Best Alternatives to Zanka

Playing Style Analysis

Zanka operates as a high-volume circulation hub for a Tier C MLS side, acting less like a traditional midfield engine and more like a localized air traffic controller. While his 65.2 passes per 90 put him in the top 5% of the league for involvement, he is a safety-first technician rather than a visionary, evidenced by a chance creation rate that languishes in the bottom 10%. The counterintuitive reality of his profile lies in his defensive efficiency; despite a low pressing intensity, he is a statistical monster in 1v1 scenarios, winning 62.8% of his duels to rank among the league’s elite. The three closest DNA matches to Zanka:

• Jorge Herrando(82% match) — A Ball-Playing CB. Statistically, he stands out as naturally left-footed, active in the tackle (1.8 tackles/90), commanding in the air (6.0 clearances/90), meticulous in distribution (86% pass accuracy) and wins the physical battle (55% duel success).
• Niklas Stark(82% match) — A Ball-Playing CB. Statistically, he stands out as active in the tackle (2.0 tackles/90), commanding in the air (7.5 clearances/90), reads the game exceptionally (1.8 interceptions/90), meticulous in distribution (88% pass accuracy), wins the physical battle (62% duel success), central to possession (74 touches/90) and uses long balls frequently (6.1/90).
• Nils Zätterström(81% match) — A Ball-Playing CB. Statistically, he stands out as naturally left-footed, commanding in the air (6.1 clearances/90) and meticulous in distribution (90% pass accuracy).

Similarity uses per-90 performance across playing-style dimensions. How Player DNA matching works →