Mauro Diaz is generally a man of few words off the field – “soccer, that's the way I express myself,” he says.
But ESPNFC's Jeff Carlisle got FC Dallas' Argentinean playmaker to open up for a fascinating, in-depth feature ahead of Sunday's Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Championship decider at Toyota Stadium (5 pm ET; ESPN | WatchESPN | ESPN Deportes | TSN2 | MLS Live).
Diaz has become one of the most exciting players in MLS, and his contributions will be crucial to FCD's hopes of springing a comeback after last weekend's dramatic 3-1 loss at Portland. The compact midfielder dazzles with skills and inventiveness that few can match, and it's apparently made him a tantalizing target for big clubs across Europe.
"Diaz has matured as a player, and is more complete today than he was before," FC Dallas technical director Fernando Clavijo told ESPNFC. "Now you can see what he can do. He's two to three pages ahead of the opposing team. He's making this team move."
Did you know about the athletic excellence found throughout Diaz's family tree? Or the role that current Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone played in his career? How did he wind up moving from Argentinean giants River Plate to FC Dallas? And what triggered his leap from promising player to dominant star in 2015?
All that and more is explored in Carlisle's piece. It's a must-read for anyone looking forward to Sunday's do-or-die match.
