Orlando City: Daryl Dike has been the most impactful draft pick in MLS
By Daniel Garza
Orlando City’s Daryl Dike continues to make a name for himself
The fifth pick in the first round of the 2020 Major League Soccer SuperDraft has proven to be the most impactful player from the entire draft so far this season. Orlando City got it right when they selected Daryl Dike with their pick. The 20-year-old forward has registered three goals and three assists in eight appearances in the regular season. He’s been one of the top young attacking players in the league.
A strong start to the season on Orlando City
Dike had an incredible display of form in August. In five matches, he scored three goals and recorded two assists. He helped Orlando get two victories from their three-match schedule in August. As a result, Dike was named the MLS Player of the Month. This was even more incredible considering August was the striker’s first time featuring in the starting XI for Orlando in MLS. He was not a starter at the beginning of the season or at the MLS is Back Tournament.
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At Virginia Dike had been a very consistent and reliable striker during his time playing in the NCAA. Not every player is able to make the successful transition from college soccer to MLS in one season but Dike has shown he is the real deal when it comes to goal-scoring talent.
There’s no question his strong start to the season has been one of the best for a rookie in recent memory.
Orlando City has plenty of attacking options
There is no shortage of talent for Orlando at striker. Dike is joined on the roster by Dom Dywer, Tesho Akindele, and Matheus Aias. Akindele was the go-to player for Orlando at the MLS is Back Tournament but has since given way to Dike.
Dwyer is out of the immediate future as he recovers from surgery. Then there’s Aias who has just arrived at the club in the summer transfer window. With all of these options available for Oscar Paraja, Dike has to still be the best player for the job right now. He’s a player who should continue to provide a real goal-scoring threat.
The best 2020 draft pick of MLS by far
No other player drafted in 2020 has yet to match Dike’s production this season. He’s been the only rookie to win the Player of the Month award so far. The first overall pick Robbie Robinson has featured for Inter Miami in his first season but has not been able to register his first MLS goal. However, Robinson is still a player to keep an eye on as the season continues. He was a great player in college who scored 18 goals in his final season at Clemson. Robinson may still need time to adjust to MLS.
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Another 2020 draft pick who has performed well is Henry Kessler of the New England Revolution. He has played in 13 matches this season and recently scored his first goal for the Revolution against the Montreal Impact. Kessler is a player who could still emerge as the top player in 2020 from the draft. But, for now, Dike remains as the top performer from the 2020 draftees.