CARSON, Calif. — Diedie Traore was determined to rekindle his professional soccer career, and to do so, he headed to Los Angeles for the LA Galaxy II tryouts in January.
The process was grueling for the 19-year-old defender from Paris, but after a successful audition, Traore joined the Galaxy II, becoming the first player to join the team through the tryout process.
A versatile defender who can play left back and left central defender, Traore spent his much of his youth career with FC Metz. One of the most accomplished youth academies in France, their youth system has produced top talents including Emmanuel Adebayor, Sadio Mane, Robert Pires, Miralem Pjanic, and Louis Saha.
After departing the youth academy, Traore bounced around France before heading to Los Angeles for the Galaxy II tryouts on Jan. 27 and 28. The competition was challenging for the Parisian, but in the end, he impressed the Galaxy scouting staff enough to earn a callback.
“There were a lot of players, so it was a very hard experience,” he said. “In a short amount of time, I had to give my best soccer while competing with many good players. Once I overcame the rush of the process, I was able to just take pleasure and enjoy my football.”
Following his successful tryout process, Traore participated in a week of training with LA Galaxy II where he flourished with the team enough to earn a contract. Traore made his club debut on Saturday, starting for the U-19 Academy squad in their victory.
Despite playing with the Academy, he trains predominantly with Muñoz’s Galaxy II squad.
As he looks to adapt to a new environment and new team, Traore is ready for the challenge.
“It’s been great because there are guys that speak French which allows me to integrate. I feel good with the entire team and am excited about the process,” Traore said. “I’m very happy to be here. All I want to do now is to work hard and progress.”
