Detroit City FC has been shut out a total of 14 times this season which was marked by their latest outing, a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of the Phoenix Rising last Saturday night.
Despite the loss which was more of an outlier in terms of the goals given up, Detroit is in playoff position out of the east fighting for that eighth and final spot with a game advantage. And with fate still, very much in their own hands, Detroit City head coach and GM Trevor James pulled the trigger on a move for 19-year-old Cameroonian forward Aaron Bibout from the LA Galaxy II of MLS Next Pro.
In fact, Bibout just turned 19 but has shown a knack for putting the ball in the net which has for the most part evaded Detroit City this season as they sit dead last in goals scored (24) in all of the USL Championship this season. Moreover, Bibout’s 14 goals on the season immediately annoits him the top goal scorer among City players in 2023 with Ben Morris coming in second with five.
Of course, there’s no telling how his effectiveness transitions from MLSNP to second-tier USL Championship, especially considering he just turned 19. Sean Spence over at Words about Shapes wrote up a brilliant as always scouting report on Bibout which I’d invite everyone to read heading into this coming Saturday’s matchup against the Hartford Athletic in what has become a must-win for City.
Aside from the questions surrounding his immediate effectiveness on the pitch as he gets thrown into the thick of a playoff race, what happens to Bibout beyond this season? According to the release from the Club, Bibout is on loan from the LA Galaxy for the remainder of 2023 with his contract being up in December. If all goes well in Detroit for this final stretch of games, would Trevor James look to bring him back in 2023? Could Bibout re-up with LA and continue to be loaned out to Detroit for minutes considering James’ prior relationship with the Galaxy?
Needless to say, it’s going to be a big final five matches for not just City, but for Bibout as well.
