FRISCO, Texas – It seems there may be a blueprint forming on how to slow down the explosive FC Dallas attack.
Over the last two weeks against the Montreal Impact and Sporting Kansas City, both of which ended in FCD losses, midfielder Mauro Diaz was fouled 13 times – eight of those coming during the 2-1 loss to Montreal on May 23.
In those games, the Argentine has been a shell of himself, unable to generate a steady attack for himself or teammates. FCD got off only one shot in the first half in their 4-0 loss to SKC last Friday – and only five throughout the full 90 minutes as they didn’t find their offensive rhythm until late in the game.
The excessive physical play against the oft-injured Diaz caused head coach Oscar Pareja to send a message to the officials through the media after the Montreal game, stating that he was frustrated with the frequency of fouls and wanted to raise awareness on the situation.
But after a second consecutive game where Diaz was pummeled – albeit less frequently – Pareja took a different route in addressing the way teams defend his young midfielder.
“At this point, it’s difficult. But there are no excuses,” Pareja said of the consistent fouling on Diaz. “As we said before, that’s the way it goes and we try to get some alternate solutions for the players so we can keep getting points.”
Pareja is not the only one who has noticed the foul play on Diaz.
“You kind of saw that a little bit. It seems they went after him a lot,” fellow midfielder Victor Ulloa said of the loss to Montreal. “I don’t know if that was the plan, but I think the referee can control that better and take care of him.”
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Diaz is taking the physical play in stride, however, and is not making excuses for himself or the team’s offensive struggles over the last two weeks. The Argentine will more than gladly welcome back winger Fabian Castillo, who Pareja expects to return to the lineup Sunday at the San Jose Earthquakes (7 pm ET; Fox Sports 1) after missing the club’s last game with a hamstring injury.
But even if Castillo returns to the pitch, the blueprint to slowing down Diaz has been exposed.
“I feel that I need to be prepared for whatever happens,” Diaz told MLSSoccer.com via translator. “[The Montreal] game was very physical. You could see their players were fouling all the time.”
The 24-year-old knows he has to adapt to opposing strategies, especially considering his injury history.
“I’m ready,” Diaz said. “I’m training every day to make sure I can take the punishment and allow the referees to make the call they need to make.”
