Defends

verb

1. To ward off attacks against; to fight to protect; to guard.
2. To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.
3. To make legal defence of; to represent (the accused).
4. To focus one's energies and talents on preventing opponents from scoring, as opposed to focusing on scoring.
5. To attempt to retain a title, or attempt to reach the same stage in a competition as one did in the previous edition of that competition.