As the red Ford F-250 Crew Cab pickup truck rolled down Interstate 85, Gordon Wild had his eyes glued on the surroundings beyond the front seat window.

Wild had just gotten off his nine-hour flight to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport – the first time he’d stepped foot in the United States. As South Carolina Upstate assistant coach Scott Halkett drove Wild toward the German’s new home, each fast food restaurant, from Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits to Chick-fil-A to Cracker Barrel, astonished Wild as they passed by.

It was all new to Wild, who was accustomed to his mom’s home cooking in Cologne, Germany. Little did Wild know at that time he was about to take college soccer by storm.

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