Best Designated Player? Best ever MLS forward? Best MLS player of all-time?
David Villa is often at the center of these debates in league circles. And he is making a good case to top each list.
There’s one more category where the Spaniard figures prominently: An argument can be made that Villa is also the most dominant athlete in his sport in the crowded New York City sports landscape right now. And given the legendary teams that make up the scene in the Big Apple, that’s no understatement.
Here’s how the NYCFC captain stacks up against biggest superstars in the other sports:
Aaron Judge (New York Yankees / MLB)
Aaron Judge shares Yankee Stadium with Villa and the mammoth outfielder is undoubtedly the king of New York baseball. Every at-bat is must-watch given the proven ability of the 6-foot-7, 282-pound rookie to hit ridiculously long home runs. When it comes to Bronx Bombers, the star conversation starts with Judge, who has his own cheering section.
Like Judge, Villa brings fans to their feet at Yankee Stadium with some unique skills on the ball and highlight-reel goals, sometimes in the same sequence like when he twisted around New York Red Bulls defender Aaron Long with a deft touch and scored the second of his three goals in a 3-2 New York Derby win.
El Guaje wins this battle against Judge on a few criteria: He leads MLS with 19 goals while Judge is second in home runs with 37. Since winning the Home Run Derby, Judge has been ice cold, hitting just seven of those homers after the All-Star Break and setting a Major League record for consecutive games with a strikeout.
Villa, on the other hand, has been heating up with five goals and an assist in his last four games and nine goals in the last nine games.
Odell Beckham Jr. (New York Giants / NFL)
Odell Beckham Jr has had his share of spectacular highlights and when it comes to New York’s two NFL teams, the New York Giants wide receiver is the most electrifying player on either. Watch any youth football player and they all attempt Beckham’s patented one-handed grabs.
OBJ is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014. But it is Villa who grabs this battle with one hand.
While there’s no doubting Beckham’s ability on the gridiron, he’s not considered one of the Giants leaders. Villa wears the captain’s armband for NYCFC and has been lauded by teammates for his leadership both on and off the field.
John Tavares (New York Islanders / NHL)
John Tavares of the New York Islanders might give Villa the best run for his money as far as most dominant player in his sport.
He’s the captain of his NHL team, a four-time All-Star selection and he is the only other World Cup winner in New York, helping lead Canada to the World Cup of Hockey title in 2016.
His stick skills are comparable to Villa’s feet and Tavares has scored some sensational goals, including this one against the St. Louis Blues last year in Brooklyn.
Villa, though, is arguably the top player in his position in MLS. The same isn’t true of Tavares, who is, at best, the third best center in the NHL behind Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid.
Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks / NBA)
Carmelo Anthony is one of the top scorers in NBA history, winning the league’s scoring championship in 2013. The New York Knicks small forward has won three Olympic gold medals, but he’s also been criticized for his shot selection and poor defensive play.
Hey, its not like Villa doesn’t take a lot of shots – he leads MLS in that category with 109. But 43 of those were on target and he regularly tracks back defensively, even blocking a pair of shots in the aforementioned 3-2 win over the Red Bulls.
When you add it up – his leadership, skill on the ball, goal-scoring prowess, willingness to defend and dominance of his sport – Villa is hands-down the King of New York.
Add an MLS Cup title and Villa joins the likes of Mark Messier, Joe Namath and Babe Ruth as an all-time Big Apple great.
