If the memory of this Atlanta United and D.C. United’s scoreless draw has already left your brain, we’re here to jog it with the ratings from last Saturday’s affair. You’ll sense a theme here, as a majority of scores vary within a two score range from 5 to 7… to use another word, “mid”.
Here are the ratings, starting with mine followed by the average rating from our community player ratings form. As a reminder, here’s a look at the rating scale:
- 10 – world-class performance
- 9 – elite performance
- 6 – average
- 5 – slightly below average
- 3 – well below average
- 1 – poor in every level
Lucas Hoyos – Staff rating – 6.0 ; Community rating – 6.53
It was a quiet day at the office, with Hoyos called into action… exactly zero times. No shots faced, no saves, but hey, a clean sheet’s a clean sheet.
Elías Báez – Staff rating – 6.5 ; Community rating – 6.12
Active in possession as an attacking fullback, popping in six crosses from the left flank, Baez was involved in every phase for Atlanta. Baez nearly set up Embolo for an opener ten minutes in, but for naught.
Júnior Alonso – Staff rating – 7.5 ; Community rating – 6.17
Played 57 minutes in a third start in eight days, Alonso helped to completely stifle Tai Baribo and D.C.’s attack along with fellow centerback Enea Mihaj. The dominant night on the ball started in the back, and made Hoyos’ life much easier.
Enea Mihaj- Staff rating – 7.5 ; Community rating – 6.35
See above, but for 90 minutes. Mihaj saw more time on the ball than any other player for Atlanta United, and completed 73/80 passes on the night.
Tomás Jacob – Staff rating – 6.5 ; Community rating – 5.82
Couldn’t get quite as involved in attack as many would hope, but still contributed in possession and helped earn the clean sheet for the Five Stripes. Took two shots at the start of the second half, but neither threatened to find the back of the net.
Mauricio Amaro – Staff rating – 7.0 ; Community rating – 5.63
Earned a yellow for a rough challenge, but otherwise effective as a defensive midfielder, as shown by D.C.’s inability to do just about anything to generate attacking chances.
Cooper Sanchez – Staff rating – 6.5 ; Community rating – 6.18
Took two shots, both blocked. Completed nearly 90% of passes. Created three chances. Solid, except for a nearly wide open look at goal in the second half that took just a second too long, resulting in a blocked shot.
Jay Fortune – Staff rating – 6.0 ; Community rating – 5.47
Took two shots, both blocked. Completed nearly 90% of passes. No chances created, but did play 57 minutes this time out. Solid.
Alexey Miranchuk – Staff rating – 5.5 ; Community rating – 5.06
And now, we get into the attacking third. Alexey took three shots on the night from range, two off target, one low xG on target. Otherwise a quiet night.
Miguel Almiron – Staff rating – 5.0 ; Community rating – 5.0
Oh, Miggy. Simultaneously the most creative and least effective player on the field, somehow. Almiron managed to create four chances, and took five shots. However, his only effort on target was an attempt at an olympico, which Sean Johnson was able to easily manage. A frustrating night on the whole for all involved.
Breel Embolo – Staff rating – 5.5 ; Community rating – 5.24
Another night for an Atlanta player in attack unable to find the back of the net, but there wasn’t a whole lot for Embolo to do in D.C. A total of two shots, both on target, one effort a bicycle attempt that clanged off the post. Only one goal to his name so far this year, a stat that everyone will start paying more attention to as the matches go on.
Matt Edwards (SUB 57′) – Staff rating – 6.0 ; Community rating – 6.07
A half hour shift, the only memorable moment being a terrific dashing run up the right flank as the team pushed for a winner. His cross found Miggy, but the shot… let’s not talk about that. Edwards did seem more impactful in this match, however.
Adrian Gill (SUB 57′) – Staff rating – 6.5 ; Community rating – 7.12
Another sub appearance for Gill, who assisted in making Atlanta’s second half go overwhelmingly in the Five Stripes’ favor. It seems like this is his role now, for better or worse, but for now the young midfielder continues to impress, as shown by having the highest of our community ratings.
Tristan Muyumba (SUB 57′) – Staff rating – 6.0 ; Community rating – 6.06
Muyumba came in for the last half hour, but didn’t have much to contribute on a quiet night in front of goal.
Fafa Picault (SUB 73′) – Staff rating – 5.0 ; Community rating – 6.0
Played 17 minutes, took eight touches, sent in two crosses from the left side. Not much else.
Luke Brennan (SUB 87′) – Staff rating – 6.0 ; Community rating – 5.71
Luke Brennan had his name in lights in the final seconds of the match as he watched what would have been his first MLS goal go crashing off the crossbar, back off of him, and then cleared off the line just before the sound of the full time whistle. A brutal way to nearly walk the game off, but instead the team leaves with only a point.
Tata Martino – Staff rating – 6.0 ; Community rating – 4.80
A better showing on the whole from Tata Martino’s side following the Orlando City debacle in the Wednesday loss before. The Five Stripes flipped the script from that match to hold possession 69% of the time from a previous 40%, and outshot D.C. 20-4. With a proper ability to finish chances, the story would be much different from the one we have now. We’ll see what sticks from this match when Atlanta visits Portland on Saturday night.