Player Ratings: New England Revolution vs. Philadelphia Union

Matt Reis was easily the Revs top performer on Saturday. (Photo: Chris Aduama/aduama.com)

After each match the contributors to New England Soccer Today will rate the performances of the New England Revolution players who made an appearance on a 1 to 10 scale (1 horrendous, 5 average, 10 perfection). This week Sean Donahue and Brian O’Connell contributed ratings for the New England Revolution’s scoreless draw with the Philadelphia Union.

Matt Reis – Average Rating: 7 (Brian 7, Sean 7)
Walled up the net well, kept the lines of communication open with two new defenders in front of him and could’ve added an assist had Imbongo been better on his late shot. (Brian) … Reis made seven saves in the shutout, including denying a breakaway, and played a big role in keeping the shutout. (Sean)

Kevin Alston – Average Rating: 5.25 (Brian 5.5, Sean 5)
Admirable effort on the opposite wing, but as a result, didn’t get as forward as often. Did put a decent left-footed cross through early and had the distinction of recording the Revs’ first shot on frame in the 66th minute. (Brian) … Solid defensively, despite being out of position at left back, but passing, like much of the team, left a lot to be desired.

Darrius Barnes – Average Rating: 5.25 (Brian 5.5, Sean 5)
Shook off some early rust and played a quietly effective match. Won some key balls in the defending third, and provided good cover for his fellow backs. (Brian) … Beaten by Amobi Okugo on a corner kick late in the first half and should’ve marked Antoine Hoppenot tighter on the chance right before, but otherwise a decent showing filling in for Soares. (Sean)

Stephen McCarthy – Average Rating: 5 (Brian 4.5, Sean 5.5)
Beat on a pair of through balls on each side if halftime, and seemed curiously casual without Soares alongside him. Provided a good aeril presence inside the 18, though. (Brian) … Solid showing in a makeshift backline. (Sean)

Flo Lechner – Average Rating:  4.25 (Brian 5, Sean 3.5)
Looked out of sorts going forward, but made up for it with his propensity to constantly communicate with his teammates. Brought a much-needed veteran savvy to the backline. (Brian) … Passing was awful, even on set pieces and throw-ins, and didn’t always step up with the rest of the backline, keeping opponents onside. (Sean)

Lee Nguyen – Average Rating:  4.75 (Brian 5, Sean 4.5)
Fired a close range shot, but seemed off-kilter without Tierney behind him.  The direct stuff limited his ability to contribute and when he did have the ball, he was stuffed inside the attacking third. (Brian) … Passing wasn’t great and struggled to create chances outside of one easily saved shot. Picked up a yellow card for a reckless challenge. (Sean)

Clyde Simms – Average Rating: 4 (Brian 4, Sean 4)
Another listless performance limited the Revolution’s ability to win the midfield battle. Helpful in the rear, did little to aid the attack. (Brian) … One of his worst passing nights as a member of the Revolution and didn’t provide the needed link in transition for the backline to the attack. (Sean)

Benny Feilhaber – Average Rating: 5 (Brian 4.5, Sean 5.5)
Had the ball taken away far too often (14 times), and aside from the early ball through to Cardenas, never really put his footprint on the match. (Brian) … Set pieces were greatly improved and was one of the few players to have a decent night passing. Still needed more from him in the attack. (Sean)

Fernando Cardenas – Average Rating: 4 (Brian 4, Sean 4)
Brought edge to the attack early before he got lost among the long ball stuff. Passing wasn’t up to snuff (65%) and really struggled to create in the limited opportunities afforded to him. (Brian) … Decent spark early, but faded and positioning – and lack of width – was a problem. (Sean)

Diego Fagundez – Average Rating: 4.25 (Brian 4, Sean 4.5)
Pretty much absent all night as the midfield failed to provide service to its forwards. Tired out early in the second half. (Brian)… Effort was there early, but he faded, didn’t see much of the ball and struggled a bit with some physical defending. (Sean)

Jerry Bengtson – Average Rating: 4 (Brian 4, Sean 4)
Veered out wide, but without Sene available, his options from the flank were limited. Struggled to find chances with the attack on snooze for much of the night. (Brian) …Couldn’t get anything going offensively and showed ineffectiveness when pulled out wide by the defense. (Sean)

(sub) Ryan Guy – Average Rating: 3.5 (Brian 3, Sean 4)
Came on and added little, if anything, going forward. A surprisingly lethargic performance. (Brian) … Passing was poor and didn’t add to the attack off the bench. (Sean)

(sub) Kelyn Rowe – Average Rating: 4.25 (Brian 4, Sean 4.5)
Found a fortuitous opportunity stopped cold in the 85th minute. Aside from that, his efforts failed to snap the attack out of its funk. (Brian) … Poor passing, though he did manage a couple shots, including one dangerous effort. (Sean)

(sub) Dimitry Imbongo – Average Rating: 4.5 (Brian 4, Sean 5)
Added a little spark to the attack, and nearly stole the game-winner on a late rocket that sailed over the bar. But it was, on the whole, another substandard performance. (Brian) … Decent effort off the bench, including a long range blast that went just high. (Sean)