FRISCO - Heeeee’s baaaack.
Mauro Diaz made his triumphant return to action on Sunday night at Toyota Stadium, coming on for the final 10 minutes of the first leg of the 2017 Texas Derby just seven months removed from tearing his Achilles’ tendon.
“I’m very happy because nobody likes to be out of the field for so long,” the midfielder said after the match. “It’s time to look forward. This is a happy moment for me. I’m going to continue to grow from here.”
“He lifted our spirits. To see him back out on the field will be a great memory for me. Every player and all the coaches were hoping something marvelous would happen, but we were so delighted to see him back in the field,” head coach Oscar Pareja said. “It just lifts my heart to see him dressing and have him around the team again… and to have him back on the ball, is great.”
The Magician made 16 passes and had three set piece opportunities in his brief return to action, but the moment is just the beginning as he returns to game form.
It’ll be a little while longer before we see No. 10 in a Starting XI for FCD as he continues to work on 90-minute fitness, but Sunday night was a big step for Dallas’ offensive engine.
“This team has been fighting to be one of the top teams in the league so far this season without him and that is a great achievement, but how good is it to see him on the field?,” Pareja added. “The love that we have for him and the way he plays… It’s amazing.”
