Vancouver Whitecaps Vs San Jose Earthquakes: 3 things we learned – What a wild game
By Ivan Ornelas
2: Ali Adnan’s argument as best left-back strengthens
MLS is not known for its defensive talent. Nearly every Designated Player is either a midfielder or forward. However, sometimes, there is a special defender in the squad. And the Vancouver Whitecaps have one of the best defenders in all of MLS.
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26-year-old Iraqi left-back Ali Adnan, who joined the Whitecaps permanently from his Udinese loan last year, is one of Marc dos Santos’s most trusted players. While good full-backs in any league are solid either offensively or defensively, Adnan is a versatile player who offers his side solidity at the back while having a great finish in his arsenal when he roams forward.
The latter was evident when he scored the opening goal with perfect accuracy. Not many other players in his position can do that. Though he was part of a defense that conceded four goals, he was defensively solid, rarely beaten in one-on-ones and physically imposing.
Adnan is a tough, powerful, explosive athlete. He shrugs off opponents with ease, bursts forward with pace and is threatening in the final third. He was excellent last season and has continued that form here. He might just be the best left-back in MLS.