The New York Red Bulls came away with a disappointing 2-2 draw on Saturday night against the Houston Dynamo, conceding a last-minute equalizer. Last year, it would have been a good result; this year, it feels like a letdown.
A look at the player ratings:
GK Bouna Coundoul: Can’t fault Bouna on either goal. Failed to punch away a second-half corner kick but did well when called upon. With a man advantage for over half the match, not much “Bouna Time” was required. Rating: 6
D Chris Albright: A quiet evening for the right back who enjoyed success defensively. Rarely moved forward into the attack, once the staple of his game. Rating: 6.5
D Carlos Mendes: An uneasy performance from Mendes, who was rightly whistled for a foul in the box that led to Houston’s first goal. Caught out of position on the second goal too. Rating: 5
D Tim Ream: Fouled Brian Ching for the second penalty kick but that was more brilliance from Ching than anything else. Other than that, a very good match. Rating: 7
D Roy Miller: Took a hard foul in the first half but bounced back well. Solid defensively and moved into the attack well. Nothing outstanding, just a solid display. Rating: 6
M Mac Kandji: Didn’t get the ball a whole lot but did well on the right flank. Defensively, he was impressive in his workrate and effort. Rating: 6
M Tony Tchani: A nice performance from the rookie who did a lot of little things. Passes the ball quickly and well with good touch. Positioning has improved with each game. Rating: 7.5
M Joel Lindpere: With space to push forward, the central midfielder looked effective for New York in the attacking third. His defensive effort was simply superb, putting in lots of hard work. Rating: 7
M Seth Stammler: Playing out of position on the left, Stammler had a quiet but solid night. Moved forward well but held his turf defensively. Was caught out of position on the play leading up to Houston’s first penalty kick. Rating: 6
F Thierry Henry: Had four golden chances to score, netting zero. His assist was a thing of beauty and he showed savvy in his movement. Henry opened things up greatly for New York and surprised many by going the full 90 in his MLS debut. Rating: 7
F Juan Pablo Angel: In his first game with Henry, Angel benefitted from extra space and scored an impressive brace. Both strikes scorched the back of the net. Trade rumors? Not anymore. Rating: 8
Substitutes
Dane Richards: Beautifully timed and weighted assist on Angel’s second goal, a very mature play from Richards. Some frustrating moments for New York fans watching the right winger play, but that assist overrides any negatives. Rating: 6.5
Carl Robinson: Entered match in stoppage time. No rating.
Kristian Dyer is a reporter for MLSSoccer.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs. He can be reached for comment at KristianRDyer@yahoo.com and followed at twitter.com/kdyer1012
