Designated Player Roundup: The Power Rankings

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embargoed till i finish... assuming i ever do

Well, after missing these for a couple of weeks, it wouldn't seem right to jump back in as if nothing had changed. So I figured I'd forgo the usual roundup and, instead, take a look at the league's 16 DPs and rank them in terms of effectiveness, performance and value so far in the 2011 season. It's a numbered, ranked list based on one person's subjective, arbitrary and potentially contentious judgment. This is what the Internet was made for!

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#16: Branko Boskovic (DC United)

Frankly, ol' BB's greatest utility has been serving as a punchline in these posts of mine; that is, until, he decided to blow out his ACL. Barring some marvelous recovery, his 2011 MLS regular-season stat line will read as follows: four games played (one start), eight shots (two on goal). Don't mention his brace in that U.S. Open Cup game; the more important brace is the one on his leg, which has rendered him a big ol' DP albatross.

#15: David Ferreira (Dallas)

A bit unfair for him to be here, considering FCD probably still sells a few tickets based on leftover marketing material from his MVP campaign in 2010. But due to injury, he'll likely end 2011 with only six games played, though he did manage to bag a trio of goals in that time.

#14: Omar Bravo (Kansas City)

Not a slight against Bravo, as he started strong and had slid back into the lineup for SKC (albeit, an SKC side that is struggling to remain in the playoff hunt, at the season's halfway point). But missing a month and a half due to a sports hernia injury has, as you'd imagine, severely limited his impact his year. If another ranking is done at season's end, I'd expect he wouldn't be drooping his low.

#13: Julian de Guzman (Toronto)

It's no surprise that I'm a JDG defender, you could even say "apologist". So I will readily make all sorts of excuses for him, such as the fact that he had off-season knee surgery, that the effects of the rumoured locker-room animus with Dwayne De Rosario may still be lingering, that he can't truly perform at his peak unless surrounded by players of a high quality, so on and so forth.

But the cold truth is that he's one of the league's most underperforming DPs, by any measure. He's not there to score goals (which is good, 'cause he hasn't), but the fact he has one assist this year suggests he's not creating them either. Alternately, if his role is as a marshal on the defensive end of midfield, well, that also bodes poorly, since TFC has conceded more goals than any other team.

#12: Diego Chara (Portland)

More of an incomplete score than anything, since Chara joined the Timbers partway into the season and plays an organizational role in midfield more so than a scorer's role, hence his progress is tough to track on a statistical level. But Portland has had a solid start in their first MLS campaign and find themselves right in the thick of things in a difficult Western Conference table, so Chara's clearly doing something right.

#11: Alvaro Fernandez (Seattle)

Oddly shaped as he may be, he has scored three times for the Sounders this year, and helped soften the blow to the roster that came with the disastrous injury to Steve Zakuani. Not really sure that the ideal usage of a DP is as "a good depth player", but hey, there you go.

#10: Fabian Castillo (Dallas)

The 18-year-old (!!!)... wait, what? Oh, OK, the 19-year-old (!!) has made 14 starts for Dallas and potted two goals, while showing off his blazing speed and presenting plenty of upside. Happy belated birthday, Fabian.

#9: Andres Mendoza (Columbus)

Considering how often he makes starring appearances on the DP Deathwatch, it's surprising to see the 33-year-old Peruvian this high (it's all relative) on the list. But the big lug has managed to score five goals in 12 league appearances for the Crew this season, more than all but six other guys in the league. Still, he isn't higher than he is since a) I've heard Columbus announcers question, on-air, what exactly he's doing out there, and this.

#8: Juan Pablo Angel (New York)

Sometimes overshadowed by teammates such as Thierry Henry and the somewhat-new arrival Luke Rodgers, the 35-year-old has still bagged a trio of goals in 15 appearances. It's a precipitous dropoff from his previous years of production in MLS, but his reputation probably still buoys him quite a bit.

#7: Rafa Marquez (New York)

Solidifying the Red Bulls' back line,

#6: Alvaro Saborio (Salt Lake)

#5: Fredy Montero (Seattle)

#4: David Beckham (LA Galaxy)

#3: Eric Hassli (Vancouver)

#2: Thierry Henry (New York)

fff

#1: Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)

Say what you will about Landycakes, but he really is the personification of what a designated player in Major League Soccer could, and should, be. An all-world homegrown talent who serves as an on-field leader for both club and country, Donovan is in a tie for most goals, with eight in 11 appearances. He also moves merchandise and puts asses in seats and, at 29, certainly has some more very productive years ahead of him.

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