Vano Stepanyan

Haunted by the childhood memory of his childhood ice-skating coach telling him he was too sturdy for the rink, he channeled that rejection into an explosive defensive intensity that makes him a terrifying wall in midfield. While he is deceptively compact, his lightning acceleration and relentless aggression turn him into a clinical interceptor who thrives on winning impossible physical duels. He remains a humble presence off the pitch, even if his occasionally clumsy slide tackling is the only crack in his otherwise unbreakable armor.