Player ratings: Orlando Pirates 2 City 0
Taylor – To get beat from so far out for the second goal initially looked embarrassing, but in truth there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Otherwise capable without looking exceptional. 6
Zabaleta – Half time switch to midfield reminded us of his flexibility. Competitive and capable in midfield without ever dominating. 5
Ben Haim – Must have been as surprised as the rest of us to see him starting a game. 5
Mee – Wholehearted, but let down by giving away an unnecessary penalty with an obvious shirt tug. 5
Garrido – Defensively he spent the afternoon being to easily beaten. A shame as he demonstrated good technique when getting forward. 5
Ireland – Captain for the day, and looked the fittest after another kung fu summer. Lacked the cutting edge to make things happen though. 6
Johnson – A welcome surprise to see him back. Bigger than ever if not better, but the U-21 international did ok. Let’s hope there’s no reaction. 6
Weiss – Lively and looked our most likely source of inspiration. Needs to learn to play the early ball when it’s on. 7
Petrov – Did anything he try come off? Frustrating to those who remember what he’s capable of. 5
Bojinov – Looked so much fitter than at the end of last season, which is a big plus. Just hope he gets a chance. 6
Bellamy – The first player to get booked, and for berating a linesman on an off-side call. He just doesn’t do friendly, and for that we should be grateful. Like Bojinov, playing for his future. 6
Subs:
Vidal – Did ok, but not well enough to suggest he’s going to be breaking into the first team on this showing. 5
Benjani – Showed some decent movement, but goals just didn’t look likely, and that’s what we needed 5.
Caicedo – Used his strength well on a couple of occasions, but the link-up play wasn’t good enough to cause any real problems. 5
De Jong – Appeared to be brought on for a run out, as he’s hardly the type to turn a game round. Showed his usual positional discipline, which I always feel Zabaletta could learn from. 6