Summertime means you can go to Six Flag Over Texas and ride the New Texas Giant or the Titan, but neither ride compares to the roller coaster that Mauro Diaz has ridden over his last few years with FC Dallas.



FC Dallas’ run of success in 2015 and 2016 was its best stretch since its inception in 1996. The team finished atop the West in back-to-back seasons for the first time, winning its first Supporters’ Shield and its second U.S. Open Cup in 2016.



Diaz was at the center of it of it all, playing in 24 matches in 2015 and 27 in 2016, the only times he’s cracked the 20-match mark in his FC Dallas career. Both seasons, Diaz led the team in assists with 10 in 2015 and 13 in 2016. He also pitched in eight goals in 2015 and five in 2016.



Then came the low point when Diaz ruptured his right Achilles tendon on October 16, 2016, in the 89th minute against Seattle Sounders FC. That started a long road to recovery, one that’s even longer than...