When Maryland men’s soccer forward Gordon Wild visited Maryland last winter after deciding to transfer from the University of South Carolina Upstate, it was a no-brainer for him to join the Terrapins.
Wild said no other school he visited had a coach like Sasho Cirovski. He was impressed with Cirovski’s dedication to the program and how he built Maryland into a perennial championship contender. Even after visiting other historically strong college soccer programs such as UCLA and Syracuse, Wild committed on the spot during his visit to College Park.
Though there are concerns for some players’ transitioning into Power Five conferences, Wild put those to rest Monday night in the Terps’ 5-0 win against Hartford. The sophomore continued to fit in nicely with Cirovski’s offense by scoring two goals against the Hawks.
“It’s the best soccer school in the country,” Wild said. “What Sasho created here is special and unique. It’s something I’m enjoying every day. His whole mentality, passion, his whole commitment to this program, how he sees things. That’s something that inspired me. I couldn’t say no to this. There was no way.”
Wild tied for the most goals in the country with 16 last season, but he did so at a small Division I program in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He wanted to compete against the top talent in the country.
When he started practicing with the Terps this summer, Wild built chemistry with his new teammates. He was put into an apartment at Landmark with defender Alex Crognale and forward George Campbell, and he fit in with the team right away.
Before the season, Cirovski predicted the German would be “flying on all cylinders” by the middle of September or early October. But his speed and knack for scoring goals have made him one of the Terps’ top contributors through two games.
“He’s an unbelievable player,” Campbell said. “He’s a great teammate and great friend. He brings another dynamic to our attack. [Monday] he was definitely on.”
Wild attempted two shots against UCLA in Maryland’s season-opener Friday, including one that smacked the top crossbar. Three days later against Hartford , he broke through by scoring his first two goals of the year.
In the eighth minute, Wild received a pass from defender Diego Silva and struck the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. Wild, playing in his first match at Ludwig Field, ran toward the left corner of the pitch and raised his hands into the air as his teammates embraced him. The 5-foot-10, 172-pound forward said he got goosebumps hearing the cheers from the The Crew after he scored.
When midfielder Eryk Williamson sent a cross into the box in the 53rd minute, Wild struck again. In the midst of about five players, Wild dove feet first for the ball and tapped it into the goal.
“His first goal was magic,” Cirovski said. “That’s Gordon Wild. I was very happy for him. One was a quick turn and brilliant shot to the back post and one was a good hard, courageous run in the box.”
As the season progresses, Cirovski said Wild’s relationship with the offense will improve, particularly with Williamson and forward Sebastian Elney.
In the veteran coach’s mind, the Maryland faithful haven’t seen the best of the skilled transfer.
“It takes some time under the bright lights of Maryland soccer,” Cirovski said. “[Monday] was a really positive step. He’s quite a talented striker.”
