August 04, 2008
Player Ratings: Everton Friendly
by CVI's Josh Vaisman
Burpo – He didn’t really stand out to me positively or negatively. His distribution was decent and he wasn’t really tested much on frame. I think he was in a good position on the goal he gave up and maybe someone with a little more athletic ability would have gotten finger tips on the ball for a save but I can’t really fault him for it. Score = 6
Burciaga Jr. – He had a pretty poor game. He seemed almost uncomfortable moving with the ball at his feet and many of his passes lacked crispness. Worse of all he completely vacated his defensive position repeatedly and I believe it led to the Toffee’s second goal. He did have some nice crosses including on a corner kick. Score = 4
Ihemelu – People knock him a lot and I will concede he does make mistakes from time to time but in many ways I think that’s the nature of being a defender; the blame of a goal has to go to someone and you rarely get to score a goal to help subdue the fans’ memories of your blunders. Having said that, Ihemelu was solid, though unspectacular, at center fullback tonight. He shut down a few attacks with his aggressive play and utilized his speed frequently to chase down some pretty solid passes from Everton’s midfielders. Score = 6
Erpen – Quite simply, I can’t stand Erpen, and tonight’s match is just further proof to me what a liability he is. He was, without a doubt, the worst player on the pitch tonight. His decision making is suspect on a good day, many of his passes are errant at best and he simply will not stay back on defense. Worse, when he pushes up to the attack, he is often slow to return to his position. It seems to me that players often have to cover for his ineptitude. His ability in the air may be his only saving grace. Score = 2
Clark – Relentless running, as always, and aggressive play that kept Everton’s back line on their toes throughout the night. I’d like to see him get some more air on some of his crosses and he still occasionally makes a pass that leaves me dumbfounded but I like what he brings to the game. When he managed to not outrun his touches he was brilliant as evident by his 50 yard run through multiple defenders into the box that was unfortunately snuffed out by a horrible Herc move. Score = 7
Ballouchy – If Erpen was the worst player on the pitch, Ballouchy was a close second. This guy seems unable to play within his abilities and his vision is really not that great. I admired his willingness on the defensive side of the ball tonight, but the regularity with which he dispossesses the ball scares me. Score = 3
Mastroeni – I’m not sure if Nick Thomas (http://wewantrapidman.blogspot.com/) had it right but Pablo came to play tonight. It was fun watching him try and be aggressive and hold back due to the “friendly” nature of the match. I can only imagine the havoc he would have wrecked had this been an actual competitive meeting. He also seemed to have an extra hop in his step and was quick and decisive on the ball. He distributed well and helped cut down many attacks. Score = 7
C. Gomez – I feel bad for Christian because opposing teams know the only chance to stop him is to surround him with multiple defenders and beat him up and even then, he frequently finds ways to escape and distribute the ball. I even saw him sprint back on defense a couple times. I was happy to see much of the play go through him and I think he spread the wealth quite well. When he’s fit, he really is a step above most everyone else. Score = 7
Cooke – Terry, as always, had some brilliant crosses including the assist on Casey’s goal. His corners were up and down tonight, though, and he seemed to revert back to some of his lazy defensive play. I liked his creativeness during the run of play tonight and felt like, though he still focused on the old “run toward the corner and cross” bit, he attacked the middle of the field more than usual. Score = 6
Cummings – Omar played pretty well tonight, pushing hard and making intelligent runs. One aspect of his play tonight that I hope is a sign of things to come was his confidence and possession on the ball. He made some quality moves in traffic, maintained his footing and, most importantly, held on to the ball. His shot was off though, but I still would have liked to have seen more of him. Score = 7
Casey – Was awarded Man of the Match and it was well deserved. He was our best player tonight and, much like against Columbus, had the opposing keeper not made some world class saves, Casey would have had a multiple goal game. But it wasn’t just his shooting (which, by the way, was spectacular as evident in his one-timer for net) – his runs, headers and vision were exceptional. He makes some very clever passes in traffic. I hope he is a Rapid again next year because I believe when healthy and in form he is our best forward. Score = 8
SUBS:
Herc – It pains me to watch him try to run past people when he has clearly lost a step from that knee injury. Score = 5
Bouna – Seems to be gaining his confidence back. Was good, but not great. Score = 6
Dalby – Wasn't in for long and didn’t get many opportunities. Score = Incomplete
Labrocca – I really like this kid and look forward to watching him grow. He is very calm on the ball, has some good moves and quick feet, is solid defensively and has a killer instinct. He showed all those qualities tonight in his limited playing time. Score = 7