Amadou Dia knew the potential upside of joining Louisville City FC last offseason.
It had a beautiful new stadium and world-class training facilities.
When he was at Phoenix Rising FC in the 2018 USL Championship Finals, there was a winning culture like he experienced on the other side.
But what surprised him most before signing with the club was his first conversation with head coach Danny Cruz.
“He told me what type he was. He was very honest with me. I really liked his personality,” Dia said. “I immediately accepted what he said and believed him because I knew what he wanted to do was win a championship. It was all about winning and helping me grow as a person. You could say it was.”
What seemed like a smart move for both of them at the time, when they were expecting Dia to rebound from a difficult season at Sporting Kansas City in 2021, had the impact both were looking for.41 With a single-season best eight assists, not to mention 161 interceptions and 161 recoveries, Deer was an important two-way performer on the left flank, especially with a single-season best duel completion rate of 59.4.
His success in replacing the retired Jonathan Gomez has helped LouCity return to the USL Championship Finals for the fourth time in the club’s history. For Dia, who was on the losing side when Phoenix fell to Roux City four years ago after posting career-best minutes and minutes played in 2018, it was the moment he hoped he would arrive in Louisville. is.
“This is going to be a big trophy for me because I came here and I wasn’t short,” Dia said. I could have at least gotten a little more playtime or something. And I lose a lot of confidence when I’m not playing. So coming back here and being able to bounce back and be where I am now has been a huge help. “
