Best NYCFC Center Backs Late 2023 Edition

[mgarbowski]

Let's knock out the back line this week, with a vote for CB, and one each for left backs and right backs. This is the CB vote. There will be two winners. I have a feeling this will be only slightly more competitive than the GK vote so everyone gets 3 votes so we can crown a meaningful first runner up.

Note James Sands is also nominated for Defensive Midfielder which will be voted on next week. You can vote for James here, or for DMid, or for both.

Voting will be open 5 days to Wednesday November 15.

 

[Revfugee]

I voted for Chanot and Callens, but I think Martins is pretty close to Chanot, and if he sticks around he will eventually eclipse him. Chanot win on longevity and leadership.

It took Martins a while to settle in, but he was very solid this year. He tends to look less dramatic than Chanot because he doesn’t need to recover/make big plays as often.

ETA: looking back at 2023, he was injured for most of our winless drought. We didn’t win a single match all year without him. After he was made captain for the back end of the year, we had our most successful stretch at 4w-3d-2l.. I think he is underappreciated already.

 

[LionNYC]

I voted for Chanot and Callens, but I think Martins is pretty close to Chanot, and if he sticks around he will eventually eclipse him. Chanot win on longevity and leadership.

It took Martins a while to settle in, but he was very solid this year. He tends to look less dramatic than Chanot because he doesn’t need to recover/make big plays as often.

ETA: looking back at 2023, he was injured for most of our winless drought. We didn’t win a single match all year without him. After he was made captain for the back end of the year, we had our most successful stretch at 4w-3d-2l.. I think he is underappreciated already.

But value wise, Martins as a DP is waste. Yes, Chanot got up there in salary but he took a pay cut in 2022/2023. Oh captain, my captain.

 

[Revfugee]

But value wise, Martins as a DP is waste. Yes, Chanot got up there in salary but he took a pay cut in 2022/2023. Oh captain, my captain.

Maybe so, but Santi isn’t exactly putting up DP performances, Mitrita was by far a bigger waste, and to use a hockey analogy, Ranger fans were up in arms for years about their defender/captain’s (Jacob Trouba’s) contract until he put together a couple of solid years of leadership and he began to look like a good investment.
DP defenders are not MLS common practice, but our defense is not a concern at all and Martins deserves a lot of credit.

 

[mgarbowski]

Voting is closed and the clear favorites won. The 2 best center backs as voted by the forums are Alex Callens and Maxime Chanot with 19 and 18 votes respectively. First runner-up was a tie between Thiago Martins and James Sands.

 

[joe]

This is Kwame Watson-Siriboe erasure.

 

[Marito]

This is Kwame Watson-Siriboe erasure.

Wasn't it "Sir" Kwame or "King" Kwame or something like that? I'm not asking in jest, I think it was part of his given name.

 

[joe]

Wasn't it "Sir" Kwame or "King" Kwame or something like that? I'm not asking in jest, I think it was part of his given name.

Not in wikipedia and doesn't ring a bell personally but who knows

 

[mgarbowski]

Nonetheless, he has ever since been known as Lord Kwame to the Forums.