Seattle Sounders FC at FC Cincinnati: community player ratings form

The Seattle Sounders did their first bit of traveling in MLS 2023 and came back with zero points to show for it. There seems to be a suspicion that FC Cincinnati will be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference this year, so they must be thrilled to have come out of this clash with a win. Troublingly, the Sounders, once down a goal, seemed to revert to some of their 2022 methods of play that only brought middling results. It would have been nice to see the team show the same endeavor that brought home wins in the opening two weeks, but alas.

This is the end of the article. Please rate some dudes.

What follows is opinion that should not color your ratings. In the 23rd minute, with the score still 0-0 and Seattle looking the better of the two sides, Cincy should have been down to ten men. Álvaro Barreal made a horrific tackle on Alex Roldan that had all the makings of a red card: no attempt to play the ball, studs showing, dangerous play. If Cincy had been at ten men for 67 minutes, as opposed to just seven, this would have been a very different match. Barreal’s overly physical play was indicative of their approach as a whole, and it’s frustrating that referee Joey Dickerson continuously allowed FC Cincinnati to play in this manner. Afforded no protection, the Sounders’ uphill battle simply became that much steeper.

Here is a direct link to the form; we hope this allows everyone to submit a response.

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