Rookie Dike named MLS Player of the Month
After a month of terrorizing backlines as a starting No. 9, Orlando City rookie Daryl Dike earned MLS Player of the Month recognition.
The award comes after Dike recorded the first three starts of his career in August, tallying three goals and two assists during that span. His prolific scoring led the Lions to a draw and two wins, lifting the team to the No. 4 ranking in the Eastern Conference.
It’s only the second time an Orlando City player earned the distinction — goalkeeper Joe Bendik won it in April 2017 after earning four wins in five matches, including two shutouts.
Dom Dwyer also won the award while playing for Sporting Kansas City in 2014 after scoring six goals in a month.
The honor is rare for a rookie. Dike is one of only a few drafted players to earn the award during their first year in the league.
Coach Oscar Pareja is a strong believer in the American college soccer system to produce highlevel competitors at the professional level, pointing to players such as Tesho Akindele — who he drafted at FC Dallas — as an example of the longevity and success
college players can find in MLS.
Dike is another prime example of how players can successfully transition from the NCAA to MLS.
After collecting another assist in the Lions’ 1-1 draw Saturday against Atlanta, Dike credited his coaches and teammates for aiding
his early success.
“I think they’ve done a very good job of developing me and integrating into a team,” Dike said.
“Every single day, every single training session, they’re always in my ear, always helping me out with little things. It’s not even just them. I think a lot of the players have done a really good job of making sure that my transition from college into professional goes smoothly, and I can do whatever is best to make the team do as well as possible.”
This is only the beginning for Dike, who has visibly built off each performance. Although it feels late in the year because of the season shutdown, September marks only the fourth month of the rookie’s career.
At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, Dike’s physical presence and power often draws multiple defenders in and around the box. To adjust, he’s taken tips from designated player Mauricio Pereyra to improve his turning ability and sharpen his hold-up play.
This has allowed Dike to continue assisting his teammates even when swarmed by defenders.
“I haven’t had much experience, and I think each game you learn something new,” Dike said. “I can feel myself getting gradually better.”