FRISCO, Texas -- To say Fabian Castillo and Mauro Diaz have fueled the FC Dallas attack as of late would be an understatement.
The South American duo has been virtually the entire offense for Dallas during their current three-game win streak, combining for four goals, three assists and having some hand in every goal during the stretch.
“They’re taking the responsibility,” head coach Oscar Pareja said of his two youngsters shouldering the scoring load for Dallas. “I understand the game says for players who are supposed to be key players that they need to carry the team. I think both of them are taking that responsibility.”
Their prominence in the FC Dallas attack is obviously no secret. Throughout the season, Castillo and Diaz have combined for 11 of the club's 26 goals and 12 of the team’s 24 assists, this despite missing a handful of games due to injuries.
While Pareja has mentioned that it is their responsibility to carry the team, he says it is a concept that the duo has embraced organically – not something he has had to preach.
“I think the game yells at them with those demands,” Pareja said. “I think the group, without saying it specifically, gives the responsibilities to some guys that are called to be difference makers. And they have that instinct to make things happen, especially in the last third of the field.
“So I think it’s something that comes natural within the games and within the group.”
Although they have missed a combined four starts so far this season, this is the healthiest Castillo and Diaz have been since their respective arrivals to Dallas. Diaz has already surpassed his previous MLS high for matches in a season with 15 starts, despite ranking second in the league in fouls suffered per match.
Castillo, meanwhile, has only missed one game this season and has been named to the MLS Team of the Week seven times while leading the club in both goals and assists. In fact, he and Diaz have made the MLS Team of the Week as a tandem three times in 2015.
But in regards to bearing the weight of the Dallas attack, the Colombian winger also believes it comes naturally.
“It’s pretty much logic. The defenders defend well and the offense tries to score goals,” Castillo said via translator. “I think we’ve worked pretty well in the past few games, and we just have to keep building up.”
Having both players healthy as act two of the 2015 season progresses will be key to the club’s success, especially given the duo’s recent scoring trend, contributing to at least two goals per match over the current win streak.
Dallas is 8-0-0 when they score two or more goals this season and 8-0-2 when drawing first blood.
“I would like to have them on the field all the time, but when they’re not there, somebody else has to step up,” Pareja said. “That’s the growing process of the team.”
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Pareja has had to carefully manage the minutes of both players at times this season, especially with a couple of tough scheduling stretches that twice put FC Dallas on the field three times in an eight-day window.
But relying primarily on the two South American showstoppers is not something that worries him going forward.
“It happens in every team in the league. They have probably a couple of players that make it happen more than others,” Pareja said. “Obviously we have Mauro and Fabian as tools and weapons we use pretty well.
"Every team has its key players. That’s not a secret.”
