Sophomore midfielder Jay Chapman points to his team after scoring a goal during the game against Northern Illinois on Sept. 28, 2013, at DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field. The Spartans defeated the Huskies, 2-0. Julia Nagy/The State News
—The likes of Lionel Messi, Pele, Wayne Rooney and Diego Maradona are all linked by something other than their goal scoring prowess on the field — the jersey No. 10.
Even for members of the MSU men’s soccer team, the significance of their jersey number is an important aspect of the game.
Sophomore midfielder Jay Chapman is No. 10, and his role is that of a traditional attacking midfielder, pulling the strings in the attacking third and creating chances for the rest of the team.
“Some people say (No. 10 is) the most creative player (on the field), and that’s how I like to view myself,” Chapman said. “I enjoy scoring goals, but I like to create for other players and influence the game from an attacking perspective.”
While the No.’s 9 and 10 largely have kept their historical significance, the traditional roles of jersey numbers are becoming more skewed than in the past. Players now regularly choose numbers based on favorite players or just out of necessity.
Senior defender Kevin Cope grew up wearing No. 2 in the Michigan Wolves Soccer Club, but after repeating the Under-14 division, he was forced to add one to his kit number.
Josh Gatt, who plays professionally in Norway and made two appearances on the U.S Men’s National Team, had Cope’s number when he repeated his age group.
Cope said he’s never looked back, and when he got to MSU, it was an easy decision to stick with his club number.
“I had to switch numbers, and No. 3 was the next best option,” Cope said. “When I got to college, Garret Back was No. 2, and I knew he was going to be here a few years, so No. 3 was open, and I jumped on it.”
For junior midfielder Fatai Alashe, picking the No. 27 wasn’t hard when he came to college because his favorite player donned that number at the time.
“My favorite player is Kevin-Prince Boateng, who used to play for AC Milan and now he plays for Schalke now,” Alashe said. “I just started wearing it when I came to MSU, but that’s when he became my favorite player.”
Alashe’s Twitter handle reflects Boateng’s name and number.
Head coach Damon Rensing said choosing a number is an ongoing process on the MSU team, with priority given to upperclassmen.
He said it’s not always a soccer player that they base their decision from, but in the end, the decision is up to the player.
“Most of the guys, once they come in, they stick with (a number),” Rensing said. “What normally happens is there’s somebody they look up to. There’s a lot of different reasons, but it’s kind of subjective to the players.”
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