Junior Martin Giordano can not remember when he first picked up a soccer ball, but can tell you he is grateful that it happened. Born in Argentina, one of the globe’s major hotbeds of soccer, Giordano and his family moved to the United States when he was seven. Soccer helped bridge the cultural gap.
“Soccer’s one thing that helped a lot, because it was something I had in common with all those kids,” Giordano said. “For my first birthday, I got a Boca Juniors ball. I was playing with that my whole life.”
It was not long before Giordano’s love of soccer would grow into a chance at playing it collegiality.
“In, like, middle school I started thinking about that,” Giordano said. “You start hearing about kids that get scholarships, you kind of compare yourself to those kids and see how their level is. In high school, that’s when you start getting looks and it just goes uphill from there.”
Giordano attended Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Florida. Not only was his play stellar, ranking in the top 100 prospects of the nation in 2012 by Top Drawer Soccer, Giordano also thrived in the classroom. Giordano finished in the top five percent of his class at Cypress Bay and is a member of the National Honor Society.
Giordano’s excellence both on and off the field quickly caught Stony Brook’s eye, and in the two years he has been here, Giordano has quickly developed into a leader this young Seawolves team needs.
“I was good, all my friends were good, my team was good. But we didn’t fight, we didn’t have that grit that you have to have in college,” Giordano said. “Here, it’s a lot more physical, you can’t just get away with being good. People are gonna tackle you. People are gonna fight.”
In his freshman campaign, Giordano was fifth on the team in points, with seven in 18 games. The midfielder only started in half of those outings, but assumed control of the team in 2013.
Giordano led the Seawolves in points and assists in his sophomore year and has yet to slow down.
This season, Giordano has already recorded two points in four contests, with a blistering 636 shots on goal percentage on 11 tries. But Giordano is not restricting himself to leading just by example.
“I would consider myself a veteran because we don’t have that many older guys. We have a young group,” Giordano said. “So, some of us sophomores, juniors, even last year we had to step up and take that leadership role. I feel like I’ve been here for a long time even though it’s only two years.”
This young group has just one senior and four juniors, including Giordano. With the lack of experience on the team, its elder statesmen have been called upon to help guide the younger crop.
“Some guys just need support. Not even just soccer wise,” Giordano said. “Getting used to being on your own, helping guys stay positive. Every guy comes in and they’re the star of whatever team, and then they come to college and they realize that maybe they’re not going to be the star, at least not in their freshman year. Some guys have a hard time with that.”
Giordano admits balancing his role with the team and his academics is no easy task.
“I wish there was a trick to it, but it’s just studying, even if you don’t want to,” Giordano said. “We’ll get home late form a trip, and if you have to study, you have to study.”
Giordano has continued to be a poster child for the student-athlete, understanding that playing professionally would be a dream come true, but that it is not a foregone conclusion.
“I have dreams of playing professional, that would obviously be awesome,” Giordano said. “After that realistically you have to find something to do. Most people play a couple years and they’re done. So I’m trying to take advantage of school and academics as much as I can.”
Giordano is currently studying mechanical engineering, but has yet to find a specific aspect that stands out above the rest.
“Cars, designing, airplanes, even construction,” Giordano said. “Who knows? We’ll see.”
So we will.
