Alec Diaz may have started the game on the bench, but that didn’t stop him from turning in a star performance in the Sounders U-19s USSDA Playoff opener on Monday. Diaz’s second-half brace allowed the Sounders to pull out a 3-2 win over New Jersey’s PDA.
Diaz’s production at the academy level made him a good bet under the circumstances, having scored 14 goals in 12 appearances during league play with the U-19s this season, and more than 30 goals in 35 games between the U-17s and U-19s last season. He also has three goals in about 700 professional minutes spread over two seasons with the Tacoma Defiance.