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Defenders, as difficult and demanding as the position is, never get much recognition in the grand scope of things. Defenders don't tend to win MVP awards or Player of the Year, which is a large part of the reason for awards like Defender of the Year: to recognize great defensive talent that would otherwise go unnoticed. As defenders do things that don't go down on the score-sheet, it is up to them to make their names known, and some of them do that by doing things that do go down in the books: scoring goals and picking up assists. Emma Carlson - Defender - Duke University A native of Lilburn, Georgia, defender Emma Carlson attended Parkview High School where she played as a midfielder, and needless to say, she was phenomenal. As a freshman, Carlson came out of the gates sprinting, scoring twenty-seven goals to go along with five assists on the season en route to a 20-3-1 record and a Georgia AAAAAA State Championship, and she was just getting started. Her sophomore yea...

Training with a professional club is both an honor and an opportunity to refine your skills in a professional environment. Players who have the chance to train with and play for professional clubs give themselves a massive advantage over many of their competitors as they can gain the connections and the experience necessary to carry themselves into the highest ranks. Not every player gets the chance to train professionally, and not every player needs it, but it certainly never hurts. Ndubuisi Obasi - Defender - Oregon State University A native of Cologne, Germany, Ndubuisi Obasi grew up in the Cologne-area playing with Borussia Hohenlind's youth team. With the U19 club, Obasi was the youngest captain the club had ever had and featured in matches against the likes of Bayer Leverkusen and 1. FC Köln. After attending Georg Büchner Gymnasium, Obasi travelled to Nanaimo, British Columbia to play for Nanaimo United FC of the Vancouver Island Soccer League where he won the Jackson ...

It is without question that some of the best footballers in the world come from England. From Wayne Rooney to David Beckham to Bobby Moore, the culture and widespread admiration for football across the pond has resulted in some fantastic talents making their way to the top, and many of those talents have found their way to the United States. The youth systems in England are some of the best in the world, and players that have developed within those systems have the potential to blossom into stars. Tyler Hudson - Defender - Dalton State College A Liverpool-native, Tyler Hudson grew up playing for the Liverpool School boys who were undefeated for an unprecedented five straight years. The six foot left back also featured as part of the Everton, Rovers, and Wigan Athletic youth systems, as well as part of the Morecambe U17 club that won the Open Cup. Hudson then made his way to the United States where he continued his youth career playing for Concorde Fire before signing on with Dal...

Diversity is one of the most important parts of the sport of football, allowing for a number of different personalities, cultures, and abilities to mesh together and make a winning club. From all across the globe, players flock to the United States to make their names known, and many of those players meet and play with US-based players in the PDL as they prepare to head to the professionals. This opportunity to play with all kinds of players helps to develop each individual's skill set, as well as adding to each's repertoire of talent. Dean Foster - Forward - Clayton State University A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, forward Dean Foster has been developing his talents since he was four years old, playing for Yaralla FC Australia (2001-02), Panorama Juniors FC (2002-09), Supersport United (2010-11), and Kaizer Chiefs FC (2011-13). During his youth, Foster played in a number of prestigious tournaments including the Manchester United Premier/Nike Cup, the Engen U17 To...