Six favorites for the NWSL Defender of the Year award

Six NWSL defenders are making a strong case for the Defender of the Year award as the playoffs loom.

With help from American Soccer Analysis and FotMob, we analyzed their standout stats to see who’s leading the race.

Given Gotham’s position in the table and the fact that they’ve allowed only 21 goals against so far, the obvious conclusion is that they have a standout defense with Tierna Davidson leading the backline.

Her on-pitch xGA is 30.99, which means that Gotham has conceded roughly 10 fewer goals when she’s been on the field.

Davidson is also extremely difficult to beat 1-v-1, only being bested four times this season. In addition to her work in the initial third, she’s also contributed in the final third, scoring twice and contributing an assist.

Evidence points to Davidson as an elite-quality CB who can win duels when involved and who can distribute the ball.

She was included in the August Best XI after Gotham conceded only two goals that month.

As Washington Spirit’s iron woman with 2,430 minutes played, Rudd has scored three times this season and assisted twice, registered 45 interceptions and won 24 tackles. All those contributions have led to the Spirit conceding just 26 goals while keeping 10 clean sheets this year.

She’s been heavily involved in her team’s build-up, with her touch share high at 12.4%. Moreover, the center back was included in the July Best XI after Washington conceded only three goals that month.

Rudd is certainly a defensive-volume monster, having registered 242 defensive contributions (9.3 per 90), the most out of the center backs listed here.

However, her game is based not only on stats such as the number of tackles but on reading play, getting into passing lanes, blocking shots and cleaning up danger. Could she take the award home in back-to-back years?

This fullback certainly has an impressive attacking production.

Sonis has an xA p96 of 0.16, which is a standout across fullbacks in the league. That gives Denver high chance creation from wide areas. The Canadian also boasts a high touch share (12.3%) and 2.45 passes over expected per match.

Those raw numbers help explain why she’s scored 12 goals and added six assists in 26 starts this season. But that’s not the only impressive part because those goal contributions come from 5.39 xG, which means she’s been outperforming her expected scoring output.

Due to her performances in July and August, she was chosen as part of the Best XI for those months.

The 25-year-old has played every minute of San Diego’s 27 matches logging 2,430 minutes, helping the team rank third in fewest goals conceded this season (28).

When we look at her metrics, specifically her Fouling g+ and turnovers, they’re near the outer edge, meaning she’s disciplined and keeps the ball well.

The Wave relies on Wesley for leadership and on-field organization. She cleans up the mess and her 137 clearances (5.07 per 90) are a statement to that. That, along with her 1.12 blocks per 90, shows she’s a danger-removal kind of CB and not someone who’s always stepping up to win the ball.

Along with Davidson, she’s been very hard to beat, with opponents passing her just nine times. As a result of her strong performances with San Diego, she continues to receive call-ups to the USWNT.

French left-back Perle Morroni has kept her form throughout the year and helped San Diego’s defense become the third-best in the league (28 goals against).

Morroni’s job is focused on recovering the ball to disrupt attacks rather than just clearing it. She’s more proactive than reactive, seeking to recover the ball for San Diego high on the pitch, where she’s usually involved. She prevents transitions that might become dangerous by playing in that way.

Her stats this season are impressive, including 72 tackles (2.97 per 90) and 38 interceptions. She’s also won possession 12 times in the final third (145 total), which supports the fact that she operates high on the pitch to prevent counter-attacks.

The Utah Royals center back might be the most traditional defender of the pack. Del Fava has played every available minute this season and can always be counted on.

Defensively speaking, the 28-year-old is very good in aerial duels with 65.4% and has won 126 total duels, which makes a 65.3% success rate. Those numbers put her in the 98th percentile among players in the same position.

Del Fava’s individual defensive work, aerial dominance, availability and consistency set her apart from other center backs in the league. However, the 35 goals conceded while the xG against is 37.68 are working against her.

Despite that, her first call-up to the USWNT arrived to reward her hard work and the fact that she’s one of the main reasons for Utah’s success this season.