Okay, so after that C.F. Monterrey vs Club América match, I knew I had to sit down and really break down the player performances. It’s something I’ve been doing for a while now, just for myself mostly, but I figure it’s worth sharing how I go about it.
My Initial Steps
First off, I don’t just jump straight into numbers. I let the game settle a bit. I usually grab a drink, maybe rewatch some key highlights if they’re available quickly, or just replay big moments in my head. For this particular game, I jotted down some immediate thoughts on a notepad – who stood out, who seemed a bit lost, any turning points. It’s all very rough at this stage, just gut feelings and standout memories.
Digging into Monterrey’s Players
Then, I start going team by team. With Monterrey, I began by listing out the starting eleven and any subs who got significant minutes. For each player, I try to recall their involvement. I ask myself a few things:
- What was their primary role, and did they fulfill it? A defender’s job is different from a striker’s, obviously.
- What were their key contributions? A crucial tackle, a great pass, a goal, even just good positioning that snuffed out an attack.
- Any major mistakes? A bad giveaway, a missed tackle leading to a chance, getting caught out of position.
For example, I was looking closely at Monterrey’s midfield. How did they control the tempo, or did they get overrun? I’d think about specific sequences. There was that one period in the second half where Monterrey really pressed hard. I tried to identify which players were central to that effort. It’s not just about the flashy stuff; consistent effort counts for a lot in my book.
Evaluating Club América’s Squad
Then I do the exact same thing for Club América. It’s important to try and be objective, even if you have a team you lean towards, or a player you particularly like or dislike. I go through their lineup, thinking about their game plan. Were they trying to play possession football, or were they more direct? How did individual players fit into that?
I remember watching one of América’s forwards. He didn’t score, but his movement off the ball created a lot of space for his teammates. That’s the kind of thing that doesn’t always show up on the scoresheet, but it’s vital. So, I made a note of that. Conversely, if a player was constantly losing the ball or seemed off the pace, that also got noted down.
Consistency is key. A player might have one brilliant moment, but if they were anonymous for the other 89 minutes, their rating will reflect that. I try to think about their impact across the entire time they were on the pitch.
The Nitty-Gritty of Assigning Ratings
Once I have my notes and observations for each player, then I start thinking about actual numbers. I generally use a 1-10 scale. A 5 is usually an average, unremarkable performance. A 6 means they did their job adequately. 7 and above, they’re starting to impress. Below 5, and they probably had a tough day.
It’s not an exact science, mind you. Sometimes it’s a real headache trying to decide between a 6 or a 7 for someone. I often go back and forth. I consider the context of the game too. Was it a high-pressure derby? Did the team play well overall, making it easier for individuals to shine, or did someone stand out in a losing effort? All these little things factor in.
I find it helps to compare players in similar positions. If one winger was constantly beating his man and delivering good crosses, and the other was quiet, their ratings will naturally be different. It’s about relative performance within the game itself.
Finalizing and Reflecting
After I’ve assigned a tentative rating to everyone, I take a step back and look at the whole picture. Do the ratings make sense relative to each other? Does it reflect the general flow of the game as I saw it? Sometimes I’ll tweak a rating up or down a bit after this review.
And that’s pretty much it. It takes a bit of time, especially for a hard-fought game like Monterrey vs América, but I find it’s a good way to really process what happened on the pitch. It’s just my way of doing things, born out of watching a whole lot of football over the years and wanting to make sense of it all.
