Nine key passes. Zero assists. A 7.3 rating on the losing side. Darío Cáceres did almost everything a playmaker can do for Central Córdoba on Sunday, and it still ended in defeat.
CA Independiente left with the three points courtesy of a 1-0 scoreline, but the shape of the match told a different story from the result. Cáceres was the game's clear creative outlet, threading nine key passes through a match that Central Córdoba ultimately lost. No teammate came close to that output.
Efficient on the ball, unrewarded off it
The numbers around his passing were tidy: 35 of 43 attempted found a teammate, a completion rate that shows he was not simply hurling hopeful balls forward. He was picking out moments, again and again, only for the final touch to go missing each time.
That gap between chances created and chances converted is exactly why Cáceres finishes the afternoon with an assists column reading zero despite the volume of quality service. Nine key passes is a heavy workload for any single player in a match, and it usually buys a team something. Central Córdoba got nothing from it on the scoreboard.
A rating that reflects the individual, not the team
A 7.3 match rating in a losing effort is a rare split. It is the kind of number that tends to follow a performer who did his job well while those around him, or in front of goal, did not finish what he started. For Central Córdoba, the takeaway is not a lack of creativity in midfield. It is what happened, or rather did not happen, once Cáceres had done the hard part.
Independiente's single goal proved enough to win the game, but on the balance of created chances, Central Córdoba's number ten will feel he gave his side every reason to leave with something to show for the afternoon.