Soccer is universal. That is seen anytime one turns on a television and watches the teeming, screaming thousands at an English Premier League match, a La Liga match in Spain or a Bundesliga match in Germany. Countries from Canada to Costa Rica to Belgium to Brazil love, and can excel, at the sport.
The University of Charleston men's soccer team doesn't favor one region of the world. It has embraced all of them. The Golden Eagles roster includes players from 10 different countries - the United States, England, Wales, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada and Jamaica.
So many countries. So many languages. So many playing styles. How does UC meld all of them together into one unit?
Very well, considering the Golden Eagles (20-2) will play Pfeiffer at 6 p.m. Thursday in the NCAA Division II national semifinals. It is Charleston's second straight semifinal berth after finishing as national runner-up last season. UC coach Chris Grassie's philosophy is one of togetherness and positivity, which has helped the players become more well-rounded as both athletes and people.
Grassie combs the globe for talent with help from an NCAA rule that allows Division II programs to sign professional players if they're in high school or one year out. So he looks toward the developmental programs in countries like England, Germany and Brazil for his recruits.
Bringing that talent under one college banner is just part of the challenge. The next part is getting such a diverse roster on the same page. It's not just different languages that must be brought together, but different styles as well - the more-direct British style, the aggressive German style, the grace and flair of the Brazilian style.
Grassie said one of the key traits he looks for in any player he recruits is drive, something that translates from any language.
"We look at the passion that they have for the game," Grassie said. "Can you translate that passion into discipline? Can you take your passion for the game and get as fit as we want you to be fit? We need you to be incredibly fit."
When those players arrive from all points of the globe, they find out the next rule: Freshmen must room with a player from a different country or culture. The coaches will match personalities - a more studious player will room with a teammate just as scholarly - but not nationalities. That way, the first person they rely on is someone from another culture.
Junior forward Will Roberts, from Denbigh, Wales, moved in with Renan Ramos, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when he came to Charleston. He has loved getting to know his teammates' backgrounds and their traditions.
"We all blended quite well," Roberts said. "We all get involved in different cultures and we all get to mix, and now we're all really good friends. And that shows with how we play on the field, really. You can really tell the difference."
Another rule of the UC soccer team: In team functions, American English is the language. That way, Grassie said, everyone knows what everyone else is saying and there's no need to repeat it in multiple languages. Anyone who falls back into his native tongue too long might get a few extra chores, like washing the dishes, as punishment.
It's not always easy, even for Grassie, a native of Newcastle, England. Instead of calling it a lift, he makes sure to call it an elevator. Instead of calling it football, he makes sure to call it soccer.
"I'm not always successful," he said with a smile.
That rule comes in especially handy if the players begin yelling at each other on the pitch. Grassie wants a universal language there because there could be several other people who could add to the conversation, but can't if they don't know what's being said.
Grassie would rather not see any yelling at all. The critiques can be left to the coaches. He wants the players to maintain positive vibes throughout the match.
"They all come from an environment that's dog-eat-dog," Grassie said. "They all come from the professional environment, where it's about making it for your lives, your family, your livelihood. When they come here, we have to break them of some of those habits, of biting everyone's head off to show you care. The way you show you care here is by following instructions and positively reinforcing good behavior."
The Golden Eagles also see the benefit of a diverse roster in the diverse solutions they have for different problems. One game may call for a more direct pace befitting of the English style. Another may call for quick feet and the Brazilians' talent for playing in tight spaces. Others may need quality finishes that the Germans can provide. UC has players that can fit any need.
And players often find different styles rubbing off on them. Junior defender Bruno Oliviera, from Brasilia, Brazil, had to recalibrate his way of thinking on the pitch. He has found that the British and American strategies have helped him improve on defense.
"I struggled in the first year when I got here," he said. "A lot of goals were from my side because I was just attacking and attacking. My second year was much, much better. This year, it's the same thing. Now, I feel like I'm more intelligent about playing."
By meshing away from the pitch, the UC men's soccer team has found it easier to jell in competition. Each player learns a little bit about his teammates' backgrounds and adds a piece of that to his own game, while offering his experiences to the rest of the lineup and giving them a taste of a different style. That philosophy has led to 42 wins over the past two seasons and two spots in the NCAA's final four in Division II.
"It just becomes a self-fulfilling cycle," Grassie said. "It keeps getting stronger and stronger."