavier defeat, including one excellent stop in the 82^nd minute when he parried David Accam’s point-blank header with his leg.

Jeb Brovsky (5.5)

Showed very good composure with the ball at his feet during Chicago’s early pressure, but was troubled by Harrison Shipp’s movement and creativity from the start. Spent the entire game defending once Andrew Jacobson got sent off, and moved to the left when Javier Calle limped off in the before the half.

Chris Wingert (6.5)

Defended effectively and without much ceremony throughout the game. Wingert’s biggest strength is being in the right place at the right time, as evidenced by his ability to intercept a lot of Chicago’s attacks. The veteran had to make up for Watson-Siriboe’s positional mistakes on occasion, and began to miss some tackles due to exhaustion.

Kwame Watson-Siriboe (6.5)

Blended the good with the bad. Watson-Siriboe sometimes found himself out of position but ended the game with four blocks in the penalty box. An early giveaway to Shaun Maloney was symptomatic of Watson-Siriboe’s lapses in concentration, but his timely block in the 31^st minute showed his quick reactions – as did his last ditch tackle on Accam during the game’s dying minutes.

Javier Calle (4)

Had very little impact on the game before limping off in the 38^th minute with what appeared to be a groin strain.

Khiry Shelton (5)

Was never able to impose himself offensively, but not for a lack of trying. Shelton saw a lot of the ball early on and spent most of his time defending in the second half with few opportunities to use his speed. A run down the right hand side in the 47^th minute was the winger’s only real contribution to the team’s attack.

Andrew Jacobson (1)

A missed kick and a rash tackle earned the defensive midfielder a red before he even had a chance to break a sweat.

Mix Diskerud (6.5)

Back in the lineup after recovering from an ankle injury, Diskerud was New York’s most dynamic outfield player. He covered a lot of ground, constantly searched for the ball, and passed vertically when he could, which decreased his passing accuracy percentage. Diskerud also exhausted himself defensively, closing down passing angles and harassing Chicago’s ball carriers. His two shots from distance were the team’s only real scoring threats.

Ned Grabavoy (6)

Started on the left and moved to the center of midfield after Jacobson saw red. Grabavoy did much of the dirty that goes unheralded, and seldom gave the ball away, which helped keep Chicago from dominating. In the 43^rd minute Grabavoy found Mehdi Bellouchy with a nifty lob pass, but the latter was unable to test Sean Johnson.

Mehdi Bellouchy (5.5)

Started in the middle of the park with Jacobson and Diskerud, and was involved in most of New York’s offensive processes in the first half. Bellouchy faded after the break, and perhaps should have done better when Grabavoy found him in unmarked in the box shortly before halftime.

Adam Nemec (4)

An early injury prevented Nemec from making a mark on the game, although the Slovak had held up the ball well before being subbed off.

Patrick Mullins (5)

Mullins looked lively as soon as he replaced Nemec, and elicited some applause when he pulled a ‘sombrero’ off before blasting a shot high and wide in the 46^th minute. The forward faded as a result of lack of service as his teammates burned out with exhaustion.

Matthew Dunn (5)

Slotted in on the right after Calle was subbed off. Dunn became the victim of Chicago’s incessant runs down New York’s right side, and was isolated every time Shelton tried to attack in the second half.

Sebastian Velasquez (4.5)

Replaced Ballouchy in the 71^st minute and helped keep possession when Chicago was growing in dominance. However, there was little the Colombian could do with everyone around him suffering from fatigue.