Serving as a reliable defender for a high-level Division I NCAA soccer team usually means you’re the best athlete in your family. For Temple Men’s Soccer defender Diego Diaz, it’s an entirely different story.
Diaz’s sister Daniela currently competes for Mexico’s national volleyball team, the siblings’ home country. The duo’s athletic abilities and accomplishments set the stage for a friendly rivalry between them. Daniela’s accomplishments make Diego proud, but he also has the competitive itch to replicate her success on the pitch — and even surpass it.
“I think of course growing up I saw what she was doing and that was motivation for me,” Diaz said. “Not only did it form a rivalry but a special connection that lets us understand each other and push each other.”
The inspiration from watching his sister has paid off for Diaz. After struggling to carve out a role for himself during his freshman year at Penn State, Diaz decided to transfer to Temple for more playing time. The move worked out as he instantly became one of the most important pieces on the Owls’ backline.
Temple’s defense became its anchor this season after it was essentially non-existent in 2023. Diaz has been one of the main factors on the back end since stepping foot on the Temple Sports Complex. He has logged five straight games of 90 minutes and his impressive early season play earned him Soccer Six Defensive Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 9.
Despite becoming one of the Owls’ premier defenders, Diaz suffered a learning curve at the beginning of his collegiate career. For seven seasons he spent time on the pitch for the Chivas organization while in Mexico. When he transitioned to the United States, he realized how much more physically demanding the game was after being used to a more refined style of play.
“Over here, you see players from Europe, Africa, South America, and you get to face those types of players who are more used to being a bit more physical,” Diaz said. “The game is a bit more fast and direct. More long balls and more running.”
Another difference that Diaz noticed was the family culture college soccer teams provide. Diaz believed the Owls look out for each other and collectively push the program forward.
The team’s camaraderie was apparent to Diaz as soon as he joined the Owls and was mentored by older players in the team. Defender Kemali Green immediately stepped up and took the transfer under his wing. He helped ease the transition from State College to the bustling city life of Philadelphia.
The team took a trip to Happy Valley during the spring as part of its exhibition schedule to face off against Diaz’s former team. Diaz’s new teammates got a first-hand taste of the change he was experiencing. The stark contrast between the two schools pushed Green and other fellow teammates to help Diaz adjust to his new team.
“That transition [from Penn State to Temple] is night and day,” Green said. “Our coaches give us as much leeway to be ourselves outside the pitch so the guys just want to be together.”
Diaz needed to pick up the pieces upon his arrival to North Philadelphia, which had grown leaps and bounds since he joined in the offseason. He was given the opportunities he believed he deserved at Penn State and began making an impact in the Cherry and White.
Diaz bonded well with his new teammates, but it took him some time to adjust to getting more playing time. His first season at Penn State was challenging because he watched from the sidelines instead of making an impact on the pitch like he envisioned. Diaz appeared in just two games, and his confidence was shattered.
This season, head coach Bryan Green has increased Diaz’s usage on the defense. After a season-low nine minutes played against American on Sept. 2, he has become a mainstay in Temple’s lineup.
“Coming to Temple, those minutes helped me become more sharp and get my confidence back,” Diaz said. “The game got back into my feet and it allowed me to show who I was out there.”
Daniela isn’t the only one driving force of his motivation. The rest of Diego’s family provides a great support system, including his mother, Gloria. Diego describes his mother as an analyst in soccer and volleyball and hardly ever misses his games.
“It wasn’t a specific moment, but I knew Diego would be a special player,” Daniela said. “ Diego always had a lot of dedication and was very disciplined, and seeing how he was made me realize he was going to go far.”
While the rest of the family isn’t out there on the court or the field, they hold the same passion as the athletes they have raised. The family’s desire to see Diego succeed is something special to the sophomore defender.
“All my family, all my brothers and sisters, my dad, they all make a very special effort and it’s not because they have to, it’s because they want to,” Diego said. “ They’ve come to enjoy what we do.”
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