Thursday, June 3, 2021

Best Defenders in MLS '21 (so far)

The top goal scorers/creators get a disproportionate amount of attention. It makes sense, as it's very easy to measure what their job is. For defenders? It's much less clear. So where is a good place to start? For me, the correct place to start is picking out as many skills a defender should have, measuring, then ranking. 

SKILLS
Tackling: % Won
Tackling vs Dribbles
Successful Pressures
Successful Pressures % Won
Blocked Passes
Interceptions
Completed Passes
Completed Passes %
Successful Dribbles
Successful Dribbles % 
Carries (Possession
Team Goals +/- per 90
xG +/- per 90

After deciding the above I ranked every player in MLS, took the avg of that and then teased out the Center, Right, and Left Backs.

Here are the best. The "Top 50" and "Top 100" is how many times they ranked there out of all MLS players.

CENTER BACKS

Top 50Top 100PlayerPositionTeamSALARY
59Andreu FontàsCBSporting KC$ 1,125,000
58Nouhou ToloCBSeattle$ 125,000
26Auston TrustyCBColorado Rapids$ 375,000
58BressanCBFC Dallas$ 536,000
35Jesús David Murillo LargachaCBLos Angeles FC$ 400,000
36Ilie SánchezCBSporting KC$ 1,000,000
25Rodrigo SchlegelCBOrlando City$ 120,000
26Antonio CarlosCBOrlando City$ 840,000
34Yeimar Gómez AndradeCBSeattle$ 300,000
26Jack ElliottCBPhiladelphia$ 325,000
46Miles RobinsonCBAtlanta Utd$ 650,000
46José Antonio Martínez GilCBFC Dallas$ 600,000
16Boniek GarcíaCBHouston Dynamo$ 81,375
13Brendan Hines-IkeCBD.C. United$ 240,000
13Bill TuilomaCBPortland Timbers$ 220,000
37James SandsCBNYCFC$ 150,000
27Eddie SeguraCBLos Angeles FC$ 200,000
25Rudy CamachoCBCF Montréal$ 800,000
12Alexander CallensCBNYCFC$ 700,000
34Danny WilsonCBColorado Rapids$ 275,000
13Xavier ArreagaCBSeattle$ 393,600

RIGHT BACKS

Top 50Top 100PlayerPositionTeamSALARY
67Olivier MbaizoRBPhiladelphia$ 89,513
16Alistair JohnstonRBNashville$ 73,079
28Brandon ByeRBNew England$ 170,000
57Kyle DuncanRBNY Red Bulls$ 93,581
36Boris SekulićRBChicago Fire$ 571,000
14Tristan BlackmonRBLos Angeles FC$ 193,000
24Harrison AffulRBColumbus Crew$ 335,000
25Richie LaryeaRBToronto FC$ 200,000
34Keegan RosenberryRBColorado Rapids$ 285,000
46Romain MétanireRBMinnesota Utd$ 600,000

LEFT BACKS

Top 50Top 100PlayerPositionTeamSALARY
56Diego PalaciosLBLos Angeles FC$ 432,000
58DeJuan JonesLBNew England$ 95,000
47Luís MartinsLBSporting KC$ 340,000
27George BelloLBAtlanta Utd$ 135,000
67Kai WagnerLBPhiladelphia$ 450,000
68Chase GasperLBMinnesota Utd$ 81,375
26Jorge VillafañaLBLA Galaxy$ 450,000
55Kyle SmithLBOrlando City$ 105,996
45Daniel LovitzLBNashville$ 385,000
56Claudio BravoLBPortland Timbers$ 300,000
36Julian AraujoLBLA Galaxy$ 140,000
57AuroLBToronto FC$ 360,000

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