Ahmed Longmire photo from file. Courtesy UCLA Athletics
Midfielder Irakoze Donasiyano
On loan with Phoenix Rising FC in USL Championship
Donasiyano started and played 63 minutes in Phoenix’s 4-3 loss to Loudoun United. He completed 27/33 passes, won 9/15 duels (!!!! this dude is getting into a lot of duels, I would say), and took two shots, both of which were off-target. He also made seven tackles (!) and four interceptions, and blocked two shots. He was also fouled once without committing a foul. That’s a massive statline… considering his team was losing 3-1 when he left the field. You could say he was partially responsible for the third goal:
He started, but got only a half of action in a 3-2 loss to Las Vegas Lights (2-0 Lights in his time on the field). He completed 6/7 passes and won 3/10 duels (he’s become very comfortable getting into the mix, it would appear). He also intercepted one pass and both committed and received two fouls. He committed the giveaway that led to Vegas’s second goal.
Donasiyano started and went 60 minutes in a 2-2 draw against Orange County SC (his team trailed 2-1 at the time he was subbed). He completed 22/28 passes and won 5/10 duels (2/3 aerial). He also took two shots – both off target – made two tackles and an interception, and won two fouls while committing one. He was uninvolved in the OCSC goals.
Donasiyano came off the bench as a 62nd-minute sub in a 3-1 loss to Memphis 901 FC. His team trailed 2-1 when he came on the field (but went down to 10 men before the insurance goal was scored). He completed 12/14 passes and won an impressive 4/6 duels. He made one unsuccessful cross attempt, completed one tackle, and was fouled twice while committing one foul.
Up next: Phoenix Rising is off this weekend
Defender Ahmed Longmire
On loan with Orange County SC in USL Championship
Longmire started as a right centerback in a back-5 in his first game with Orange County SC, a trip to Louisville City. He completed 36/51 passes and won 3/10 duels (2/5 aerial). He made one tackle, three clearances, and two interceptions. He committed two fouls, one of which gave Louisville a penalty kick that sealed the 3-1 loss, and the second LCFC goal also began with a cross-field pass that he underhit. He did hit a lovely diagonal ball that started OC’s goal sequence (which somehow ended without a Louisville red card even though a dude volleyballed it off the line?).
Longmire started and went the distance in a 3-1 win over Loudoun United. He completed 37/40 passes and went 0/2 on duels (0/1 aerial). He also made six clearances and one interception.
Longmire started his team’s 2-1 loss to San Diego, and was red-carded for violent conduct (along with Loyal’s Kyle Vassell) in the 36th minute with a 1-1 scoreline. Prior to the red card, he had completed 6/8 passes, and seemed to find his footing winning all four duels (including the only aerial). He’d also made two tackles and two clearances. He may have been partially to blame for SDL’s first goal, but the highlight is cut horribly and the replay on WatchESPN is wonky. The fight looks kinda bad, and participating in it very much earned Longmire his red, though at the very least he didn’t appear to be the initial aggressor.
Longmire was suspended for what could have been a Nashville SC matchup against Phoenix Rising, which ended in a 2-2 draw, and got an additional game on top of the standard, missing a 2-0 loss to Monterey Bay FC.
Up next: Orange County SC v. The Miami FC • 7 p.m. Saturday (WatchESPN)
Goalkeeper Bryan Meredith
On loan with Indy Eleven in USL Championship
Meredith started and went the distance in a 4-3 loss to Colorado Springs Switchbacks. He made two saves while allowing the four goals, and completed 19.26 passes with Inddy alternating between playing short and going long. Both saves were pretty impressive, and it remains hard to put into words exactly how terrible Indy Eleven’s backline is, because they left him out to dry time and time again. Only the fourth goal (painfully, in the sixth minute of stoppage time) was primarily on Meredith, and even it was a mishit cross that snuck into the corner.
Meredith started and played 32 minutes before leaving the game against San Diego Loyal with injury. His team trailed 1-0 when he left the game, and as per typical, it’s hard to put into words the comedy of errors by his backline in hanging him out to dry for that goal. They would go on to lose 5-0.
Meredith was out of the lineup for a trio of 1-0 losses: to The Miami FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, and Detroit City FC.
Up next: Indy Eleven @ New York Red Bulls II • 7 p.m. Tonight (WatchESPN)
Winger Rodrigo Piñeiro
On loan with Unión Española in Chile which Nashville SC has not announced or acknowledged for reasons that are unclear
Piñeiro started and scored a 28th-minute goal in Unión’s 5-0 Copa Chile win against Provincial Ovalle (go to 27:20 if the embed doesn’t pick up at the right spot):
He was subbed off in the 69th minute with his team holding the 5-0 lead they would ultimately finish with. In the return leg, he started and went 60 mintues as his team won 1-0 and advanced on a 6-0 aggregate.
In league play, he started and went the distance in his team’s 1-0 loss to Palestino.
Up next: Unión Española v. Everton (not that Everton) • 7:45 p.m. Saturday
Club and Country 