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How does Didier Drogba stack up against MLS' other DP forwards?
Montreal Impact forward Didier Drogba had a massive game Saturday night, scoring a hat trick in his first-ever start for his new club in a 4-3 win over the Chicago Fire.
The former Chelsea man did just about everything asked of him: he was a body to aim for with long passes; he scored with his left foot, his right foot, and his head; and he guided his team to all three points. It was, in short, a performance worthy of the tag "Designated Player."
As Drogba makes a name for himself in MLS, how does the Ivorian international compare to some of the other Designated Player forwards in MLS?
Ageless Wonders: Robbie Keane and David Villa
Drogba joined Major League Soccer at the ripe old age of 37. That's not very encouraging for Montreal's long-term success, but it's certainly not a recipe for failure. You only have to look as far as LA Galaxy captain Robbie Keane, 35, to see that age really is just a number in MLS. Keane, the reigning MVP, has notched 15 goals in 17 league games this season.
Keane and New York City FC striker David Villa, 33, are consistent goal-scoring threats. And, if that's not enough, former Impact striker Marco Di Vaio, retired from the club at 39 years old, scored freely throughout his tenure. It doesn't look like Drogba needs to be convinced of his own potential, though: he's already the oldest player to score a hat trick in league history.
Raw Numbers: Bradley Wright-Phillips and Chris Wondolowski
Drogba's almost always impressed on the stats sheet, recording 266 goals in 622 games in all competitions in his 17-year career. If Drogba wants to compete alongside the other number-chasers in his new league, though, he'll need to focus in on the number 28 in 2016.
That would set an MLS record for most goals scored in a single regular season. The current record, 27, was achieved in recent years by both New York Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips and San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski.
When you look at the data alone, Drogba's already shot up the charts. He's currently second in goals scored over 90 minutes, at 2.33 goals per match, although that's from an awfully small sample size - he's played just 120 minutes this season. However, if he can keep his numbers high, he'll be in distinguished company.
African Connection: Obafemi Martins and David Accam
Drogba, a leader and a veteran of the Ivory Coast national team, comes to MLS at a time when African players are starting to make their names known in North America.
Seattle Sounders striker Obafemi Martins is another former Premier League player. The Nigerian's scored 36 goals in 66 league games over three seasons, making him Drogba's primary competition in this category. Ghanaian international David Accam of the Chicago Fire is the third African DP in the league, but he's less prolific offensively, with seven tallies in 17 appearances.
Sizing 'Em Up: Sebastian Giovinco and Joao Plata
Toronto FC's Italian wonder, Sebastian Giovinco, is the DP forward who's absolutely dominated play this season. The "Atomic Ant" could not be more different from Drogba, in a few very clear ways. The first is rather obvious: Drogba, 6-foot-2, is eight inches taller than the 5-foot-4 Giovinco. Drogba's also considerably slower and less mobile.
While Giovinco creates spaces for himself with his speed and nimble runs, Drogba uses his physicality and strength. It's why Giovinco and Real Salt Lake's diminutive forward Joao Plata will never rule the box like Drogba can, just as Drogba won't bamboozle defenders with his fleetness of foot any time soon.
Big Bruisers: Jozy Altidore and Kevin Doyle
If Giovinco is Drogba's archetypal opposite, then Giovinco's teammate Jozy Altidore is his closest MLS analogue. Drogba, Altidore, and Colorado Rapids forward Kevin Doyle represent a rare breed of DP striker: big bodies prowling in and around the box, using their physical presence to cause problems for the opposition.
Drogba is probably most like Altidore, as both boast a rocket of a shot, can bowl over defenders with ease, and can link up with smaller, more nimble players such as Ignacio Piatti. Drogba's large frame forces opposing defenders into marking closer, giving Piatti space to move, just as Altidore does for Giovinco.
Copyright © 2015 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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Montreal Impact forward Didier Drogba had a massive game Saturday night, scoring a hat trick in his first-ever start for his new club in a 4-3 win over the Chicago Fire.
The former Chelsea man did just about everything asked of him: he was a body to aim for with long passes; he scored with his left foot, his right foot, and his head; and he guided his team to all three points. It was, in short, a performance worthy of the tag "Designated Player."
As Drogba makes a name for himself in MLS, how does the Ivorian international compare to some of the other Designated Player forwards in MLS?
Ageless Wonders: Robbie Keane and David Villa
Drogba joined Major League Soccer at the ripe old age of 37. That's not very encouraging for Montreal's long-term success, but it's certainly not a recipe for failure. You only have to look as far as LA Galaxy captain Robbie Keane, 35, to see that age really is just a number in MLS. Keane, the reigning MVP, has notched 15 goals in 17 league games this season.
Keane and New York City FC striker David Villa, 33, are consistent goal-scoring threats. And, if that's not enough, former Impact striker Marco Di Vaio, retired from the club at 39 years old, scored freely throughout his tenure. It doesn't look like Drogba needs to be convinced of his own potential, though: he's already the oldest player to score a hat trick in league history.
Raw Numbers: Bradley Wright-Phillips and Chris Wondolowski
Drogba's almost always impressed on the stats sheet, recording 266 goals in 622 games in all competitions in his 17-year career. If Drogba wants to compete alongside the other number-chasers in his new league, though, he'll need to focus in on the number 28 in 2016.
That would set an MLS record for most goals scored in a single regular season. The current record, 27, was achieved in recent years by both New York Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips and San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski.
When you look at the data alone, Drogba's already shot up the charts. He's currently second in goals scored over 90 minutes, at 2.33 goals per match, although that's from an awfully small sample size - he's played just 120 minutes this season. However, if he can keep his numbers high, he'll be in distinguished company.
African Connection: Obafemi Martins and David Accam
Drogba, a leader and a veteran of the Ivory Coast national team, comes to MLS at a time when African players are starting to make their names known in North America.
Seattle Sounders striker Obafemi Martins is another former Premier League player. The Nigerian's scored 36 goals in 66 league games over three seasons, making him Drogba's primary competition in this category. Ghanaian international David Accam of the Chicago Fire is the third African DP in the league, but he's less prolific offensively, with seven tallies in 17 appearances.
Sizing 'Em Up: Sebastian Giovinco and Joao Plata
Toronto FC's Italian wonder, Sebastian Giovinco, is the DP forward who's absolutely dominated play this season. The "Atomic Ant" could not be more different from Drogba, in a few very clear ways. The first is rather obvious: Drogba, 6-foot-2, is eight inches taller than the 5-foot-4 Giovinco. Drogba's also considerably slower and less mobile.
While Giovinco creates spaces for himself with his speed and nimble runs, Drogba uses his physicality and strength. It's why Giovinco and Real Salt Lake's diminutive forward Joao Plata will never rule the box like Drogba can, just as Drogba won't bamboozle defenders with his fleetness of foot any time soon.
Big Bruisers: Jozy Altidore and Kevin Doyle
If Giovinco is Drogba's archetypal opposite, then Giovinco's teammate Jozy Altidore is his closest MLS analogue. Drogba, Altidore, and Colorado Rapids forward Kevin Doyle represent a rare breed of DP striker: big bodies prowling in and around the box, using their physical presence to cause problems for the opposition.
Drogba is probably most like Altidore, as both boast a rocket of a shot, can bowl over defenders with ease, and can link up with smaller, more nimble players such as Ignacio Piatti. Drogba's large frame forces opposing defenders into marking closer, giving Piatti space to move, just as Altidore does for Giovinco.
Copyright © 2015 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
Continue reading...
