Player of the Season nominees: Diego Godin

With the season having ended, Sportskeeda decided to let its viewers rate the 30 best players of the season.

We will be shortlisting 30 of the best performers this term, and let you pick your winner.

What do you think? Have your say at the end of the article.

Atletico Madrid have since decades been forced to live under the shadow of their more illustrious neighbors Real Madrid. They have had small periods of successes over the years and have won the Europa League twice in the five seasons. For long, they have served as an assembly line for talent looking to get into top clubs and have seen the likes of Aguero, Forlan and Diego making their mark and going elsewhere. However, this season they managed to qualify for the Champions League and won the Copa del Rey, beating Real Madrid in the final. The men in red and white had a better season than their neighbors and while a lot of it can be attributed to the manager Diego Simeone and the irrepressible Falcao, there is another man whose importance has to be highlighted. The man in question is the Uruguayan, Diego Godin.

When Godin arrived from Villareal in 2010, he was another youngster who had promised tons but was starting to fade away. But he turned it around and this season he was as important in defense as Falcao was in attack. Godin plays as a center back for the national team and the team from the Spanish capital.

Godin is a leader by nature and can often be seen marshaling the defense and midfield into their correct positions. As an individual too, he has had a stellar season. Godin is more of an old-style center back when it comes to defending. He believes in letting his opponent know of his presence and is very physical in his approach. He averages 8.1 clearances per game and that clearly shows his safety first approach that has benefited Atletico Madrid so well this season. His tackling too is impressive and he gets most of his tackles right. When it comes down to tackles, he averages 2.1 tackles per game and that is a very respectable figure for a center back. And he is strong in the air too. He has a good jump and a keen sense of blocking attackers’ jumps. He stands at a height of six feet and has won an average of 3 aerial duels per game in La Liga and proved a rock when it comes to defending set pieces.

But he is not just about old-school defending. The key to his success lies in the way he has amalgamated traditional defending with smartness and intelligence in his game. He is a brilliant reader of the game and with 91 interceptions this season, he ranks high on the European charts. Also, he has a decent burst of pace which gives the luxury of implementing the offside trap and at various times, notably against Athletic Bilbao in the league, he caught up with attackers like Muniain and Llorente who had escaped the offside trap. Inherent in Godin is the tough South American mentality of not letting his opponent past at any cost and he has been a remarkably difficult man to beat while dribbling. In La Liga which which is full of dribblers in attack and defense, that is high praise indeed.

But his ability does not end here. While earlier he was bit of a novice at playing out from the back, he has developed brilliantly under Simeone. In fact, he was crucial in launching counter attacks for Atletico all through the season. A pass success rate of 79% for a defender is nothing to scoff at. Also, when you consider the fact that most of his passes have been more than 20 meters long, it becomes all the more impressive.

The most impressive statistic for Godin though is his consistency. He has been strong and secure all season and other than the occasional mistake he has not made many errors. He has been instrumental in covering his keeper Courtois. Godin has won 5 man of the match awards for his performances through the season, and when you consider that Real Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo and Arsenal star Cazorla too have won five of these awards, it shows the scale of his achievement.

Game of the season: (vs Malaga in the La Liga)

This was a match where the Uruguayan was at his best. He was alive to the threat presented by Isco and Saviola and at times seemed to be a one-man defensive machine. He won tackles and made crucial interceptions. He played like a leader and secured a draw for his club who were the inferior team on the night.

More often than not an unsung hero, Godin shows us what the modern center back should be like. Tough in defense and useful in attack, a player like Godin is a manager’s dream. His consistency is worth emulating and his leadership and defensive organizational skills are a huge bonus. A player with a calm disposition and strong team spirit, it is no surprise that some of Europe’s top names are interested in acquiring his services.

Click here to view the rest of the Player of the Season nominees.