Spring Break
The Daily OrangeMSOC | International affair: Syracuse spans globe in search for fresh soccer talent
By Didier Morais
Posted: 10/21/08, 3:32 AM EST Section: Sports
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So he went to the only place he could think where he could actually see his future home - Google Maps.
He entered the address of the SU Soccer Stadium into the search engine, and saw his surroundings for the next four years. The images fascinated him so much, he called Zawislan. At that moment, the Orange officially received its first international commit of last offseason.
Meister isn't the only foreign-born player to find a home in Syracuse.
Of the 27 players on this season's team, nine hail from territories outside of the United States, including Canada, Poland, Puerto Rico, Hungary and Germany. The nine players represent the largest number of foreign players in team history and a significant aberration from the Orange's previous recruiting history. In Syracuse's last game against DePaul, seven of the 14 SU players who participated in the game were born outside the United States.
Throughout the '90s, SU averaged about one international player per season, and he was usually Canadian. During that period, the Orange coaching staff relied on talent from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
The recent shift toward international recruits can be attributed in part to Zawislan's efforts to acquire players equipped to compete in the Big East.
"This is an American university, and we're looking for American soccer players first," Zawislan said. "In the meantime, we would be shortchanging ourselves and the university if we didn't look at international soccer players."
During Zawislan's first offseason in 2002, he helped the coaching staff recruit two Canadian players and one Colombian. The following season, he helped compile a top 40 recruiting class, according to collegesoccernews.com. That year, he landed two more Canadian players, including former Orange standout Richard Asante (who was eventually drafted by the Major League Soccer franchise Toronto F.C).
Since his arrival, the number of international athletes on the Syracuse roster has steadily increased each season. By 2006, the roster boasted eight foreign players from countries such as Jamaica, Barbados, Switzerland, Canada and Hungary.
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