A tweet from MLSsoccer.com's Ben Baer caught my eye the other day.
Don't mind the tired "Welcome to Zlatan" conclusion. Because actually, this tweet makes the case for Adama Diomande as MLS' most dangerous attacker crystal clear.
The only reason Dio is not currently on that graphic? He's yet to play the requisite 700 minutes his MLS career. Pretty crazy, when you consider he already has nine goals and two assists.
But if you were to crunch the numbers over the 472 minutes the LAFC striker has played, his goals+assist per 90 would be 2.09. And if you wanted to take it a step further, adding the needed 228 minutes (about two and a half games) to his total, without padding his stats with any additional goals or assists, Dio's goals+assists per 90 would be 1.41. More like "Welcome to Dio."
To get even more perspective on what makes Dio the terrific striker that he is, I spoke to the guys that go up against him day in and day out in training. Here's what the LAFC defenders and goalkeeper had to say when asked to describe Dio in just one word:
Dejan Jaković: BEAST
"Physically, he's a handful and he always seems to be in the right spot. And he's been a stud for us."
Jordan Harvey: DYNAMIC
"Every time he touches the ball, something is happening. He is always trying to go to goal. Always trying to score, which is, of course, a great habit for a forward. And right now, everything he touches is turning to gold. He's just on fire. Right now is a really great run, so hopefully he can continue."
Walker Zimmerman: SPECIMEN
"There's a lot of different ways he can beat you. He can you with physicality. He can beat you with his feet or with his head. He's proven that he can score in a variety of ways. So that's why he is a specimen."
Tyler Miller: CLINICAL
"He gets in the spots and he manages to get the ball in the goal, no matter how. He hits a bicycle kick. Left or right, either way, he just manages to score goals for us."
Steven Beitashour: "DIO-NAMIC"
"He's very dynamic in the box, and he finishes chances in only a way that Dio does."
