:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68462967/usa_today_15063381.0.jpg)
Diedie Traore returned to the LA Galaxy in 2020, his second season with the first team. The French defender originally joined the organization after impressing in an open tryout for LA Galaxy II, playing for Los Dos in 2018 before getting a cup of coffee while splitting time between MLS and the USL Championship last year.
This year, it likely would have been more of the same, with Traore firmly penciled in as the backup to Emiliano Insua, who turned out to be quite an iron man at left back. Traore played the full 90 in Los Dos’ season opener before the coronavirus shutdown, and then after the squads were separated for the rest of the season following the restart, he stayed with the first team and had to wait for his turn.
Here are Traore’s stats in MLS in 2020:
Diedie Traore LA Galaxy 2020 Statistics
| 2020 | Games Played | Games Started | Minutes | Goals | Assists | Shots | SOG | Yellow Cards | Red Cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Games Played | Games Started | Minutes | Goals | Assists | Shots | SOG | Yellow Cards | Red Cards |
| Regular Season | 6 | 0 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
At one point it looked like Traore may be on the cusp of breaking in and maybe even getting a start at MLS level, as he came off the bench for four straight games at the end of September and into October. Given the Galaxy’s struggles and the absolute fixture pileup, it’s worth asking why the 21-year-old didn’t get a spot start or two along the way. Insua was really decent once he settled in, but the team’s performances overall were woeful — it’s not as though LA absolutely had to play the same small core of players again and again through the most packed schedule in MLS history, as they were losing more often than not anyway.
Needless to say, Traore’s very limited minutes didn’t really give us a chance to see much, especially in game states where LA lost all but one of the games he played in this year at MLS level.
Traore will get another season to prove himself, at least, as his contract option for 2021 was picked up. He’s still incredibly young, and the split in the first team and reserve team hurt him and a few others quite a bit this season, I think, because they languished on the bench instead of getting playing time with Galaxy II. Maybe that situation will return next year if the world becomes more normal.
So Diedie Traore has hit the field some more in 2020, but he didn’t get any starts this year in MLS and had to settle for a few shifts off the bench. Such is the life of a backup, but I hope the next Galaxy coach gives him more of a chance, because the young defender remains a real enigma at this stage.
What do you think? Leave a comment below.