Defender Amadou Dia has been announced as the latest player to join Louisville City FC. The Clemson grad was the 20th overall selection made by Sporting Kansas City in the 2015 MLS Superdraft. In 2015 and 2016, he saw appearances for Sporting KC, Swope Park Ranger (now Sporting KC2), and the Montreal Impact. In the summer of 2017, he joined Phoenix Rising and saw considerable minutes in their 2017, runners-up 2018 (in which he appeared in the final at Lynn Stadium), and regular-season championship 2019 seasons. In 2020, he returned to Kansas City, where he split time between the first team and their ULS 2 side. Most of his 2020 minutes were with the MLS however, in 2021, his time in the top tier was limited and he mostly appeared in the USL. SKC wrote up a quick read of 10 things to know about him worth scoping out.
“Being able to bring in an experienced quality player in Amadou was important as we look to build the roster,” said Coach Danny Cruz. “Day in and day out, he understands what it takes to win. His ability to defend one on one as well as provide quality in the final third were two things that stood out to us when scouting him. We are excited to have him here in Louisville and know he will play an important role in building toward another trophy.”
“I didn’t get to play much last season, so I’m trying to get back into a regular role in the middle of things,” Dia said. "As soon as I get the ball, it’s all about going forward, attacking, and seeing what I can produce. Defensively, it’s about locking it down on my side, making sure I don’t get beat one-on-one and stay connected with the rest of the back line. I look to be absolutely ruthless defensively and produce for our offense.”
He added, “What I’ve heard and seen watching, Louisville is a really professional organization, and I’m excited to try to win some trophies.”
On paper, this appears to be a great signing for the club. While he may be *slightly* on the upper end of the age spectrum from what I would have liked to see (from a long term perspective), you can’t overlook his experience and what he can bring to the table in this league. The left-footed outside back with an MLS and Phoenix Rising pedigree will certainly help to fill the void left by Jonathan Gomez. Looking at his passing number, he was fairly comparable to both JoGo and Oscar. He should be a solid addition to LouCity's defensive core.
Current 2022 Louisville City FC Roster
Forwards: Jorge Gonzalez, Cameron Lancaster, Brian Ownby
Midfielders: Corben Bone, Tyler Gibson, Jay Tee Kamara, Napo Matsoso, Niall McCabe, Carlos Moguel Jr., Paolo DelPiccolo, Elijah Wynder
Defenders: Wes Charpie, Owen Damm, Amadou Dia, Oscar Jimenez, Sean Totsch, Josh Wynder
Goalkeepers: Kyle Morton, Parker Siegfried
Parting Thoughts
Want to do a little more reading on LouCity? Might I suggest The Tifos of Louisville City, The Louisville City Youth Movement, Louisville City’s Pathway To The Pros, What Are Expected Goals (xG)?, or What Are Goals Added (G+)?.
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