Near the end of practice Tuesday, a familiar face for the Syracuse men’s soccer team set the ball outside the box and prepared to send it toward the goal. The drill was really for the goalkeepers, but the real beauty was watching the offensive player strike the ball perfectly with his right foot, bending it to the top left corner of the net just out of the goalie’s reach.

It was a perfect shot and score by Richard Asante, something he’d done five times before while donning orange. But unlike last year when he was team captain as a senior, Asante’s contribution isn’t on the field as a top midfielder. Back on campus finishing his degree in child and family studies, Asante, who was selected in the 2007 Major League Soccer SuperDraft in January, is providing leadership and experience as an unofficial assistant coach to a struggling squad.

Syracuse (5-5-4, 2-5) begins a three-game homestand tonight against Villanova (9-6, 4-4) at Syracuse Soccer Stadium at 7 p.m., as it tries to battle into the postseason. The Orange currently sits in last place of the Big East red division, but with four matches left all against division opponents, it still controls its own destiny.

Asante never won a Big East tournament game as a player, but now he has the chance to help get this group over the hump with his guidance, not his footwork.

‘If I’m here for a fifth year, the least I could do is come out and be part of the team,’ Asante said. ‘I’m not playing, but at least I can give my leadership and help the players, especially the freshmen, adjust and get ready for the rest of the Big East.’

Last season, Asante finished with five points and was one of two players to start all 16 games. In his career, he played in 63 games, scoring 14 points and providing a consistent defensive presence out of the midfield.

After completing his NCAA eligibility, Asante chose to leave school and pursue a professional career in soccer. On Jan. 12, he was drafted in the third round (27th overall) by Toronto FC in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft.

Professional soccer proved difficult, though, and Toronto released Asante on April 26 just three games into the season because of a contract dispute. Asante declined to comment about the specifics of the problem.

With his playing career temporarily on hold, Asante saw the perfect opportunity to finish school. Upon arriving back in Syracuse, he met with SU head coach Dean Foti about the possibility of helping the team, despite having limited coaching experience. Foti was glad to have his former captain back with the program.

‘If you’re going to have that kind of resource around, it makes sense to have him here where he can be exposed to especially the new guys,’ Foti said. ‘We have a lot of new players, and he’s been giving them some insight as to what it’s like here.’

On a daily basis, Asante usually helps out with basic drills and occasionally participates in intrasquad scrimmages, providing an extra body to run up and down the field. He works especially close with the defensive midfielders (his former position) on spacing, ball-handling and marking.

But more important is his support off the field, helping inexperienced players adjust to the rigors of Division I soccer. At first, all people wanted to hear about was his time with MLS. Now, more players are concerned with how to handle long road trips and dealing with heckling fans.

‘He’s similar to a good clubhouse guy in baseball,’ Foti said. ‘It’s good to have him around because young guys can bounce things off him and the older guys look up to him and look to him for advice. … He commands a lot of respect, and I think they respect what he says.’

Before this season, Asante had never coached anything but youth soccer. Now he has experience coaching a college team in one of the nation’s most competitive conferences.

He’s not ready to take a coaching job yet, though. Asante plans to return to professional soccer after he earns his degree, hoping this time to establish himself as a legitimate pro. But the day he hangs up his cleats, Asante knows his soccer career doesn’t have to end.

‘I definitely want to coach one day, so this is another positive I can take out of this,’ Asante said. ‘It’s been very rewarding. Honestly, very rewarding.’

Published on October 23, 2007 at 12:00 pm