Taking Tempe: Striker Illy Rassouli's Story
Thu, October 11, 2012 at 1:30 PM Kerry Crowley The Arizona State Men’s Club Soccer team has no difficulty standing out in a crowd. This tight-knit group travels in bunches, often laughing and carousing their way across campus on the way to practices or classes. The team stands out for its worldliness and eccentricity, a cultural melting pot so to speak.
Many of the players come from international backgrounds, and a large portion of the team speaks English as a second language. Though the players may not look or sound like one another, they have quickly grown into one of Coach Eisa Shamrouk’s most cohesive units.
Shamrouk has helped lead the Sun Devils to a 4-2-1 record heading into the second half of the season and he attributes much of the team’s success to their chemistry. “This team gets along really well and that makes my job easier,” Shamrouk said.
The team chemistry is not the only factor easing the load for Shamrouk this year. A surprising source has sparked success for Sun Devil soccer. French exchange student Illy Rassouli has propelled the Sun Devil strike into a force to be reckoned with this year. Rassouli scored nine goals over the teams’ first seven games.