It’s said that soccer is as unpredictable as it is
inspirational. This may not mean much to passive fans, but walk
into a Billiken men’s soccer game, and it’ll make perfect sense.
And if in search of that inspiration, look no further than John
DiRaimondo.

He is speedy as can be, his ball skills are sublime, his passing
is precise, and his understanding of his teammates appears
telepathic.

He seems to be on every part of the field at any given moment.
DiRaimondo is the complete soccer player. Although if you asked
him, he’d just say modestly, “I like to keep things simple most of
the times. I try to just do the simple things right.”

Certainly there’s nothing simple about the three goals and two
assists he has already racked up for the Billikens this year.

When asked what inspires him to play so well, DiRaimondo
remarked, “I have a passion for the game, I’ve played since my dad
taught me when I was three.”

All that experience appears to be paying off for DiRaimondo this
year in the form of goals and assists, although he said, “I like to
get goals and assists, but individual stats don’t matter to me as
much as team stats. I’m happy as long as we win.”

Even only four games into the season, it has already become
quite obvious that DiRaimondo is one of the most important players
to the team.

He provides stability and a major cohesive link between himself
and his teammates. It appears he has an exceptionally good
understanding with sophomore forward Will John, whom he set up for
two goals this past Sunday.

“I think Will and I understand where and when to combine on the
field. We’ve been playing together for a year and a half now and
we’re starting to get things on the same page,” DiRaimondo
said.

DiRaimondo also has very high expectations for his team this
year. “Hopefully we’ll continue to play well and improve on our
success. I think we’ve got the chance to go far this year.”

Perhaps part of the reason DiRaimondo’s already been having an
excellent season can be attributed to his experience with the
United States Under-17 National Team. Despite being knocked out by
Brazil in the quarterfinals, he was very about his experiences with
the team, stating, “Playing with those guys everyday at such a high
level was great. It was very competitive and it’s helped me to grow
as a player.”

DiRaimondo is no stranger to playing at the highest level,
though. His experiences with the youth national team introduced him
to players like Freddy Adu and many other world-class talents. He
is also a good friend of Manchester United’s Jonathan Spector. And
of course, he played extremely well with Vedad Ibisevic for SLU
last year, who now starts for Paris St. Germain Football Club,
arguably France’s best club team.

He was quick to salute the fans who come to the games, saying,
“They’re tremendous. It seems like a lot more students are coming
out, and I love the crowd when everyone gets pumped up in our
beautiful stadium. You couldn’t ask for any more from a college
environment.”

DiRaimondo also feels as though he and his teammates owe much of
their success to Head Coach Dan Donigan. “He is extremely
important. He gets us prepared for the game and tells us what he
expects. He’s great, and we try to listen to him because he knows
what he’s talking about.”

When you look at the experience and the way he played last year,
it should come as no surprise that DiRaimondo has already had a
fabulous season for the Billikens this year. Be sure to make it to
as many Men’s Soccer games as you can this year, and watch the
Billikens and John DiRaimondo do it again!