First Half

Matt Van Oekel—7 He had a lot more to contend with today than on Tuesday and he showed he’s up to the task. It’s something I seem to be repeating, but I have no concerns with our goalkeepers. He’s a solid addition.

Tony Beltran—5 Another quiet match for Beltran. I think much of that was because San Jose attacked our left side more often, but I also want to see him get more involved in the attack.

Justin Schmidt—6 Schmidt put in another decent performance. He has potential and I’m betting he’ll have the chance to prove his mettle with Real Monarchs this year. He put himself in good spots to back up Wingert a few times.

David Horst—5 He didn’t play a terrible match. It wasn’t a spectacular match.

Chris Wingert—4.5 Youngsters Lima and Cato gave Wingert a serious run for his money today. They are much faster and San Jose repeatedly attacked our left side to take advantage of that speed advantage.

Sunny—5.5 Sunny was solid today. He held his spot, made some smart passes, put himself in great defensive positions, and did what we know he can do.

Nick Besler—5.5 Besler had a much better match today than on Tuesday. He was a presence on the field and made some beneficial plays; he didn’t disappear.

Albert Rusnák—6 The player we all showed up to see. I imagine he’s tired from training and jet lag and being in a new place, but he showed us glimpses of why he’s our big, exciting signing. When he gets a feel for the team and the team gets a chance to start anticipating his positions and movements, I think he’ll be very dangerous. Played a part in discombobulating the San Jose defense on our strange goal.

Chandler Hoffman—6 He had an opportunity to show what he’s made of today and he played a pretty swell game. I thought he accorded himself well. He’ll be a Monarchs asset.

Yura Movsisyan—6 He had some cramping issues, but he attacked. He threw the San Jose defense into disarray which led to that odd goal (we’ll take it!). Seriously, though. That goal was weird.

Joao Plata—6.5 Plata was out there blazing all over the field. He didn’t have as many attacking chances as on Tuesday, but he showed well. He seems to be developing a stronger sense of where he (or the ball) is needed on the field.

Second Half

Lalo Fernández—6 He had a much quieter outing than on Tuesday. He put in a good shift.

Reagan Dunk—6 I liked what I saw from Dunk today. He was up and down the field, part of the attack, back where he needed to be on defense. He played some solid passes. Watch this kid.

Aaron Maund—5.5 The defenders weren’t tested much in the second half. Maund looked capable and solid.

Chris Schuler—5 I find myself wanting to see more of the physical bruiser that Schuler can be. He was quiet, but played well.

Demar Phillips—5 Phillips was quiet tonight like much of the defense, probably because they didn’t have much to contend with in the second half.

Luke Mulholland—6 He wasn’t the hummingbird he was on Tuesday, but he did what he had to do. There’s real experience that shows in his play (no pun intended).

Luis Silva—7 Silva was a surprise on the pitch today, considering he most often plays in more advanced, attacking roles. He really dictated RSL’s tempo and was a huge benefit in both attack and defense. He won some great balls and played some excellent passes. I, for one, am excited he’s back.

José Hernández—5.5 It’s fun to watch these young attackers pester opponents. They look so tiny out there, but there’s a lot of fire.

Ricardo Velazco—6 Just like Hernández, Velazco was a nuisance. They have a real (rats, there’s that pun again!) desire to make their mark. They’re going to push the rest of the attack to be better.

Chad Barrett—5.5 Again, he showed his solid experience in the game. But then there was that PK. Thanks, Obama! Thanks, Trump? I don’t know who to thank anymore. Is there something happening in politics? Is it March 4th yet?

Jordan Allen—6.5 This kid has potential. His footwork looks nice. His positioning is improving. He’s the future of RSL. Disclaimer: don’t be surprised if that future turns out to be a wad of cash as there’s bound to be interest from other teams and leagues. Cash is good. Plus, it makes our whole organization look great.

Substitutes

Andrew Brody—5 He came out in the final minutes and he showed off some skills, ultimately earning a PK (sustained by a quick video review). Sadly, the ball was postmarked for the moon.

Max Lachowecki—N/A