When Nashville SC traded $1.25 million in General Allocation Money and an international roster spot to LAFC for Walker Zimmerman in February, many people believed it was a pretty steep price to pay for a center back. Well, it appears in wasn’t as Zimmerman was just named MLS Defender of the Year for 2020.
The league announced the news on Wednesday, revealing that Zimmerman received 28.37 percent of all votes en route to getting the award. His closest follower was Philadelphia Union’s Mark McKenzie, with 23.04 percent of the votes, while Columbus Crew’s Jonathan Mensah rounds up the top three.
Zimmerman was crucial for Nashville’s back four, which posted 0.96 goals per game and allowed just 22 goals in 2020. The club also finished the regular season with nine clean sheets, which tied them for best in MLS.
The 27-year-old player also contributed in the attacking department, managing to score three goals while dishing one assist in 22 games.
Walker Zimmerman made his MLS debut in 2013 and has suited up for FC Dallas, LAFC, and now Nashville during his career. He has one All-Star appearance and one MLS Best XI selection to his name.
Zimmerman is also a member of USMNT from 2017 and has collected 12 games for his country so far.
