Calming Confidence: Diaz Weathers Republic's Toughest 11 Day Stretch

Over the course of 11 days, Rafa Diaz has a remarkable tale to tell, from getting the call to anchor the defense for the first time this season against Orange County SC – a match that eventually would be postponed just before kickoff out of caution for the safety of everyone involved – to claiming three clean sheets in three matches, vaulting the Indomitable Club up the Group A table.

Underneath the calm demeanor and soothing presence on the pitch, Rafa’s constant preparation and confidence in his team has him ready to snap into action at a moment’s notice.

Over an incredibly difficult three-match stretch with two games on the road, the Indomitable Club’s goalkeeper has slammed the door shut on allowing an opposing team to score against him – a feat in SRFC history that hasn’t been done in over two years. He clawed at the club’s record books with an impressive 320 consecutive shutout minutes, just behind record-holder Josh Cohen’s 2018 performance (335 min.)

This week – with help from the club’s supporters – he’s up for a well-deserved Save of the Week honor, saluting his heroics in Reno to bring home three points. Fans can vote at USLChampionship.com through 9 a.m. PT on Friday, August 21.

Preparation, but no payoff

With an injury that sidelined Adam Grinwis, Rafa Diaz prepared to man the pipes and help set the club on a winning path following the team’s away loss against Los Dos at the end of July.

A vote of confidence from the boss added to the preparations of Republic’s netminder. Head Coach Mark Briggs noted, “Credit where credit's due, Rafa deserves to be playing no matter what the scenario is. We have two goalkeepers that are competing and can be number one.”

Minutes before the match was set to kickoff, the league and teams called off the game following a positive COVID-19 test result by a previous opponent– safeguarding the health of everyone involved with matchday.

With an injury that sidelined Adam Grinwis, Rafa Diaz prepared to man the pipes and help set the club on a winning path following the team’s away loss against Los Dos at the end of July.

A vote of confidence from the boss added to the preparations of Republic’s netminder. Head Coach Mark Briggs noted, “Credit where credit’s due, Rafa deserves to be playing no matter what the scenario is. We have two goalkeepers that are competing and can be number one.”

“At that point, that would have been my first start at the point, so I was already pretty nervous,” Diaz said. “You have the normal jitters, you're preparing in your mind, you're trying to prepare all week and then the game comes.

“I’ve had games where it’s delayed three hours and the game doesn’t start until close to midnight, which is always tough mentally to stay focused.”

“At that point, that would have been my first start at the point, so I was already pretty nervous,” Diaz said. “You have the normal jitters, you’re preparing in your mind, you’re trying to prepare all week and then the game comes.

“I’ve had games where it’s delayed three hours and the game doesn’t start until close to midnight, which is always tough mentally to stay focused.”

Challenges Ahead

With a condensed season, the boys in Old Glory Red entered a brutal season stretch, following the disappointment of not taking the field against OCSC. 8 days, three matches, and a chance at nine points.

He’s spent the majority of his time in Sacramento competing for a starting role but when given the opportunity to wear the shirt for a full 90 minutes, the Dominican Republic-born netminder grabs control with both hands – or more specifically, goalie gloves.

But Diaz is very self-aware and as an experienced veteran, he knows full-well that complacency won’t get a player to reach his dreams. It takes growth and development, and Diaz isn’t done finding his best form.

“That’s the thing about sports, you’re always evolving,” Rafa explained. “I’m not the same player I was a year ago or two years ago or three years ago and sometimes a lot of players get stuck not growing and the ones who stick around tend to grow and adapt somehow and I just feel like every year I take the mentality of getting better and adapting and that’s kind of driven me.”

On the road

That evolution was on display when the team headed South to San Diego for the club’s inaugural matchup with the league’s newest side. Scouting a team with limited film is always a tough task, but Diaz was up to the challenge and his two saves earned the club a hard-fought road point.

“I trained really well so going into San Diego I was really confident,” Diaz explained. “Warming up I was completely fine; in my head I was just thinking don't get canceled again! I think we left San Diego feeling pretty good about ourselves because I think San Diego might be a tough place to get points and we were able to at least get one point, secure the shutout and go in the direction we really wanted to go.”

“I trained really well so going into San Diego I was really confident,” Diaz explained. “Warming up I was completely fine; in my head I was just thinking don’t get canceled again! I think we left San Diego feeling pretty good about ourselves because I think San Diego might be a tough place to get points and we were able to at least get one point, secure the shutout and go in the direction we really wanted to go.”

The road warriors continued their trek with a journey North to Portland in a quest for three points. The defense was stout in front of Diaz, only registering one save on the night – but the keeper claimed three crosses, smothering any opportunity of attack, and beginning the club’s clean sheet streak.

Heroics Away from Home

Notching the first road win this season provided the club solid footing to take the trek East and challenge regional rivals Reno 1868 FC. With only three days between matches, the club faced its fastest turnaround this season, but the always prepared Diaz was ready. He was called into service five times, stonewalling Reno strikers at the doorstep five times – including a 24th min double save to preserve a nil-nil scoreline early in the match (eventually becoming Save of the Week material.) With another clean sheet, and three more points, Rafa and the boys in Old Glory Red headed home, ready to close out a week against a tough Tacoma side.

Collective Confidence Springs the Team Free

With three road matches in the rearview mirror, Diaz led the team back to home turf to settle a score from the club’s return to play. A 3-3 draw against Tacoma, especially with an early lead, left a scar on the season for the club. Even after back-to-back 1-0 grinding games, the club was full of fight. Diaz may have only stopped one shot on the night, but the confidence radiated from the backline, through the midfield and to the strikers ready to let loose. Diaz’s clean sheet streak may have ended, but the boys in Old Glory Red added three more points to their Group A standings.

Now at the mid-way point of the season, Republic FC continues to push for more. And during the toughest stretch of the 2020 season, Diaz stepped in to provide the confidence and calm for a squad chasing a storm of games.