Spring Break
Rhody soccer recruits players outside US for upcoming season
Matt Swiss
Issue date: 4/9/09 Section: Sports
04/09/09 - The University of Rhode Island soccer team capped off its 2009 recruiting class with the addition of two international players, Nick Joshi and Thomas Lindroos. Joshi comes to Rhode Island from Australia while Lindroos comes from Finland.
Lindroos, a 6'0" forward, is the younger brother of Tony Lindroos, who played soccer at West Virginia University. The Finland native said his brother's world played a great role in his decision to come to Rhode Island.
"My brother played for West Virginia University," Lindroos said, "and he was pleased, so I thought maybe this could be something for me as well. URI came very early in the picture and I liked how coach O´Connor handled the process. He didn't press me into doing any fast decision-making, which some schools did."
While playing in Finland, Lindroos played club soccer for FC Espoo in the Finnish amateur men's league. He helped lead his squad to the 2008 Finland Regions Cup championship title, while helping his team qualify for the UEFA Regions Cup, the European Championship for amateur teams.
Lindroos explained there is still a difference between soccer in America and soccer in Finland.
"In America, soccer is more physical than in Finland for sure," Lindroos said. "I believe the coaches want the players to be very good athletes here. In Finland, we focus more on tactical and technical ability, which I believe is at a much higher level in Finland than in the states."
Lindroos said he believes he can overcome the transition to a more physical game and ultimately help the URI soccer program succeed in 2009.
"I believe I will be a good goal scorer for the Rams," Lindroos said. "I believe other players can learn from my tactical and technical abilities, but I am also looking forward to learning how to train properly, which we don't do that much in Finland."
Lindroos saw action in 16 games last year and recorded nine goals, while dishing out three assists. His time was cut short, however, as he missed 10 games due to national military service obligations. He put up great numbers in 2007 as well, leading his team in scoring with 10 goals and five assists in 20 games.
"My agent thought URI was a very good school," Lindroos said. "He told me it has a good soccer program and highly recommended it. [Freshman forward] Erkko Puranen also praised O´Connor, which was important in my decision."
Lindroos, who prior to his time playing for FC Espoo spent two seasons with FC Honka, one of the top junior clubs in Finland, said he is looking forward to coming to Rhode Island.
"I heard that URI is hosting the conference tournament in 2009," Lindroos said, "and I believe that all the players that have been recruited are on a high standard. It's hard for me to say at this stage, but I think we have a chance to win the conference title."
Joshi, a 6'1" midfielder/forward, who will likely spend most of his time on the left side as a striker, was not available to comment before press deadline.
Lindroos, a 6'0" forward, is the younger brother of Tony Lindroos, who played soccer at West Virginia University. The Finland native said his brother's world played a great role in his decision to come to Rhode Island.
"My brother played for West Virginia University," Lindroos said, "and he was pleased, so I thought maybe this could be something for me as well. URI came very early in the picture and I liked how coach O´Connor handled the process. He didn't press me into doing any fast decision-making, which some schools did."
While playing in Finland, Lindroos played club soccer for FC Espoo in the Finnish amateur men's league. He helped lead his squad to the 2008 Finland Regions Cup championship title, while helping his team qualify for the UEFA Regions Cup, the European Championship for amateur teams.
Lindroos explained there is still a difference between soccer in America and soccer in Finland.
"In America, soccer is more physical than in Finland for sure," Lindroos said. "I believe the coaches want the players to be very good athletes here. In Finland, we focus more on tactical and technical ability, which I believe is at a much higher level in Finland than in the states."
Lindroos said he believes he can overcome the transition to a more physical game and ultimately help the URI soccer program succeed in 2009.
"I believe I will be a good goal scorer for the Rams," Lindroos said. "I believe other players can learn from my tactical and technical abilities, but I am also looking forward to learning how to train properly, which we don't do that much in Finland."
Lindroos saw action in 16 games last year and recorded nine goals, while dishing out three assists. His time was cut short, however, as he missed 10 games due to national military service obligations. He put up great numbers in 2007 as well, leading his team in scoring with 10 goals and five assists in 20 games.
"My agent thought URI was a very good school," Lindroos said. "He told me it has a good soccer program and highly recommended it. [Freshman forward] Erkko Puranen also praised O´Connor, which was important in my decision."
Lindroos, who prior to his time playing for FC Espoo spent two seasons with FC Honka, one of the top junior clubs in Finland, said he is looking forward to coming to Rhode Island.
"I heard that URI is hosting the conference tournament in 2009," Lindroos said, "and I believe that all the players that have been recruited are on a high standard. It's hard for me to say at this stage, but I think we have a chance to win the conference title."
Joshi, a 6'1" midfielder/forward, who will likely spend most of his time on the left side as a striker, was not available to comment before press deadline.
Be the first to comment on this story