We saw another new lineup with changed spots for Andreas Ivanschitz and Joevin Jones. The Seattle Sounders gave the Red Bulls a run for their money, but ultimately failed to turn any of their 15 shots into goals. As always, it’s time to rate the individual performances that made up the loss.
The Sounders gambled a bit on being able to catch New York’s defense pushing high and getting the speedy young forwards in behind. This strategy worked for the most part, but unfortunately those balls into space resulted in ineffective shots — either going just wide or meeting the block of a well-positioned NYRB defender.
How do you rate Aaron Kovar or Jordan Morris, who did many things right, but couldn’t score? The defense was generally strong, but who gets the blame for the two Sam Grella strikes? How about the return of Nelson Valdez?
Here's the scale:
(Substitutes can be left blank if the player did not play enough to judge)
1 - not a pro (USL/NASL/MLS) quality performance
4 - average USL starter
6 - average MLS starter
9 - MLS All Star
10 - MLS MVP-quality performance