Weighing in at a measly 5'8', 145 lbs, Victor Diaz doesn't exactly strike as an imposing figure. Yet, in spite of his slight stature, the freshmen forward is a big part of the Wisconsin men's soccer team's game plan.
In his first full season with the Badgers, the Madrid, Spain native leads the team in scoring through 15 games with four goals'??with three goals coming in the last three games he has played. While four goals may not seem like a staggering amount, it's an impressive tally considering the adjustment process Diaz has been through in the past year and a half.
During last year's spring training season, Diaz scored five goals in just two games. But when the fall season started this year, the goals did not come nearly as easily. Diaz notched just one goal in Wisconsin's first 12 games.
'I just think it's a matter of Victor adjusting,' UW head coach Jeff Rohrman said. 'Certainly, [last spring] Victor showed what he's capable of doing as an individual, but in the fall it's a collective thing. So I think, more than anything, it's just Victor adjusting and getting acclimated to his first full season, but also him getting adjusted to the players around him.'
Diaz's adjustment became easier two weeks ago, when his coaches made a tactical adjustment, switching him from a midfielder to an outright attacking striker. The move paid off, as the Badgers ended a seven-game losing streak with a 3-0 victory against Marquette.
'We decided to switch our system a little bit, because we felt that we just weren't getting enough bodies going forward,' Rohrman said, 'We paired Victor with [sophomore] Eric Ortega and I think that just having another person up there ... and getting [Diaz] in the box [it] getting him more chances.'
Though Diaz considers himself a natural striker, he said he was happy in his midfield role. That being said, he welcomed the position change with open arms.
'I started out the season playing as a midfielder, and I think I played pretty good but it's hard [switching] from a scorer to midfielder,' Diaz said. 'But lately I've been playing as a forward and I've got some balls closer to the box. That's why I've been scoring some goals.'
In the seven losses prior to the switch, UW scored just four total goals. In the three games since, they've scored five. Freshmen midfielder Kenny Dix said Diaz is a big part of Wisconsin's offensive resurrection and specifically cited his skill with the ball at his feet.
'Victor's got amazing skill on the ball and he brings a whole new level,' Dix said. 'Any time he gets forward he causes trouble for defenses. He just causes problems when he gets behind defenses and he looks to shoot from anywhere on the field.'
Even with all that skill, Diaz has had a little help from an unlikely source on his recent goal streak'??the referees. His goal Sunday against Michigan came from a free kick, while the two before that came from the penalty spot.
Diaz said his growing confidence is the reason he's been more apt to take these opportunities. Earlier in the season, Diaz would defer to other Badgers when it came to free kicks and penalty kicks. That's not the case any more, and it's not likely to change anytime soon.
'If I want to take the responsibility then I'll go for it,' Diaz said. 'If I don't feel'??in that game'that I'm going to score ... someone else will take it. But lately I've been feeling good on the field and I say, 'Why not, I'll take it.''
