Report Card: Caps blank New England Revolution in rare draw

For the second time this year, the Caps shared the spoils with a top-drawer Eastern Conference opponent at BC Place, nabbing a 0-0 draw against the New England Revolution Sunday.

It was a hard-fought match with plenty of positives to takeaway — minus a trying performance in the final third. What does this mean for the report card? Read on and enjoy ...

Cody Cropper: 7

Didn’t have a ton to do, as the Caps setup forced a lot of shots from distance and Cropper was equal to them all. His third clean sheet of the year was well-earned, with a nice short-range stop on Dylan Berrero that was his most impressive of the night. Perhaps a tilt against his former team was all the motivation he needed.

Javain Brown: 8

Brown was quite aggressive and this really paid off for him, as he was absolutely everywhere against an attacking arsenal that rivals any team in MLS. Two tackles, two interceptions, four clearances all add up to one man of the match performance.

Ranko Veselinovic: 7

Steady from Ranko in the center of the park, with seven clearances that underscored either the compactness and composure of the backline or a Revs team that wasn’t quite firing on all cylinders today. A comfortable performance.

Tristan Blackmon: 6

Had a couple dangerous errors but also seemed to respond well when he did make a mistake. Settled into the match in the second half but his passing never seemed to come around — he was 1/9 on long balls and noticeably lagged on pass completion.

Marcos Godinho: 7

Was quite capable defensively, where he was asked to do a lot to help out the back three. Did well getting forward and putting himself in good positions but the final product was rather lacking. Playing regularly, however, has really helped him — his reading of the game was quite good, including an interception of a Petrovic throw that almost caught the Revs out.

Andres Cubas: 7.5

Turns out his distribution is nearly as good as his defensive abilities, pulling the strings to find wingbacks in space (he was a perfect 4/4 on accurate longballs). It is impressive how when he wins the ball back he is immediately looking for an opportunity to push forward, switch play or put in a long ball. His tenacity was again fully apparent again and it was another excellent performance.

Leonard Owusu: 6.5

Pinged a few killer balls around. He was free to let Cubas do most of the defensive duties but had a couple nice moments, including an interception that perfectly fed a counterattack. It wasn’t the most exhilarating performance but he is another player that clearly has benefited from Cubas’ arrival.

Ryan Raposo: 6

Decision making was a bit suspect at times and his crossing, which had really been purring into form, wasn’t there today. His dribbling, however, was in much better form and this is surely a result of improving confidence at the wingback position. His set piece delivery was much better than his crossing in open play and is a nice change-of-pace from Gauld.

Deiber Caicedo: 6

An absolute heartbreaker for Caicedo, who seemed to be energetic and continuing his excellent form in the early minutes of this one but was forced off after only 17 minute due to an injury. Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.

Ryan Gauld: 5

The Caps struggled to Gauld involved at first and when he did get the ball, things were a bit off and he didn’t seem to have the chemistry with Lucas Cavallini that he does with Brian White. Sometimes a subpar performance can be wiped away with one moment of magic but Gauld didn’t quite have it today.

Lucas Cavallini: 7

Was very much in the habit of dropping deeper to buy himself some touches and did quite well in the process, using the space he can generate with his sizable frame to turn and play his fellow attackers or the wingbacks in. Denied by Petrovic on a tight angle late in the match perhaps summed up his day from a finishing standpoint but his distribution was totally on point.

Cristian Dajome: 7

After a difficult run of matches, an unexpected return to the winger role seemed to suit Dajome well and he had a good match. In any event, his confidence remains intact — the forceful long shots and daring runs we’ve come to associate with Dajome were still there. Indeed, he looked the only attacker with any real confidence and quality in the final third. Didn’t shirk his defensive/ball-winning duties at all, particularly once shifting back to wingback.

Brian White: 6

Should’ve taken it himself rather than play in Cava off the Revs brain fart that inexplicably came to naught. Almost redeemed himself but saw a long-range shot pushed away by Petrovic. Not his best substitute turn.

Russell Teibert: 5.5

His conservative nature was not a good fit for a Caps team that was a) lacking the final product and b) really tried to go after New England in the second half. Given a solid performance from Owusu, Caio’s inching back into form and the fact that Cubas is exceeding even our wildest expectations, Rusty must feel himself slipping down the depth chart.

Luis Martins: 5

A drop in quality from Godinho, though he had admittedly little involvement.