CARSON, Calif. -- LA Galaxy central defender Jelle Van Damme was ranked as the top defender in Major League Soccer by NBC Sports ahead of the 2017 campaign.
In their position rankings, Van Damme was placed at the top of the 10 defenders listed. The 33-year-old defender was an MLS Best XI selection in his first season with the LA Galaxy last year.
Van Damme was not the only player included in the rankings: Ashley Cole and Robbie Rogers earned top 10 nods among outside backs, Jermaine Jones was included in the central midfield rankings and Giovani dos Santos earned a top 10 nod for attacking midfielders.