Alright, so the Napoli vs Union Berlin game was on my radar. Champions League nights, you know? Always a bit special. I made sure I had some time carved out to actually sit down and watch it properly, not just catch the score later.
Settled in, got the stream running. My plan wasn’t just to watch as a fan, but to really look at how each player did. You know, try and give them a fair shake, rate their performance. So, I grabbed a notepad and pen – old school, I know, but it works for me.
Watching the Game
As the match unfolded, I started jotting down names and quick notes. Stuff like:
- Who made a key pass?
- Who lost the ball carelessly?
- Defensive errors? Important tackles?
- Did the keeper have much to do? Any good saves?
- Overall energy and effort level.
It wasn’t super detailed at first, just quick impressions next to player names. For Napoli, I was watching Kvaratskhelia, obviously, see if he could produce some magic. And for Union, just seeing how they’d handle the atmosphere and the pressure away from home.
Putting the Ratings Together
After the final whistle, I let things sink in for a bit. Then I went back to my notes. The game itself wasn’t exactly a classic, a 1-1 draw, felt a bit flat sometimes. This actually makes rating tricky. No one really stood out massively, but no one had a complete disaster either, mostly.
I started assigning numbers, usually on a 1-10 scale. Tried to be consistent. If a defender helped keep things tight (well, mostly) but didn’t do much else, they get a standard score. A forward who scored gets a bump, but you also look at their overall contribution. Did they hold the ball up? Did they miss easy chances?
For example, Politano got the goal for Napoli, so his rating definitely got a boost. But I also thought about his work rate throughout. For Union, Fofana scored their equalizer, pretty good finish actually. So, he gets credit for that. Then you look at guys like Di Lorenzo for Napoli, always seems solid, puts in a shift, so his rating reflected that consistency.
I looked over my initial jotted notes again, maybe replayed a key moment in my head or checked a quick match report online just to confirm a specific event if I was unsure – but no deep dives, just refreshing the memory.
Final Thoughts on the Process
It’s never an exact science, these ratings. It’s subjective. Someone else watching might give different scores. But for me, it’s about capturing my impression of who influenced the game, positively or negatively, based on what I saw during those 90 minutes. Just putting down my own take on it, really. Felt like a fair reflection of a tight, if unspectacular, match.
