Position: Center back
2021 League Games: 26 appearances, 25 starts
What went right in 2021
It was a banner year for the defender out of Syracuse. Not only did he establish himself as one of the best and most important defensive players in all of MLS, he was introduced into the USMNT setup and worked his way into becoming one of the first names on Gregg Berhalter’s teamsheet. Despite playing an extraordinary amount of matches between Atlanta and the national team, his form never really took a dip, always staying in between immaculate and exceptional.