Marshall University Athletics

Chris Grassie

Herd Men’s Soccer Announces 2023 Signing Class

5/25/2023 12:29:00 PM | Men's Soccer

14 added for upcoming season

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall University men's soccer head coach Chris Grassie announced the team's 2023 signing class on Thursday.
 
"Every coach in the country will tell you that they are "excited" about their incoming classes, and in my experience, none of them are lying to you," Grassie said. "That is one of the great things about coaching college athletics. Every class offers an unknowable capacity for achievement. Every class we bring in offers us the potential to be better than we were before. We are dealing with young adults who haven't reached their full potential in life or in soccer, and that is the amazing privilege of this job. We get to help guide, coach, mentor, and hopefully befriend these phenomenal groups of young people who will one day be the future of our sport, university, community, and society."
 
"Having prefaced my excitement about this group of players, I can tell you that not only am I excited about this group, but I also place a heavy weight of expectation on them," Grassie commented. This is an extremely talented group of players that Josh, Rafa, Ian, and myself have brought to Marshall.  I believe we will have the deepest squad in terms of quality that I have ever coached.  We will have selection headaches in every position on the pitch.  Hopefully, these players can match, and even surpass, the achievements of their predecessors two years ago in May."
 
The Herd's class features 14 players from 10 different countries.
 
"Of the new additions since the end of the fall, ten have been with us all spring, and this group will get a jump start to learning our system when we travel to Brazil to play matches this June," Grassie said. Of the transfers, we have two who were the leading scorers on their team, and another who was the leading assist maker on his.  We have four all-conference selections from their various leagues and one who was in the top ten for save-percentage nationally.  Those who played as youth internationals represent some of the finest soccer-producing countries on the planet, including: Germany, Morocco, Spain, France, Japan, Portugal, Ireland, Paraguay, Denmark, and Brazil."
 
"Hopefully, I have not only conveyed my excitement about this group, but also explained why I place so much expectation on their shoulders. For this group not to be among the very best in college and to win many trophies would mean that we have fallen short of our potential.  I believe this group will play dominant, entertaining soccer and continue to add kindness and energy into our amazing community," Grassie said.
 
2023 Marshall Men's Soccer Signing Class
Name: Braian Amaro
Position: Center Back
Previous Club: Red Bull Bragantino U23 side
Quick Fact: Braian was captain of Red Bull U23 and a member of the Brazil U20 national team player pool.
Coach's Comments: "Braian is a fantastically, competitive center back. He brings to us a really high IQ in the position as well as a professional training mentality. He has the athleticism and aggression to be a very dominant defender in our conference. I hope he will go on to become a leader of our program and have a great and trophy-laden career here at Marshall."
On joining Marshall: "I feel motivated and proud of the opportunity to represent Marshall. This is a big opportunity in my life and I will make every effort to achieve our goals on and off the field."
 
Name: Ilias Aoumaich
Position: Winger
Previous Club: Benfica
Quick Fact: He is the brother of current Marshall winger Adam Aoumaich.
Coach's Comments: "Ilias is a player we had heard a lot about from his brother. He was very close to joining Benfica or Chelsea, before he and his family decided that a year or two in Huntington would be in his best interest for development. Ilias has a very bright future, and because we have been able to create a fertile environment for his brother, Ilias has chosen the college pathway as well. Adam was the Sun Belt Newcomer of Year last year, and is statistically the best dribbler in college, and Adam admits that Ilias is better than he is, so we're excited to see what he can do in our environment."
On joining Marshall: "It's a pleasure and an honor to play for such a great team. I am really excited to compete for a team that aspires to win a National Championship, and I am ready to work harder than ever to achieve it."
 
Name: Takahiro Fujita
Position: Center Back
Previous Club: Cerezo Osaka U18
Quick Fact: Takahiro has represented Japan at the youth international level.
Coach's Comments: "Takahiro was really impressive when I saw him in Japan last year. It wasn't specifically a position we were looking to fill, but he was so impressive that I knew we had to have him in our squad. He has a really good sense of defensive positioning and timing, as well as the technical level you expect from someone of youth international level. I'm very excited to see Takahiro's development over his career, as I believe his ceiling is really high."
On joining Marshall: "I'm very excited to join the Marshall program to further my studies and soccer career. I hope to use the experience I gained in Japan to ultimately lead the team to another National Championship."
 
Name: Theo Godard
Position: Central Midfield/Left back
Previous School: Gardner Webb
Quick Fact: Theo represented France at the U17 level.
Coach's Comments: "Theo was a player we tracked for a long time, and unfortunately, we weren't able to get him into school in 2022. Nonetheless, he was able to have a very productive season at Garner Webb, before finally ending up at Marshall this spring. Theo is a player who got stronger and stronger with each training session, and will be an important player for us. Theo has a terrific pedigree, and we see that quality from him on a daily basis."
On joining Marshall: "I'm very proud to play for Marshall. I love the way we play. It's one of the main reasons I wanted join this team along with us being a family. "
 
Name: Alvaro Garcia Pascual
Position: Forward
Previous School/Club: Coastal Carolina
Quick Fact: 10 goals, tied with Herd forward Matthew Bell for the Sun Belt lead, and two assists last year for Coastal Carolina.
Coach's Comments: "Alvaro Joined us this past spring. He is a player I had great respect for while he was playing against us. In 2021, he gave us such a torrid time, and single handedly got Coastal a draw in that match, as he was almost unstoppable. He reminds me of a college version of Harry Kane, as he can play equally well as a target, leading the line, or dropping off into midfield to link up play."
On joining Marshall: "Joining Marshall means a lot to me and to my family. It's been a very long and hard journey in America, and finally, I am proud to say that I play for the best college team in the country."
 
Name: Gabriel Perrotta
Position: Goalkeeper
Previous School: UNC Wilmington
Quick Fact: Four-time All-CAA selection (2022 first-team all-conference, eight shutouts, sixth in NCAA Division I for save percentage with .838) and played for Paraguay U17 in the world cup, played for Paraguay U20.
Coach's Comments: "First and foremost, Gabriel comes with the highest recommendations as an amazing person from people I trust within the game. Having spent time with Gabriel, I know he will bring a servant leadership and maturity to our team culture.  As a goalkeeper, he's already achieved so much in college, and we are very lucky that he has an additional year of eligibility. I think he will add great competition to our goalkeeper core and be able to pass on all he has learned to his teammates. With our style of play, we ask a lot of our keepers on the ball, and Gabriel has the skillset and temperament to excel here."
On joining Marshall: "Joining the Marshall family means the world for me. It's an honor to know that I will play and be part of an institution that knows what winning a National Championship means as it's looking to improve and get another one."
 
Name: Rai Pinto
Position: Right-Wing Back
Previous Clubs: FC Porto U19, Famalicão U23
Quick Fact: Rai has represented Portugal youth national teams at multiple levels.
Coach's Comments: "Rai is an exceptionally fit and physical full back, who can get up and down the touchline all game while providing a real attacking threat. Rai has played at an exceptionally high level and represented Portugal at the highest youth level, so he has the quality on the ball you'd expect from someone at that level." 
On joining Marshall: "Joining Marshall means a lot to me! I think it is a "once in a lifetime" opportunity and it is a pleasure to become part of Marshall's team. For me joining soccer at such a high level while pursuing my academic ambitions is incredible and will help me reach all my goals and dreams. I will forever be grateful to Marshall for this opportunity."
 
Name: Joao Roberto
Position: Left-Wing Back
Previous Club: Atletico de Madrid, Flamengo U20
Quick Fact: Joao's nickname is "Alaba," because he bears a striking resemblance to Real Madrid defender David Alaba.
Coach's Comments: "Joao has a ton of attacking talent. He will be an exciting attacking left back in the tradition of Gabi Alves and Carlos Diaz Salcedo. He spent a year training with the Atletico Madrid first team, so he has a really high level and knows how to defend as well, as he wouldn't have survived in Simeone's sessions without being able to do so. We're hoping he will bring all of his talent and experience to help our possession game reach new heights."
On joining Marshall: "Joining Marshall, to me, means the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I cannot put into words how excited I am to join the Herd family. I can't wait to start this new chapter and become a Son of Marshall."
 
Name: Dan Rose
Position: Goalkeeper
Previous Club: Schalke 04 II
Quick Fact: Daniel represented Ireland at the U16, U17, U19, and U21 levels.
Coach's Comments: "We're very excited by Dan's potential in the game. He has been at some of the biggest clubs in the world, and competed internationally against some of the most famous teams in the world. He stands at 6'4", but has the ball skills and composure to really excel in our system. If he works hard over the next four or five years, the sky is the limit for Dan, and I could see him representing the full Irish national team at the World Cup one day.  He is still nowhere near to reaching his potential, so I'm really looking forward to taking that journey with him."
On joining Marshall: "Ever since I spoke with Chris, I knew that Marshall was the place for me to develop. His ambition, as well as tactical insight into the game, excited me and I believe that I can be a part of a very successful team."
 
Name: Felipe Santos
Position: Defensive Midfield/Defender
Previous Club: Marilia Atlético Club - SP U20
Quick Fact: At 6'2", Felipe is in the same mold of player as Herd favorite and current St. Louis City FC player Max Schneider.
Coach's Comments: "I was actually in Brazil to watch another player we have signed to this class, Joao Roberto, but watching Felipe's quality and domination of the game, I knew he was a player we had to have here at Marshall. Felipe has travelled the world playing soccer and speaks four languages. He has the character and skill to have a really bright future here."
On joining Marshall: "Joining Marshall for me means that I am on the right path to completing my dream. There is no better school for me to continue developing as a player, and when I received the offer from Coach Chris, it was a no brainer for me."
 
Name: Filipe Short
Position: Winger
Previous Club: Nova Iguaçu U20
Quick Fact: Also spent time in Benfica's youth academy at U16 level.
Coach's Comments: "Filipe joined us this spring. He is a player with a very good touch.  We have had a long line of very successful Brazilian attacking players, and we hope Filipe will be able to live up to that standard. He's adapted nicely to Huntington and his girlfriend and his family have already spent a lot of time here this spring, so hopefully it has helped him acclimate quickly."
On joining Marshall: "I'm very happy and excited to be joining the Marshall soccer program. It's a huge opportunity to achieve my goals, and I want to make history winning the NCAA National Championship!"
 
Name: Aymane Sordo
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Previous School/Club: Gardner Webb
Quick Fact: Aymane was the leading creative force for Gardner Webb last year with 12 goal involvements in 16 games.
Coach's Comments: "We're thrilled to add a player of Aymane's quality to our team. We know from his former teammate, Theo, that he has good character and will fit us very well in the locker room. On the pitch, he's already proven what he can do at the college level, so we are very much looking forward to seeing what he can do in Huntington. He has a lovely first touch and the composure and skill to be able to unlock defenses."
On joining Marshall: "I am filled with pride and relief as I reflect upon my transfer journey after many challenges and hardships, demanding dedication and resilience. I am especially excited that this path led me to join Marshall University and their elite men's soccer team where I know that I will have a positive impact. I want to thank my family for supporting me every day and Coach Grassie for giving me this opportunity."
 
Name: Alex Stjerngaard
Positon: Central Midfield
Previous School: Quinnipiac
Quick Fact: Alex was the MAAC Rookie of the Year. Led Quinnipiac in assists with 13, and had 17 goal involvements. A United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection, Alex has represented Denmark as a youth international.
Coach's Comments: "Alex joined us this spring, and immediately showed us how important he will be for us. He trains every day with such intensity, and has real quality on top of that. Alex is versatile and can play as a fullback, as a pivot, or as an attacking midfielder. He also has excellent set piece delivery."
On joining Marshall: "I am delighted to have the opportunity to join the prestigious Marshall University men's soccer team, renowned for its exceptional success. Being part of a program that plays at the highest level in the country fills me with great excitement. Marshall's play style is unlike any other school, and I believe this is the best place to grow as a person and soccer player. I am beyond excited for the upcoming season and I'm sure collectively we will do everything to achieve our goals."
 
Name: Paul Wiencierz
Position: Goalkeeper
Previous Club: JfV Lübeck U19
Quick Fact: Club Captain and U19 champion.
Coach's Comments: "We're excited to see Paul's development over his college career. He has good character and will fit in very well with our group. He has taken an interesting path in his development as a goalkeeper, but we are looking forward to getting him into our group and seeing just how high his ceiling is. He has a lot of natural tools, and standing at 6'3", he has the physique to be a really good college keeper."
On joining Marshall: "Joining the Herd meant a lot to me, because it's a great program, where I believe I can improve to reach the next level. I'm excited to get to work! "
 
For all of the latest information on the Marshall men's soccer team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdMSoccer, Facebook at Marshall University Soccer and on www.herdzone.com.

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---HerdZone.com---
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