“We have a very young group, a very talented group of boys. For some of them it’s their first opportunity here in the U.S.,” Cabral said ahead of the club’s Open Cup opener against third-division pros South Georgia Tormenta at home on Wednesday, April 17th. “I’m showing them little things that I'm already used to because I have been here for quite some time now, but they haven't.
I think it also helps them just to acclimatize with the country and feel at home because I'm pretty sure that when you feel at home you're gonna’ perform better on the field,” he said.
Cabral’s tendency toward guidance makes sense when you consider that, prior to and during his early professional days in the United States, he was a college coach at both West Virginia University and the University of Charleston.
His new teammates include a plethora of talent from across the U.S. lower divisions and abroad, especially from Italy and Cabral’s native Brazil. For some, like midfielder Allen Gavilanes, it's a step up the ladder from playing in USL League One with Greenville Triumph SC. For many others, like midfielder Manuel Botta, it's their first time playing soccer in the States.
While this won’t be Gavilanes first Open Cup, he can relate to what some of his teammates will be going through against South Georgia’s Tormenta in the Third Round. While playing for New York Red Bulls U-23s in 2019, he made his tournament debut in the Second Round against Memphis 901 FC. The reason he didn’t play in the Premier Developmental League (PDL) side’s First Round win? He had a final exam at Marist University and he wasn’t excused.
“Obviously I was very nervous. Just a couple of days before that, I was in school taking finals. So then being in the U.S. Open Cup and playing for the Red Bulls, it was gonna be a hard game,” said Gavilanes. “I was nervous but once I got on the pitch, the first few plays I kind of settled in.”
Botta, meanwhile, has a slightly different experience. His first taste of cup action came in the Coppa Italia. While playing in Italy’s Serie C, his S.S. Audace Cerignola lost on the road to S.S. Juve Stabia in front of nearly ten thousand fans in the heart of Campania.
New Coach & Old Ways
Speaking of Italy, the man now leading The Miami FC is well acquainted with that country. Former Italian national team midfielder and Serie A mainstay Antonio Nocerino is the new boss on the sideline at FIU. In his first head coaching role, the Italian knows the challenges he'll face in the second division.
“This opportunity is important for [me to] grow or learn and to start a new career in America because last year I worked in Italy,” Nocerino said in a phone interview. “I'm happy. I know it's difficult. It is difficult because the team is new, the players young, it’s an interesting challenge, difficult, but it's ok. It’s an opportunity and experience because I know everyone is amazing.”
