One of the most famous defenders was nicknamed “Der Kaiser,” German for “The Emperor.”
Franz Beckenbauer earned the name thanks to his on-field grace and dominance as a central defender. During his professional career, from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, he played in three World Cups, winning with West Germany in 1974, and was twice named European Footballer of the Year.
He’s who came to mind when Orlando Pride coach Tom Sermanni started to describe Alanna Kennedy.
“The first thing you see about Alanna is the class,” Sermanni said of the Pride’s new Australian centerback who practiced for the first time Wednesday.