Charlie Hatch | chatch@enquirer.com

The Enquirer/Phil Didion

Sam Greene/The Enquirer

Welcome to the third edition of The Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati.com's Futbol Club Cincinnati post-match player ratings. Expect these to accompany our regular match coverage moving forward.

A few notes before we dissect the performances from FC Cincinnati's latest league match, the 2-0 win over Ottawa Fury FC at Nippert Stadium.

Each player begins each match with a "6" rating upon entering the match. The "6" rating caries with it the designation of an average performance.

The final rating assessed will reflect the entire performance throughout the match while also emphasizing moments that alter the outcome.

Late substitutes could be assessed a "no rating" due to a lack of touches and time on-field.

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Without further delay ...

CHARLIE HATCH'S MATCH RATINGS:

GK Evan Newton: 7.5 – Newton made three saves and did well with Ottawa's players camping out in the 6-yard box on corners. Newton has earned three clean sheets in his last five appearances.

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RB Justin Hoyte: 7 – The right back nearly scored his first goal in the 29th minute after a nice passing sequence between he and Ledesma. Ultimately, his attempt on goal was saved, but Hoyte played well and had his third-consecutive clean sheet.

CB Dekel Keinan: 7 – Michael Lahoud praised the captain in his post-match interview for his leadership and communication against Ottawa. The Cincinnati backline was pivotal in the second half as the home side began to bunker in.

CB Forrest Lasso: 7 – Lasso made his first start since the 2-0 win over North Carolina FC on June 9. The pairing between he and Keinan continues to be the club's most frequent one and nights like Saturday reiterate why.

LB Blake Smith: 7.5 – Similar to Hoyte, Smith got forward well and remained reliable on defense. His cross to Danni König for the opening goal was pinpoint and capped off a beautifully worked team goal.

M Michael Lahoud: 8 – Lahoud completed 100 percent of his first-half pass attempts (48) and finished the match with a team-leading 97.1 percent passing accuracy. Playing at the bottom of the diamond midfield, he was consistent and effectively filled the vacancy Richie Ryan occupied before Wednesday's injury.

M Kenney Walker: 6 – Walker broke up Ottawa attacks and led Cincinnati with six tackles. While he was substituted in the 69th minute with fatigue, he put in a strong shift in a deeper-lying role and protected the lead.

M Nazmi Albadawi: 7.5 – Scoring for the second time in as many matches, his stoppage-time volley was a fantastic finish and sealed the game. Albadawi has clearly benefited playing behind König and Emmanuel Ledesma, as his goal was his seventh in 11 league games. That's a solid return for anyone, let alone a midfielder.

M Corben Bone: 8 – Bone led the team in touches (94) and passes (74), while finishing second in passing accuracy (87.8). His production this season has been efficient and his best since he joined the club. He played a part in the first goal and provided the assist in the second.

F Emmanuel Ledesma: 6 – It almost feels like an odd match where he didn't score or make an assist, which is a testament to his season so far. Saturday, he was an offensive threat and gravitated defenders, opening space for others.

F Danni König: 7 – His thumping header opened the scoring and gave him his eighth goal this season. He tracked back well when FC Cincinnati had to play more defensive and produced a good performance.

F Emery Welshman (substitution, 69'): 6.5 – Welshman injected pace into the match, which was needed in a game where Ottawa kept play in Cincinnati's half. He probably would've scored had he and McLaughlin not collided on a point-blank play.

M Jimmy McLaughlin (substitute, 78'): 6 – Minutes have been limited but have helped the club preserve leads at home. His collision with Welshman for what could've been the second goal was preventable.

M Daniel Haber (substitute, 90'): n/r – Playing for only a minute, Haber made his first USL appearance since May 2 at Indy Eleven in a 3-2 win.

Head coach Alan Koch/staff: 7.5 – The game plan was strong and played out effectively. Unlike the Wednesday draw with Toronto FC II, this time FC Cincinnati preserved what it had. Tactics helped manage the heat and the score line entering the midpoint of the USL season.