Razorback Soccer

[Coyotl]

So after picking up Dutch player, de Boer, the Backs just picked up a Czech defender, Smetkova. Does anyone know if these two are the first two international players to ever play for the soccer team? I've been watching since 2006 and haven't recalled them ever having any international players. Is this a sign that we'll start picking up more international players or just an odd coincidence? I've talked with others at other schools and they've had international players since forever...why haven't we?

[psycHOGlogist]

We did have an Irish GK committed several years ago (I think it was even under the previous coach), but she didn't make it to campus. Not sure why.

I think a lot of international recruiting amounts to having connections with people who can bring talented and recruitable prospects to your attention. I don't know that our previous coaches were that well connected, but I think Coach Hale and his staff are better situated in that regard.

[LadybackBBFan]

International Recruiting is difficult.  TC did a lot of that and only got two players on campus - neither of which ever produced anything for the women's basketball team.

[psycHOGlogist]

I think it's different for different sports. Soccer seems to do fairly well with it at other universities (especially with Canadian players), and volleyball has had a lot of success (not speaking only about UA, but in general). There have been several excellent international vb players in Arkansas history, though - Anna Velikanova, Eftila Tanellari, several from Puerto Rico (does that count? And that even predates Pulliza), Jenny Rangelova, Eva Docekalova, Michelle Coens (Canada again). Currently, Barbara Dapic has been a solid contributor, and I am eager to see how much Juliette Fidon and Fernanda Guitron can contribute.

(I tried not to include foreign kids who were recruited from US Junior Colleges, like Roslandy Acosta, though I may have included one or two -- to me, that's a different animal.)

But you're right - in basketball it seems we have a fairly empty cupboard of foreign contributors.