All eight of our centre-backs are fairly similar in their approach, each standing out both in and out of possession. They could each hold their own in a high-possession system, and would likely continue to excel if put under the pressure of greater defensive responsibilities. But they also each have their own unique attributes that may work better in some contexts over others.
While it's abundantly important to focus on the growth of our own nation in the beautiful game, it's also abundantly clear that one of the primary aims of the CPL is to develop talent that can be sold to other leagues in the world. In some ways, this is a sad reality as some of our very best players leave early on in the season for pastures new, in some cases only to sit on the bench! But in other ways, it allows our league to gain recognition in the world market, and has the potential to allow Canadian soccer players to take their development to the next level for higher profile teams. Today we break into the first of this long-haul series, studying the very best right-backs in the Canadian Premier League. Here is our analysis.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of the best right-backs in the world of football, and possibly one of the greatest the Premier League has ever witnessed. So for all the extremities that he accomplishes in attack, it becomes very normal for fan-bases across the globe to try and poke holes in his game and conjure up reasons that go against his greatness.
Rezart Rama has quickly become a fan-favourite at Forge FC, with his endless energy sources rampaging around the pitch at every turn. An absolute warrior, beast at the back, and more or less a complete defender, Rama is a pivotal marker for success that the Hammers want to have on the ball at every turn. It shows up in the stats, with the 21-year-old completing the most progressive passes and passes into the final third per 90 of any player to make more than 2 appearances in the league this season.
The 21-year-old's remarkable mobility, fast-paced aggression, and incisiveness in the final third makes him a jack of all trades from a defensive perspective, punching well above the weight of a Canadian Premier League defender. So with that, we analyze Rama's remarkable rise this season, and assess just how far he could take his career.
After a fantastic end to the 2020-21 season in which the Black & Yellows won the DFB-Pokal and climbed into third, Lukasz Piszczek officially retired from football. The Polish defender was a stalwart at Dortmund for over a decade, and the task to replace him was always going to be impossible. To make matters more difficult, Mateu Morey tore his ACL in the team's run to the cup final, and Achraf Hakimi left the team for Inter Milan the season before, reducing Rose's options all the more come the 2021-22 season. While Thomas Meunier has improved under Marco Rose's influence, a replacement in the position is still evidently needed. So with that, we take a look at the very best options to replace Piszczek, as Dortmund attempt to put their right-back concerns to rest.
The end of year is almost here, and that means it's time for our annual Top 100 Footballers list. This year, you, the readers of our website, will get to have your say. Just simply see the list of nominees below, and rearrange the list to suit your preference of first to last in each position. When we rank the Top 100 Footballers of the Year, we take into consideration a player's form throughout 2021, their club and national team success, difficulty of league, and their reputation + performances in the year prior. You can rank based on any criteria you desire! Below is our first poll of the year - ranking the best right backs in 2021.
There were moments during Chelsea's Champions League final win when you couldn't quite believe how well Reece James was coping with the pressure of the occasion. Of course, even before kick-off in Porto, everyone knew how much quality the Redbridge-born right-back possessed, but his performance over the course of 90 minutes was genuinely enough to take your breath away. Indeed, that sharp intake of breath when City found space around the box was replaced by a sigh of relief after James almost single-handedly thwarted every attack.
Starting out as a powerful right-winger at Wigan Athletic, since moving to Manchester United Antonio Valencia has gradually become one of the Premier League's best right backs. This is a transformation that few would have seen coming when he left Wigan Athletic for the then title holders Manchester United but thanks to something Louis Van … Continue reading How Antonio Valencia Became One of the Premier League’s Best Right Backs
The MastermindSite 