Soccer
Favorite athlete: David Villa
Favorite team: FC Barcelona
Best memory competing in sports: Going to Hershey with the CB East boys’ soccer team last year in the state finals
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: This year when a ref called a foul for the other team and immediately after Nick McGarry kicks the ball and it comes flying in my face.
Music on iPod: “Wavin’ Flag” by K’naan
Future plans: I plan to play D1 soccer at JMU, Temple or Bloomsburg and to major in business and administration at any of the above schools.
Words to live by: ‘Success is no accident: it’s hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all love for what you’re doing or learning to do.’ – Pele
One goal before turning 30: To set up a business that will help thousands around the world and make a big impact on those in need. I would also love to play soccer professionally at some point in time because that’s always been my dream.
One thing people don’t know about me: I’m always working very hard at everything I do: school, soccer, etc. I also always try to make the best out of every situation and help those who need help before myself.
By Alex Frazier
It’s all in the timing.
Miguel Diaz may not score a ton of goals.
But the Central Bucks East senior manages to put the ball in the net or passes it to the person that does when it counts the most.
As East coach Mike Gorni said, “It’s not the quantity of goals he’s had or assists for that matter, it’s been the importance of them.”
A good example of that came in last year’s critical district quarterfinal game against Strath Haven. A win would guarantee a state playoff berth; a loss, the end of the season.
When the game ended in a scoreless tie at the end of regulation, it was Diaz who came to the rescue.
“He beats three players, cuts across the box and hits the game winner in overtime and we go to the final four,” said Gorni. “Those are the magic moments he comes up with.”
Plagued by a preseason injury, Diaz was quiet for the first five soccer games of this year.
But the sleeping giant has been roused from his slumber. In a game against a much-improved Quakertown last week, Diaz drilled a shot into the upper 90 to help the Patriots to a 2-0 victory. In last Saturday’s game against Souderton, he assisted on both goals in a 2-0 win.
The icing on the cake came Tuesday when he notched the game-winning goal (2-1) against highly touted North Penn, which had beaten the Patriots 3-0 back on Sept. 7.
“Hopefully he’s turned that corner,” said Gorni. “He’s a force up top scoring important goals. Even when he’s not scoring, he occupies other people, which takes a little pressure off other areas of the field.”
Aside from his injury, Diaz is a marked man this year.
“He’s not going to catch anybody by surprise,” said Gorni. “He’s on everybody’s game plan for this year.”
It’s all his fault too.
In the playoffs the last two years, Diaz has scored a total of eight goals.
“Every one of them was important as a game winner or if we won 2-1 he’s had one of the two goals,” said Gorni.
A forward, Diaz isn’t just a goal-scoring machine. He brings many other qualities to the table.
“He’s a gifted striker in that he’s able to hold the ball in possession and he’s able to go at people one v. one,” said Gorni, “but probably what separates him more than his goal scoring is that he’s an extremely good passer.”
Diaz is a native of Puerto Rico. He started booting a soccer ball around in his backyard with friends when he was six years old. And then he moved on to travel soccer with Buckingham.
As a little kid he played defense, but at Buckingham he became a striker.
“Right before I moved to Spain my coaches decided to put me up there, and I scored in the first game,” he said. “I fell in love with playing forward and I love scoring goals and assisting.”
In 2006 at the age of 12, he and his family moved to Madrid because of his father’s business. He played for a club called Pozuell for two and a half years.
That played a huge role in his development as an elite player.
“That’s where I fell in love with soccer and understood how to play,” he said. “That’s where all my skill came from.
“It was tough for me in the beginning. Soccer is a religion over there. I wasn’t up to that level. I had to train all the time to stay on my team.”
In addition to learning the language.
Although he had some background in Spanish, having come from Puerto Rico, it was much different.
“I didn’t know a lot (of Spanish) to be able to have a conversation,” he said. “I pretty much understood everything, but the talking was the hard part.”
Now he’s fluent in it and taking Spanish Honors at school.
“I don’t know all the grammar,” he noted.
When he returned to the states in the middle of the year, he wasn’t sure where to play club ball.
He started playing for the U-18 Flemington (NJ) Knights as a 16-year old.
“I thought that was a good opportunity because they were really good,” said Diaz. “When you play with older more experienced players, that’s how you get better. I wanted to take my skills to a different level and test myself against older kids.”
It worked out just fine for him.
“It improved my skills,” he said, “and showed me how to play tough and more accurate.”
Now he plays with the German Academy Kickers (NJ) and also works out with La Salle.
“I always try to improve my play somehow by looking at and trying out with other teams too,” he said. “You always have to do your best to further your game.”
Diaz is also a captain of this year’s team, another role that he takes very seriously.
“I love being captain,” he said. “Throughout the years I’ve always looked up to them (captains). I finally have the opportunity to improve the players out there and help anyone that needs my help. I always try to keep everyone on the same page and happy in hard times.”
“He’s a great leader,” said Gorni. “He’s a fun guy for the other guys to be around. He leads by action and example. He lets his game speak for itself.”
This year’s team is also special to him because it is his last year playing with his twin brother Antonio.
“I play with him all the time,” said Diaz. “If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t know how to practice. He’s always there helping me. It’s great to have another player as dedicated as I am. We always train together.”
Though it is not a priority they go to college together, “it would be nice to go to the same school as he would.”
As you might suspect, Diaz takes the same approach to school as he does to soccer.
He carries a 3.5 grade point average and is taking honors chemistry, Spanish and physics.
“I try to do my best and I work hard,” he said.
Although he knows he wants to major in business administration/marketing, Diaz is just beginning the college process.
“It’s been pretty difficult because I have to take so many things into consideration,” he said.
Tops on his list are James Madison and Temple. He’s getting a lot of attention from Division Two and Three colleges, but Gorni believes he can play at a higher level.
“He’s a pretty sought-after kid on the college front,” said Gorni. “He’s certainly a player that can play at the Division One level without question.”
You can be sure he will consider all comers, especially if anyone is offering scholarships.
“I’m really hoping to get a scholarship,” he said.
With all the soccer he plays, Diaz doesn’t have a lot of time left over for extracurricular activities, but he is a member of the Spanish Society, and he helps his mother with her business.
“She helps out children from Puerto Rico,” he said. “We send off money for kids that have been kidnapped and mistreated and things like that. We try to give back to the community.”
So accomplished in so many areas, it would be easy for someone like Diaz to become cocky and arrogant.
But the opposite is true.
“He’s just unbelievably humble about everything,” said Gorni.
