By Jack Houvouras
HQ 135 | AUTUMN 2026
I was never much of a soccer fan. As a typical American sports spectator, the game seemed slow, with low scoring, ties and odd rules.
But all of that changed on the evening of May 17, 2021. That was the date of the College Cup final that saw Marshall University’s men’s soccer team square off against perennial power Indiana University in Cary, North Carolina. The winner would be crowned NCAA national champions. The Thundering Herd had entered the tournament unseeded but knocked off Fordham, No.1 seed Clemson, defending national champion Georgetown and North Carolina.
I was at home watching the match on television with my nephew Alex when the scoreless game went into overtime. Then, eight minutes into extra time, the Herd’s Jamil Roberts scored the game-winning goal. As the ball crossed the goal I proceeded to do my best impersonation of Argentine sportscaster Andrés Cantor, screaming, “Gooooal!” My alma mater had just clinched the NCAA Division I national championship and I couldn’t have been more proud.
Since that evening my interest in the sport has skyrocketed. In the months that followed I watched documentaries about Pelé, Diego Maradona, George Best, Luís Figo, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. I binged the Netflix series Sunderland ’Til I Die that followed the trials and tribulations of an English football club and watched four seasons of Ted Lasso. And of course, I bought season tickets to see the Thundering Herd play in person.
My newfound interest in the sport is the direct result of one individual — Marshall head coach Chris Grassie. In just his fourth season at the helm, he made history and delivered the university its first NCAA Division I national championship. That’s a big deal. And just three seasons later, his team was back in the finals, losing a heartbreaker in overtime. The guy is a winner, and that’s why we decided to put him on the cover of this edition. We probably should have done so years ago, but I didn’t think he would stick around for long. I assumed a powerhouse college program would lure him away, but I was wrong. After being offered a healthy and well-deserved raise, he signed a five-year extension to remain at Marshall.
I’m not alone in my emerging interest in the sport. Some 2,000 fans show up for Marshall’s home games, but its soccer stadium only seats 1,250 people. That’s a problem. In addition, the best soccer programs in the country play on natural grass while Marshall plays on aging artificial turf. That’s another problem. Marshall and Huntington are lucky to have Grassie, but if they hope to keep him these issues will need to be addressed in short order. That means the university, local companies and private donors will need to step up. I’m certainly willing to do my part.
The soccer fever I caught thanks to Grassie and his Thundering Herd teams made this year’s World Cup all the more memorable. I cheered on the USA team as they won three matches and watched with pride as thousands of fans in the stadium joined together to sing John Denver’s Country Roads after each victory. I followed every match that Argentina played just to see the man many say is the greatest footballer of all time — Lionel Messi. He didn’t disappoint and his performances throughout the tournament were magical. But most importantly, I watched a country — and a continent — come together to welcome fans from every corner of the globe and treat them with respect.
Looking back over the last five years, I have truly enjoyed my introduction to the sport of soccer. It’s easy to see why fans around the world call it “the beautiful game.” For that, I have Chris Grassie and his players to thank.
