Spring 2021 NewsTribune Boys Soccer Player of the Year

A couple of matches into his senior season this coming fall, Yahir Diaz likely will be the career goals leader for Mendota soccer.

But he’d rather talk about something else he wants to accomplish this fall.

“I try not to think about that too much,” Diaz said about the scoring record. “The ultimate goal is to get a sectional. That’s all I really want. It will be nice to get the all-time scoring record, but I really just want to win the first sectional in school history. That would be a huge accomplishment for everyone. I feel like we can even go further than that next year.”

Diaz already has helped the Trojans have success during his three-year varsity career.

Mendota won a regional title when he was a sophomore, and during this spring’s shortened season with no state series the Trojans went 8-2 and placed third in the Big Northern Conference Tournament.

Diaz’s role in the team success has been as a goal scorer and facilitator.

This spring he scored 20 goals – which tied for the area lead – and had 11 assists as he earned unanimous All-BNC honors and was named All-Sectional by the National High School Soccer Coaches Association.

For all he accomplished this season, Diaz is the spring 2021 NewsTribune Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

He follows former teammate Emiliano Arteaga, the current owner of the MHS scoring record that Diaz is only four goals from breaking.

“Yahir was awesome again this year,” Mendota coach Nick Myers said. “He scored in every single game. His stats aren’t coming against weaker competition. He scores and scores multiple times even against tougher competition. I always call him a big-game player because he rises to the occasion and takes his game to the next level when we’re playing a tough team or it’s an important game. Any team we see, especially in our conference or anybody we’ve played before, they know right away they have to put a guy or two on Yahir. He’s getting constant attention from other teams, and he’s still able tp put forth multiple goal games and find ways to get assists, too. He’s just an incredible player.”

Diaz possesses physical skills and mental tools that make him a prolific goal scorer. Speed and ball skills are his biggest physical attributes.

“His quickness helps him out a lot,” Myers said. “Many times this year he earned a penalty kick because he got around a defender and they flat out could not catch back up so the only option they had was to foul him from behind.

“His ball handling and ability to keep the ball close to him even under pressure is a main reason for him scoring so many goals. He doesn’t need a whole lot of space to get a shot off. That’s difficult for defenders because they’re waiting for that bad touch or ability to go get the ball and Yahir doesn’t give it to them too many times.”

Diaz also is a student of the game.

He constantly watches soccer and tries to learn from the world’s top players – he tries to emulate Lionel Messi’s passing and vision – he studies film of upcoming opponents to find gaps in their defense and he learns from Myers and his club coach, Gordan Raketic, a former professional player in Slovenia, Austria and Spain.

“I felt I was a lot better than last year, but I think next year I can be even better,” Diaz said about his junior season.. “I feel like I could find open gaps in the defense and read defenses better.”

Myers said Diaz has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, he never gives up on plays even if he loses the ball or a pass is off line and his unselfish style helps him beat the defense.

“He is very unselfish, so when Yahir gets the ball it’s not a guarantee he’s going to go to goal right away,” Myers said. “He tries to get others involved. I think that takes a lot of pressure off him as well. The opposing defense can’t just focus on Yahir.”

Just like Diaz likes it – focus on the team and not himself.