Aint No Mountain High Enough was the song that greeted the West Bromwich Albion players as they returned to the Kenilworth Road dressing room. They felt it was appropriate considering the height he had to climb over 90 minutes.
The music captured the mood of Albion frontman Darryl Dyke after being trailed by two goals in less than ten minutes on one of the trickiest grounds in the championship. The USMNT International kicked off their comeback with Albion’s first goal in a 3-2 win.
Before the match, Carlos Corvelan inspired his players with two words: assertion and resistance, along with a picture of Muhammad Ali.
Albion’s head coach said after the match, “When you’re boxing, you don’t always hit your opponent. In football, in life, the two things we need are to insist and to resist.”
From American heavyweight to another, Dyke’s brief West Midlands career has been marked by assertions and resistance since signing a £7 million ($8.5 million) deal from Orlando City last January. have been assigned.
First, his comeback from a hamstring injury sustained in his second game for the club has been amazing. The staff spoke of his determination to recover by the summer and be in shape to contribute towards the season opener against Middlesbrough.
While most of his teammates were still on pre-season vacation, he joined a few others for an injury rehab camp in Portugal. and did everything to return to a stronger state. However, his dyke was distraught when a second long-term injury to his thigh occurred in early August, keeping him out until mid-November.
As a peripheral member of Greg Verhalter’s USMNT plan, Dyke knew he needed to get off to a great start before the season to have any chance of making a World Cup team.
Barnsley’s stellar scoring record (nine goals in 19 appearances in 2020-21) and a solid start to MLS’ last season at Orlando City, three goals in eight appearances for the national team, mean he’ll be on his way despite injury. Stayed in the frame. Yet, despite the lack of a true standout striker leading the line, he is seen as not quite fitting into Burhalter’s system.
Dyke had to fight the injury disappointment of missing out on the World Cup and insisted he would be back to help the club team that sat bottom of the championship on November 1.
Another goal in Albion’s 3-2 win over Luton — beating his international teammate Ethan Horvath to a loose ball and putting it into the net — saw Dyke average 90 per 100 this season. 0.98 goals involved (3 goals 1 assist).
It’s a remarkable return to form for the player, who played 96 minutes of competitive football in 2022 before returning on November 12.
𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝙩𝙤 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙮𝙡.
Start your comeback on Kenilworth Road. 🎥 pic.twitter.com/3uZI8vUhhv
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) January 15, 2023
And most impressively, when the team needed him most, he delivered the most perfect performance in the Albion shirt.
Before Saturday’s trip to Luton, Dyke alternated with Brandon Thomas Assante, with one player starting one game and the other starting the next, usually for an hour. I did the same change before and after. With both players having solid goalscoring form, allowing Albion to remain an attacking threat for the 90 minutes was a convenient and effective way for Corveran, and he was the only player to do so before a win at Kenilworth Road. 9 to 8 wins in the league.
But when Thomas Asante received a three-match suspension for an elbow injury in last weekend’s 3-3 FA Cup draw to National League side Chesterfield, Dyke was sidelined from start to finish against Luton. I was given the task of leading the line. Albion player era. Judging by how the crowd sang his name at the final whistle, he did not disappoint.
“His hard work, the way he attacked, the way he defended: what he did helped the team take three points,” Corvelan said. With 37 touches, he had the fewest among Albion outfield starters, with Dyke’s three shots, one key pass, and three aerial duels supporting the full performance. I was.
Dyke’s confidence in lasting the course makes Corveran’s impressive offensive options look even stronger.As Albion was looking for an equalizer and eventual winner, head coach replaced John Swift with Grady Diangana , prompting a shuffle behind Dyke, with Jed Wallace moving from right field to No. 10, Matt Phillips moving to right field, and Diangana playing right field. Another outstanding performer, Phillips contributed with two crosses from the right that led to winners’ goals from Jason Morumby and Conor Townsend.
With Karlan Grant returning from injury and Thomas Assante returning from suspension, the variety of attacking options presents a welcome headache of choice.
Despite what seemed unlikely in late October, West Brom are now in play-off places.
No mountain is high enough for Dyke, who is looking to start the USMNT at the 2026 Home World Cup.
(Photo: Adam Fradgley/West Bromwich Albion FC via Getty Images)
