Bright Dike

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Bright Dike
Personal information
Full nameChinedu Dike
Date of birth (1987-02-02) February 2, 1987
Place of birthEdmond, Oklahoma, United States
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing positionForward
Club information
Current clubToronto FC
Number7
Youth career
2005–2009Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2006Indiana Invaders3(0)
2010Portland Timbers (USL)23(10)
2011–2013Portland Timbers23(6)
2012→ Los Angeles Blues (loan)10(6)
2013–Toronto FC7(1)
National team‡
2012–Nigeria2(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 October 2013.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22 June 2013

Chinedu "Bright" Dike (born February 2, 1987) is an American-born Nigerian international footballer who currently plays for Toronto FC of Major League Soccer. Dike is eligible to represent Nigeria internationally through his parents who are natives of Nigeria.[1] He is cousin of Super Eagles striker Emmanuel Emenike.[2]

Career

College and amateur

Born in Edmond, Oklahoma, Dike attended Edmond North High School, and played college soccer at the University of Notre Dame from 2005 to 2009, redshirting his junior season in 2007. As a senior he started all 21 games for the Irish, led the team in goals (12) and total points (29), and was named to the all-Big East Championship team.[3]

Dike playing for the Timbers

During his college years Dike also played one season with the Indiana Invaders in the USL Premier Development League.[4]

Professional

Dike was drafted in the first round (12th overall) of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by Columbus Crew.[5] However, after training with the club all preseason, he did not make the squad and was released. On April 7, 2010, Dike signed a one year contract with Portland Timbers.[6] He made his professional debut on April 22, 2010 in a game against AC St. Louis.[7]

Dike recorded his first professional hat trick by scoring three goals in a June 22, 2010 U.S. Open Cup match vs. the Kitsap Pumas.[8] During the 2010 USSF D2 Pro League season Dike appeared in 23 matches for Portland in which he scored 10 goals.

On October 19, 2010 Dike was named as one of the first four players to be signed by the Portland Timbers ahead of their expansion into Major League Soccer in 2011, along with Steve Cronin, Ryan Pore and Eddie Johnson.[9] Dike was loaned to USL Pro club Los Angeles Blues on May 8, 2012[10] and recalled to Portland on July 10, 2012.[11] After returning to the Portland, Dike scored 5 goals in the remaining 11 games of the season.[12]

On 8 February 2013, it was announced that Dike suffered a torn left ACL in a preseason match against Seattle Sounders FC and was expected be out until at least August 2013.[12]

Dike was traded to Toronto FC in September 2013 in exchange for Maximiliano Urruti.[13] Dike scored his first goal for Toronto on 28 September 2013, the game-winner in a 4–1 victory over DC United. Dike scored the volley off of a cross by Mark Bloom.[14] Following impressive form with the national team, Toronto FC arranged a training stint for Dike at Celtic of the Scottish Premiership following the 2013 MLS season.[15] At this time, speculation also arose that both Hull City and Queen's Park Rangers were interested in signing the striker.[16] On 9 December 2013, it was reported that Dike had returned to Toronto from Celtic without an offer for the player at that time.[17]

International career

On November 11, 2012, Dike received a call up to the Nigerian national team for a friendly against Venezuela in Miami.[1] On November 14, 2012 he made his international debut for the Super Eagles in a 3–1 victory over Venezuela in a friendly at Marlins Park in Miami, Florida. He started the match and played 68 minutes.[18] Dike earned his second call up with the national team as part of the provisional 32-man roster in December 2012 as Nigeria prepared for friendlies against Catalonia and Cape Verde in preparation for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.[19] On January 2, 2013 Dike scored his first goal for Nigeria in a 1–1 draw in the unofficial friendly against Catalonia, a side that featured Carles Puyol, Xavi, and Gerard Pique.[20] Despite being called a "new sensation", Dike was left off of the roster for the match against Cape Verde and was not selected for Nigeria's final 23-man roster for the African Cup of Nations tournament.[21]

In November of 2013, Dike was called back into the Nigerian squad as a replacement for the injured Uche Nwofor of SC Heerenveen for the second leg of Nigeria's 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification playoff match against Ethiopia and a friendly against Italy. About bringing Dike back into the squad, Nigeria head coach Stephen Keshi said, "We are bringing (Dike) into the squad because we know what he is capable of doing and we believe he is fully fit to deliver".[22] Dike dressed and was on the bench for the Ethiopia match but did not play.[23] Two days later, Dike started in the friendly match against Italy and scored his first official goal for the Super Eagles in the 35th minute with an assist by Shola Ameobi.[24]

International goals

As of 18 November 2013; Nigeria's goal tally listed first
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Reference
– 2 January 2013 Estadi Cornellà-El Prat, Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain  Catalonia
1 – 1
1 – 1
Unofficial Friendly[20]
1 18 November 2013 Craven Cottage, London, England  Italy
1 – 1
2 – 2
Friendly [24]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Bright Dike Called up by Nigeria for Miami Friendly". Prost Amerika. Retrieved 4 January 2013. 
  2. ↑ "Bright Dike – Disappointed by shock snub". MTN. Retrieved 10 January 2013. 
  3. ↑ "Bright Dike Profile". University of Notre Dame. Retrieved 4 January 2013. 
  4. ↑ "Indiana Invaders Roster 2006". USL. Retrieved 4 January 2013. 
  5. ↑ 2010 MLS SuperDraft
  6. ↑ http://www.portlandtimbers.com/newsroom/pressreleases/index.html?article_id=1586
  7. ↑ http://ussf.demosphere.com/scripts/runisa.dll?M2:gp::73193+Elements/Display+E+47107+Stats/+1634154
  8. ↑ http://www.portlandtimbers.com/newsroom/matchrecaps/index.html?article_id=1706
  9. ↑ Arnold, Geoffrey. "Timbers announce first signed players for MLS". Oregon Live. Retrieved 4 January 2013. 
  10. ↑ Arnold, Geoffrey. "Portland Timbers' Bright Dike loaned to L.A. club". Oregon Live. Retrieved 4 January 2013. 
  11. ↑ "Timbers recall forward Bright Dike from loan, send defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste on loan to L.A. Blues". Portland Timbers. Retrieved 4 January 2013. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Itel, Dan. "Timbers confirm Dike has torn ACL, sidelined until August". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 11 February 2013. 
  13. ↑ "Toronto FC deal Argentine striker Maximiliano Urruti to Portland Timbers for Bright Dike, 2015 draft pick". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 9 September 2013. 
  14. ↑ Bottjer, Steve. "Beast is back: Bright Dike cherishes first goal for Toronto FC in streak-breaking victory vs. DC United". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 28 September 2013. 
  15. ↑ Russell, Grant. "Celtic lining up training stint for Nigerian striker Bright Dike". STV Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2013. 
  16. ↑ "HULL, QPR EYEING TORONTO FC STRIKER BRIGHT DIKE". Tribal Football. Retrieved 9 December 2013. 
  17. ↑ Larson, Kurtis. Kurtis Larson's Twitter https://twitter.com/KurtLarSUN/status/409704367244079104. Retrieved 9 December 2013.  Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ↑ Doyle, Matthew. "Int'l Roundup: Dike capped for Nigeria; Spain rout Panama". MLS soccer. Retrieved 15 November 2012. 
  19. ↑ "Timbers' Dike called into camp with Nigeria National Team". Portland Timbers Communications. Retrieved 22 December 2012. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Costello, Brian. "Add one more to the list: Bright Dike's first international goal vs. Catalonia By Brian Costello". Portland Timbers. Retrieved 18 November 2013. 
  21. ↑ Adewuyi, Lolade. "Nigeria announce final Afcon squad of 23 players". Goal.com. Retrieved 9 January 2013. 
  22. ↑ Gebrehiwot, Mamo. "right Dike called up to face Ethiopia". ethiosports.com. Retrieved 13 November 2013. 
  23. ↑ "Super Eagles cruise to Brazil". ESPN. Retrieved 18 November 2013. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Italy vs. Nigeria". ESPN. Retrieved 18 November 2013. 

External links

Toronto FC – current squad
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