Diakite named NASL player of the week for strong defensive effort against Indy
Depending on the day, FC Edmonton defender Abdoulaye Diakite can be a coach’s dream or stress headache.
This past Saturday, FC Edmonton head coach Colin Miller benefited from having the good Diakite on the field in an impressive 3-1 victory, on the road, against the Indy Eleven.
For his efforts, Diakite was named the North American Soccer League player of the week Monday.
Diakite was a force in the heart of the Edmonton defence against Indy, with 15 clearances and winning seven battles for the ball.
The Senegal product did pick up a yellow card but, despite continuing to straddle the line by constantly objecting to refereeing decisions, was very instrumental in the Edmonton victory.
The win was Edmonton’s first in nearly a month, putting them in good standing early in to the NASL Fall Season.
Dustin Corea, with a pair of goals, and Diakite’s defensive partner Albert Watson scored for Edmonton.
In his second year with FC Edmonton, Diakite has appeared in 14 games and is among the league leaders in clearances (86) and interceptions (33).
He’s also been issued six cautions this year and has already served a suspension for yellow card accumulation.
A few weeks ago, Miller was forced to substitute Diakite off as he appeared to be inching his way toward a second yellow card and a trip to the bench in a 2-1 win over North Carolina FC.
For the most part, however, Diakite has been an excellent addition to the FC Edmonton lineup. He joined the club last season after a three-year stint in Belgium playing for Royal Antwerp.
Diakite, 24, enjoyed an excellent first season in Edmonton and won the NASL Young Player of the Year award.
FC Edmonton continues the NASL Fall Season on Friday, hosting the defending league champion New York Cosmos (7 p.m.) at Clarke Stadium.