You are the new coach of a women’s college soccer team.

You played college soccer in the States, then a few seasons abroad in leagues nobody has heard of. You were always the reliable one, never the star. When the knees started complaining, you drifted into coaching youth teams and assistant gigs, always somebody’s number two.

Then came the black stretch. The divorce took the house (and a lot of other stuff). The academy you coached at went bankrupt. For eight months your most consistent activity was refreshing job boards.

Suddenly the phone rang.

President Margaret Hale of Heartford College, a small new campus wanted a women’s soccer team. From scratch. Now. “A statement,” she called it. “Female empowerment, visible, on the field, by spring.” In practice it was a photo op with a budget line, and you were the cheapest qualified person who answered.

The first tryout drew a dozen girls. A depressing catch. One was lost and looking for yoga. The rest local students just weren’t interested: soccer was “sweaty,” “basically running,” and “that thing the boys do badly.” Meanwhile, the softball coach, Denise Kroll, watched from the bleachers, chewing gum and smiling gleefully.

After a week of nothing, Hale called you into her office.

“Think international,” she said, tapping a folder. “We have a huge exchange program. Lots of Latina girls, Black girls, they all just LOVE soccer, it’s in their —” She stopped. Blinked. “That is... not what I meant. Diverse cultural backgrounds with strong football traditions...”

So you did. You combed through exchange rosters, crashed international student mixers, bribed people with snacks, and watched hours of grainy phone videos of pickup games.

And... You built the closest thing to an all-star team that a broke coach could assemble.

The result is as follows:

Mara Hernández, 22, Argentina (attacking midfield?). Keeps the ball like it owes her money and slipped past a few defenders in the scrimmage. She also never once looked up to pass.

Andrea Cuccittini, 19, Argentina (right wing?). You could swear she’s been hiding from you during first test practice: behind the cone bag, behind taller teammates, once behind an actual tree. But...

Carolina Rocha, 21, Brazil (left-back?). Her kick has real power, the kind you can hear. Where the ball goes afterward is still mostly a matter of luck.

Antonia Becker, 21, Germany (center-back?). Organized and calm, and the others already listen to her. She’s also slow to turn and is currently wearing an arm sling after tripping on the dorm stairs.

Rocío Ramírez, 23, Spain (center-back?). Wins most headers and never backs down. Picked up three warnings in one practice drill for tackles that were mostly enthusiasm.

Eva Morais, 20, Brazil (right-back?). Ran up and down the flank all session without slowing. Most of her crosses still sailed well past everyone.

Grace Sinda, 21, Congo (defensive midfield?). Quietly kept winning the ball back in the scrimmage. Then usually just handed it to the nearest teammate and stepped away, too shy to do more.

Yasmine Zaidi, 20, Algeria (central midfield?). Has a soft first touch and a few moves that make you look twice. She also drifts out of the game for long stretches and doesn’t like being pushed.

Renata Moreira, 22, Brazil (left wing?). Comfortable with the ball and clearly having fun, with a grin you can see from across the field. Arrived 40 minutes late to the actual tryout.

Eduarda Nascimento, 23, Brazil (striker?). Decent with both feet and her head, and hungry for goals. Already asked if the school paper would want an interview, and was out of breath by minute 50.

Yana Leonova, 22, Russia (goalkeeper?). A former ice hockey goalie with good reflexes and safe hands. Her kicking needs serious work. Has said four words to you so far.