Junior midfielder Zyan Andrade came from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to the United States to play soccer. Andrade is ready to bring what he calls his “Brazilian flare” to the pitch this season.
Andrade previously played soccer at the University of San Francisco, but transferred to Marquette last spring.
Andrade played two seasons at San Francisco, where he started in eight games his first season and nine games during his second. The midfielder said that he was not happy there, and has felt very welcome in his time at Marquette.
“Talking to the coaches, they were always super friendly and were always there for me to reach out,” Andrade said. “They were telling me stuff about the team and about soccer that I grew up learning and hearing about, and I knew this was the right place to be.”
Along with his coaches, Andrade said his teammates have also been very welcoming. When he got on campus in the spring he stayed with fellow midfielder, junior Christian Albelo, and now Albelo cannot wait to play with him on the field.
“Zyan is a great player and a great person. I think he’s gonna be a great fit for the program,” Albelo said. “He’s gonna provide us with something that we don’t have, and it’s a welcome change that will help us all grow.”
Fellow midfielder, junior Alan Salmeron, echoed Albelo’s claims of Andrade bringing a new style of play that will help the team in the long run.
“You can tell from his Brazilian personality that he has that flare in his game,” Salmeron said. “It’s gonna be really hard to defend him because you never know what he’s gonna do with the ball. That will give us an edge in the midfield.”
Andrade is one of 11 new faces on the team, consisting of five transfers and six first-years. He says that despite the challenges of this season given COVID-19, the team is acclimating well.
“I’m used to going onto different teams with different people, but on this team everyone has bought into the same mentality,” Andrade said. “Everyone gets along super well and is also getting along on the pitch with our styles of play.”
Salmeron said being a Marquette student since last spring has helped Andrade considerably.
“As of right now it hasn’t been super easy to work together due to the COVID-19 protocols, but I think we’ll settle in,” Salmeron said. “Zyan has been with us since last year though, so that helps us, and ever since he’s been here he’s shown us that he’s ready to go.”
Andrade admitted he was nervous when he first came to Wisconsin in January, as he has only ever lived in warmer climates in Brazil and California. He said he had only seen snow once before then, but actually enjoys it.
“I love snow, just not the cold so much. When I got here though, I started to feel better about it,” Andrade said. “I think it’s beautiful when it’s snowing and now that we’re playing in the spring, if it’s colder it won’t really bother me.”
Whenever they get to play, Andrade said he is just anxious to finally get on the pitch with his teammates after months of being at Marquette. He also said he very much wants fans to be at the games if they’re allowed.
“I just want to be out there playing with my teammates,” Andrade said. “Hopefully we’ll have fans as well because the atmosphere of having people singing or screaming your name is so exciting. I can’t wait.”
This story was written by Matt Yeazel. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @MJYeazel.
