The NWSL being the NWSL, there aren’t a ton of players with typical center midfield duties. But like we saw with defensive midfielders, the duties for center midfield players varied. Some were elite pressers while others were relied on to protect and carry the ball into dangerous areas. Then there was one who was exceptional at everything and beyond.

Before we get into it, it’s caveat time. All center midfielders had negative Shot OBV per 90, mainly because they all took long range shots and data hates their low conversion rate. Though this is where I beef with data, because long range shots can have varied outcomes, and not all cede possession. Anyway, I removed the metric to get a truer top 5.

So let’s get on with it.

5) Kristie Mewis: .17 OBV/90

Pass .01 | Dribble & Carry .07 | Defensive Action .09

This one surprised me. We know Kristie Mewis’ most unique trait is her accuracy and passing range with her left foot, but uh, aside from shot it was her lowest OBV number.

So let’s look at the good stuff, starting with Dribble & Carry. This is where you can start to see the chaotic nature of Juan Carlos Amorós’ system. Kristie started dribbles from damn near everywhere on the pitch. A few of these dribbles are lengthy, but you can see quite a high success rate as well. Of her 451 carries, only 36 ended in loss of possession.

The defensive action was her highest number, and the visual below tells an even more complete story of Amorós’ super intense Batties. In her defensive action map, there are just two blocks, nine interceptions and eleven clearances, but 272 pressures.

Though I must say, it’s a slightly deflating use of a player whose accuracy and range of passing from set pieces and open play is a rare and coveted skill. It highlights how players can adapt and still be effective, but the hope is that there’s also a way to find balance between demands of a system and allowing players’ true talents to shine.

Houston Dash Kristie Mewis was almost a completely different player than Gotham Kristie Mewis.

4) Savannah DeMelo: .20 OBV/90

Pass .06 | Dribble & Carry .12 | Defensive Action .02

I’ve been formulating the idea that DeMelo is a box-to-box midfielder more than an attacking midfielder and this has emboldened me. I don’t think DeMelo has the defensive awareness to sit deeper like Sam Coffey or Korbin Albert, but when it comes to winning fouls, carrying the ball into the final third and creating high xG assist opportunities from open play, DeMelo impresses.

Of course the one thing that stands out is her very high number of turnovers, 4.26 per match. Although if we look at all open play passes from 2023, we might be able to see why.

DeMelo attempted lots of lengthy passes, averaging 21.6 yards per pass, which ranked second longest in the group (Mewis). Much of this was crossing and attempting through balls, which have lower completion percentages than shorter range passes. It would be interesting to see her in a more intricate system that relied on shorter passes to maintain possession or pick through a defense.

Her carries, however, were awesome. Still a bit risk/reward, as she had 121 that ended in loss of possession (likely inflated by her also logging multiple 90s at center attacking mid and wide forward). DeMelo also led the entire league in fouls won, with 3.85 per 90, which led second place (LaBonta) by more than a foul per game.