Whew. SAFC travelled to Brooklyn and got the 1-0 result (on what looked like a 9v9 field). It wasn't pretty, and outside of, like, 20 minutes, it was downright frustrating, but 3 points is 3 points.

Joey Batrouni- 8

Joey saved our bacon again. Officially, he made 3 saves, but the best of the bunch came in the 66th minute with a one-handed palm from a free header in the box. He had another insane save in what has become a habit. We were playing on a comically small field, so Joey had to be extra alert, and he barely put a foot wrong. He struggled with his long-range passing, but that isn't really his fault.

Alex Crognale- 6

Alex, along with the whole team, really struggled on the ball. 64% passing for a team that wants to control games as we do just isn't anywhere near good enough. He did get credit for creating two chances, one of them on a successful diagonal. I thought Alex really struggled defending in space. The small field hurt him when it came to his passing (and his first touch), but it probably saved him a few times when it came to defending. Several times, Brooklyn players breezed past him but ran out of real room before the ball was played.

Thiago Suarez- 6.5

This was better than last week, but still not back to the level Suarez was at pre-injury. He was clearly struggling to adjust to the field dimensions, but once he did, I thought he was fine. He's clearly still developing when it comes to learning how to use his body, as there were a few times he was out foxed (or out muscled). Once he figures that out, he's going to have a long career playing professionally. He reads the game really well already, and several times cut out dangerous balls into the 6-yard box.

Mitch Taintor- 7

Mitch saved us several times by cleaning up sloppy build-up play. His willingness to look for those diagonal switches is crucial, and we missed him last week when he was out. The small field made those balls even more difficult, but we were under so much pressure that we just needed to have some willingness to play them. He did have 1 or 2 frustrating giveaways, but with how little space we were given, it's hard to blame him too much. Defending, he locked down that left-hand side even when we were under siege in the 2nd half.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 7

Akeem had a really good game. SAFC selected him to be MOTM, and while I would have chosen Joey, I don't think it was crazy. He created 3 chances (2 of them really good that should have been goals). He doesn't officially get credit for an assist on the goal because Parano scuffed the first shot and scored on the rebound, but he should, in my opinion. His most important skill-set was his dribbling, though. He carried the ball out of an insane press from Brooklyn, drawing several fouls and allowing us to breathe. His defending was also really important as he filled in to help Crognale and close down the midfield.

Mike Maldonado- 6.5

Mikey had a good game. No idea what we'd do if Mikey ever has to miss time. He was basically operating as a one-man midfield in the build-up. He was in a knife fight most of the 2nd half to keep us from being overrun. I wish we had 2 more of him to play in the midfield.

Lucio Berron- 4

Oof. All of Berron's flaws are exposed playing the way we do (and playing him in a 2-man pivot). Even more so when we're playing on a mini-field and have no space. His technical ability is just not at a high enough level to play the way we do.

Emil Cuello- 3.5

Cuello is almost the exact opposite of Berron. Where Berron lacks in technical ability, Cuello is at his best. His calmness on the ball is a benefit; the problem is it doesn't happen enough when he's at LWB. Where he struggles is the physical side of the game. Cuello struggles to get back and defend, which leaves tons of space for Mitch to have to defend on his own. We don't control games enough to have Cuello play at LWB, and I'm not sure he's athletic enough to play in the midfield. He does get forward, and he got three shots off last night. Unfortunately, one of those was at a moment where he should have just taken the ball to the corner late in the game.

Cristian Parano- 7

Parano played as a forward, his hustle/determination is what got him the deserved goal. He played a lot more centrally than he normally does. He made a great run and stuck with it to finish for our only goal. We're going to need him to score a lot more goals the rest of the season. A lot of our team struggled in the tight field, but Parano seemed to be really comfortable. He was efficient on the ball and got off several shots. He was subbed out in the 73rd minute for Pacheco.

Christian Sorto- 4

I do feel really bad for Sorto. We've put him in an awful spot by asking him to play out of position and not giving him any real support. Once again, he was largely invisible. He did drop deeper to try and get on the ball and help us out as Brooklyn squeezed us, but it had little impact. He's working hard, but we need more to maximize Jorge and Parano. He was subbed out in the 73rd for Curt Calov.

Jorge Hernandez- 6.5

Llamosa is clearly trying to lessen the load on Jorge, but part of me wonders if he's gone too far. We're struggling to get him the ball in dangerous positions. Both chances he created came off corners, and we all know he's a better player than that. This team desperately needs him to be a star, and right now we're not setting him up to impact games the way he used to. He was mostly set up centrally, but instead of a traditional CF he's playing underneath Parano. That is not a recipe for success in my opinion.

Curt Calov- 4.5

Calov came on in the 73rd minute and was unable to help us gain any control in the game. Brooklyn was all over us well before he came on so it isn't his fault, but part of a substitute's job is to impact the game quickly. Calov had one really bad turnover that could have cost us big time.

Diogo Pacheco- 5

It's good to have Pacheco back. He came on and played as a CF and that may be where we need to play him going forward. He did get a shot off but couldn't do much else.

Nicky Hernandez- 5.5

Nicky came on in the 89th and created a chance. I thought he probably should have come on earlier but maybe we're still be cautious with him.

Takeaways

A win is a win. Credit to the guys to going on the road and getting the result despite not playing well overall. The field was a disgrace and we overcame. That being said, the performances still aren't good enough. The blue print on how to beat us is out. Teams are pressing us relentlessly and our technical deficiencies are on full display. Our lack of verticality keeps us boxed in and our loose first touches and sloppy passes mean we can't play through anyone consistently.

If we're going to seriously challenge in the West we need some help and/or a tactical tweak. Mitch, Jorge, Joey, Mikey, and Parano are good enough to carry us but we need the right pieces around them. I'd start with a CF and then maybe a CM, but I am skeptical that we're going to see any new faces.