Defender of the month, September, 2013: The nominees

Diego Godin (CB -Atletico Madrid)

“Atletico make use of very compact defensive lines and are fast on the counter,” Porto’s coach Fonseca said ahead of this midweek’s Champions League clash between the two.

“The scenario I predict is that there will be very little space. Atletico Madrid’s defensive solidity and swift counter attacks give them the attributes of a classic ‘Italian side’.”

By means of logic, its fairly easy to understand, that to add the latter attribute, you have to posses the former and that’s where the likes of Diego Godin comes in. That was before knowing Godin would be instrumental in Atletico’s comeback, scoring a goal himself to bring the Spaniards back in to the tie.

If you haven’t heard of it yet, Atletico Madrid seems to have finally arrived on the scene. They have matched Barcelona every step of the way so far, winning each of their first seven La Liga games. Among the wins, it included an outstanding display of team football where they tactically played Real off the field.

Every successful team needs a platform, a springboard which forms the spine of the team, enabling the men upfront to concentrate on their work. With Diego Godin running the rules at the heart of Atletico’s backline, that’s what Godin and co. at the back does for Atletico. His accomplishments certainly haven’t gone unnoticed with the likes of Manchester City and Dortmund among others constantly being linked with the highly rated Uruguayan.