This is nothing new. The rosters coach Dennis Currier has built over the years have always leaned heavily on international talent. That’s why he was asked Monday after the NCAA tournament selection show how many languages he speaks.
“I can say hello in a lot of different languages,” Currier said. “I always try to learn at least one or two things from their languages.”
Dayton (8-6-6) play No. 20 Louisville (11-5-3) at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium in Louisville, Ky., at 7 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The winner will play at West Virginia, the No. 5 overall seed in the tournament, at 2 p.m. Saturday in Morgantown, W.Va.
Dayton players enjoy the diversity of the roster, which also includes three players from Ghana and one from Puerto Rico.
“It’s so amazing,” said defender Logan Brown, who’s from Dallas, Texas. “I learn so much every day from different cultures and different languages from guys on the team. I can never get enough. These guys are my brothers, and I love them, and it’s so cool that we get to have guys from four or five continents on the same team. We all speak the same language, which is soccer. That’s something that we all share, and we all embrace. It’s just so cool to have so many languages in the locker room, so many guys from completely different backgrounds that can come together under one roof and be a family.”
While there are only two players from Ohio on the roster, they both start and rank among the team leaders in minutes played: freshman midfielder Miles Bonham, of Upper Arlington; and forward Manny Day, a graduate student from Grandview Heights.
The six players on the roster who have scored at least two goals this season are from five different countries.
• Kenji Mboma Dem, who leads the team with eight goals, is from France.
• Sidike Jabateh, who has six goals, is from Liberia.
• Hjalti Sigurdsson, who had the winning goal Sunday and has five goals, is from Iceland.
• Joseph Melto Quiah, who has four goals, is also from Liberia.
• Day has three goals.
• Basit Umar, who has two goals, is from Ghana.
“Everybody asks, ‘How do you blend those together?’” Currier said, “and I think the first part of it is you create an environment that is challenging. They have to accomplish goals together, and they have to learn about each other’s cultures. When they bond, it’s just an amazing thing to see.”
THURSDAY’S MATCH
Dayton at Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN+
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