Position: Central Defender
Age: 27
Key Stats: 6 yellow cards and 1 red card in 16 MLS appearances
In many ways, Strahinja Tanasijević did what was asked of him in 2024.
The 27-year-old was signed by New York City FC to provide a quality depth option at center-back, and fill in when Thiago Martins or Birk Risa weren't available. He did just that, making 10 starts in league games last year. It was most for a backup center-back since fashion icon Sebastien Ibeagha's 11 in 2019.
More to the point, Tanasijević was a significant upgrade over Tony Alfaro, the backup center-back signed at the start of the 2023 season and traded to LA Galaxy mid-season, and Vuk Latinovich, the MLS SuperDraft selection signed in 2021 and let go in 2022. Neither earned the trust of former head coaches Ronny Deila and Nick Cushing. Alfaro made five starts during his short stay at NYCFC, while Latinovich made just three starts over two years.
And it was all yellow
That's the good news. The bad news is that Tanasijević earned seven cards in his 16 appearances for the team, six yellow and one red.
