If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Maynor Figueroa in 2016, it’s that he’s a man of few words.
He’d rather let his play on the field do the talking.
The team leader in minutes played, Figueroa has proved to be a perfect – if under the radar – acquisition for Oscar Pareja’s young and hungry side. And as a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final, Champions League and MLS games ever-growing in significance lie ahead, Figueroa’s calm, cool and collected demeanor will be huge for this FC Dallas team.
“You always want guys in the locker room who have won trophies which is something we want to bring to this club,” said defender Walker Zimmerman. “To have a guy like Maynor who has been in the big situations is great and will definitely never hurt the team to have someone who has been in those big situations.”
Some of those big situations include famously winning the 2013 FA Cup with Wigan, appearances in two World Cups and an Olympics with Honduras as well as hundreds of English Premier League matches. Figueroa has stepped it up when FCD has needed him most of the last few weeks scoring the brilliant game-winner against Real Esteli in CONCACAF Champions League play as well as 120 minutes in the LHUSOC win over LA and the pseudo-assist on Maxi Urruti’s equalizer against Sporting KC last weekend.
”He’s been a good help not just to the team but also the idea of how we want to play and the calming influence,” said goalkeeper Chris Seitz. “You never see him frazzled. He’s just a steady force on the left side and you need that. He’s definitely one of those guys that is a soft spoken guy but leads in his own way.”
As the situations get more pressure-packed with trophies on the line, it’s certainly a luxury for Oscar Pareja to know he can rely on a veteran international like Figueroa in the FCD back line.
“His habits make him different,” said Pareja. “You can tell the way he trains and embraces the game. His demeanors are great example for young players. He’s not very vocal but he inspires respect from others.”
