FRISCO, Tex. ā Off the field, FC Dallas star Mauro Diaz is a quiet guy. In order for him to open up, according to teammates, it takes a lot of time for him to reach a certain comfort level.
The same can be said about his time in FC Dallas. His impact was quiet at first (10 games, two goals, three assists in his first season), but he slowly grew more comfortable as time went on (24 games in year three, with 10 assists and eight goals).
Now, heās the clubās lead dog and a legitimate candidate for MLS MVP.
āI think heās one of the best No. 10s in the league, and he should be in those talks,ā FCD midfielder Victor Ulloa told MLSsoccer.com. āHeās proven it, and this is probably his best year since heās been here, and thank God for us that heās been doing so well and hasnāt gotten injured.ā
And injuries are what has plagued Diaz the most going into his fourth MLS season. This year? So far so good. Outside of a stretch in April where he missed four straight games, Diaz is the healthiest heās been, approaching his 27th match spanning all competitions this season, which is likely to come when FCD host Portland on Saturday (9 pm ET, MLS LIVE).
His career best in MLS is 27, which was set last year between 24 regular season starts, two MLS Cup Playoff starts, and a U.S Open Cup semifinal appearance.
āHe has embraced the proposition weāve had with him in terms of the fitness demands with [strength and conditioning coach] Profe Fabian Bazan,ā FCD head coach Oscar Pareja told MLSsoccer.com. āI think Fabian has been demanding of him more, in terms of strength, discipline and protocol he needed to do, and at the same time I think Mauro has been willing all the time to just improve his habits.
āThat says a lot about what he wants and where he wants to go.ā
That good stretch of health has helped lead the Argentine playmaker to a pace of career-bests. Heās already tied his career-high in assists at 10, five off the club record, and will likely surpass his highs in minutes played as well.
Itās something that has proven even more crucial for FC Dallas in recent weeks, after the sudden departure of Fabian Castillo to Turkey ā but it's a burden Diaz enjoys carrying.
āI know thereās more responsibility on my side, but Iām happy with it because I like to put the team on my shoulders,ā Diaz told MLSsoccer.com via translator. āNow they mark me more in the games, and when Castillo was here heād take away that pressure. But Iām glad Iām doing well and able to put the team on my shoulders.ā
Ulloa has also noticed Diaz shoulder the workload, which in turn has led to more offensive chances for him and other teammates who werenāt as involved in attacking before Castillo left.
āTeams were really watching out for him and Mauro, but I think now, teams are more focusing in on Mauro and trying to get him off the ball,ā Ulloa said. āI definitely see him getting more on the ball, making plays, being more of a leader in the locker room, and helping us find those goals and come back in those key moments.ā
When asked if he thinks Diaz is a legitimate candidate for MLS MVP, Pareja simply responded, āNo doubt.ā
Diaz, on the other hand, isnāt giving the thought the time of day.
āItās more important to be a champion,ā Diaz said. āWeāre in three competitions right now, and in the final of one. I want to be the champion of that one, and then the next two. Thatās what I worry about the most. I donāt worry about MVP. Thatās the decision of other people.ā
The 25-year-old may not be in the top five in scoring and only sits in a tie for fourth on the assist list, but his countless jaw-dropping plays and the threat he poses on set pieces gives him the ability to at least make noise down the stretch from an individual standpoint.
But whether or not the loss of Castillo improves his numbers as 2016 ticks down, Diaz and his team know how important he is if FC Dallas is to hoist any of the four trophies they are in contention for this late in the season.
āThe responsibility for the absence of Fabian has been split amongst everybody, and I think the best thing is that all together we are better than any individual,ā Pareja said. āAt the end of the day, itās probably a clichĆ©, but itās true. [But] heās very savvy. Nobody is better than altogether, and Mauro has been a key player.ā