MSUB SPORTS – With the weight of 60 million people on his shoulders, Andrea Pirlo held the ball at the top corner of the 18-yard box in Italy's World Cup opening-round match against Ghana on June 12, 2006. Granted room to take two touches with his right foot off of a short corner kick, the then-27-year-old let loose a low laser of a shot that streaked through a crowded goal box and unstoppably made its way into the far corner of the side netting.
 
"The first one was Pirlo against Ghana, and the most important one was Totti against Australia," said Montana State University Billings junior center back Samuele Folla, when asked to recount the most memorable moments of his nation's most recent of four World Cup titles.
 
Folla stands 6-foot-2 and though he is just as new to the United States as he is to the Yellowjacket men's soccer program, his impact has been as seamless as his picking up English to the point of carrying a conversation. He has started six matches and played 551 minutes as a center back, ranking third on the team among field players in time on the pitch.

"Everybody knows the 22 players from that World Cup team, because they had a responsibility for the entire country and we all take inspiration from them," said Yellowjacket sophomore Luca Battistotti, a second-year captain who sat next to his countryman Folla as they reflected on one of their fondest memories.
 
Folla was 12 years old and Battistotti just eight when Fabio Grosso punched home the Cup-winning penalty kick after an epic 1-1 draw against France in the '06 final. "I can't even describe the emotion when your country wins the World Cup," Battistotti said. "We grew up in a culture where the passion for soccer is part of everyone. Everybody watches those games, and it is a way to get to know each other. Even the people who never watched soccer watched during the Cup, because they knew Italy was playing that night."
 
While it is the goals scored that provoke the widest smiles from Folla and Battistotti, when it comes to their role on the pitch for MSUB it is primarily to keep the ball out of their team's net. Despite a rough 0-3 start to the season, MSUB has rallied to go unbeaten in its last four matches, and has surrendered just two goals over the last 380 minutes of play. The Yellowjackets open Great Northwest Athletic Conference play this weekend, with a big Thursday night contest at No. 3 Simon Fraser University and a Saturday matchup against Western Washington University. "Luca and Samuele complement each other well on and off the field," said MSUB head coach Alex Balog. "With Samuele being new, he relies on Luca quite a bit. Luca in turn is more than happy to help his older compatriot out where and when he can."
 
Part of the adjustment for Battistotti prior to the 2017 season and Folla this fall was adapting to the wide variety of styles that exist within MSUB's team, where 10 different nationalities are represented. "Everyone knows a different system of soccer and culture, and it is important to understand the background of all of your teammates," said Battistotti. "You might expect them to know certain things but they don't because they had a different soccer background. So we all have to find a way to adapt so we can learn how to play with each other."
 
Battistotti, who has now started 25 matches and averaged 84.2 minutes per game since debuting for the 'Jackets last fall, has been crucial in helping Folla fit into the team both from a language standpoint and in deciphering the myriad styles of play that emerge at every training session. "It wasn't easy at first, especially because the language (barrier) was hard to overcome," Folla said. "I am very happy because my teammates, coaches, and professors have been very patient with me and helped me in different situations. I have Luca who can translate for me when I need."
 
One area where Folla has not needed any translation is his spot on the field directly in front of Swedish goalkeeper Ludvig Rhodin. His talents were most recently put on display in MSUB's 2-1 victory over Oklahoma Baptist last Thursday, when he commanded the aerial game in the defensive third and helped his team withstand a barrage of four corner kicks and 12 shots over the final 45 minutes to hold on for the win.
 
Where Folla provides the combination of calmness and confidence required to play wisely with his feet while also rising above to clear dangerous crosses, Battistotti has been a jack of all trades fitting in alongside him. Battistotti played his entire freshman season as an outside back, where he thrived pushing forward under Coach Balog's system and frequented the flank with dazzling attacking runs that would make Pirlo proud. Coming off one goal and three assists a season ago, Battistotti has already scored once this fall and figures to be another offensive weapon on a team that has already featured eight different goal scorers in seven matches. 

Most recently however, Battistotti has slotted into the center back position, playing directly next to his fellow countryman. This utility Battistotti provides is a luxury for the Yellowjackets in the eyes of their head coach, and accurately describes their unique and complementary personalities. "Samuele is a calm introvert and Luca wears his heart on his sleeve," Balog said. "When Luca is upset about something, it is impossible for him to hide it. Their different personalities translate into different playing styles. Luca is passionate, physical, and very vocal, and Samuele is more quiet, steady, and reads the game well."
 
"In our culture, the main sport is soccer," said Battistotti. "The majority of people play, and my father especially gave me the passion to play. I have always loved the game, and it is more than a sport for me."
 
Battistotti began playing soccer at the age of four, and in his early years he developed as an attacking winger. When he started playing full-sided 11-on-11 matches, he made what he describes as a natural transition to the back line. "I felt very comfortable right away, and over the years I played both as an outside back and a center back," Battistotti explained. "I got used to playing both positions, and I had coaches who tried to fix in my mind that it was important to be able to play more than just one position."
 
Battistotti's frequent pushes forward spur from his early years on the pitch, as he still has visions of being a goal scorer. "The way I used to play, I went forward a lot," he said. "It was something I grew up with. When I watched the professional games, I drew inspiration from those players going forward. It was just my attitude."
 
For Folla, the transition to center back carved a different path. Like Battistotti, he began playing at a very young age and followed his older brothers to practice. But until he reached the age of 16, Folla patrolled the pitch as a central midfielder, citing the crucial responsibility of connecting both with forwards and defensive players. A move to the back line wasn't one that required much adjustment. "It was a natural transition," said Folla. "When you come to the back line, you need to think like a defender and do the simple things."
 
"Both are leaders by example in their own way," said Balog. "They bring a different culture, background, and a lot of character and personality to our program. We are very fortunate to have been able to bring two players of Luca and Samuele's caliber to MSUB. Besides being good players, they are also good people."
 
Battistotti's home town of San Rocco al Porto lies in the northern section of Italy, an hour south of the nation's second-largest city, Milan. He had never been to America before the fall of 2017, and was simply in search of a venue through which he could continue his soccer career while completing a degree of higher education. "In Italy, it is very difficult to do both at the same time," Battistotti commented on the different culture of soccer and education. "I found out I had this possibility to come to America and do both. When I first talked to Alex, he convinced me after 10 minutes and I decided I was coming to MSUB. After the first two weeks, it started to feel like home and all the people here were very warm. My teammates were like a big family and we all helped each other in every situation."
 
The words Battistotti now speaks radiate in a bold, confident voice of fluent English – the character of which existing his entire life but the subject matter nearly non-existent last September. Now he leans closer to Folla for a quick exchange of Italian as Folla seeks to answer the next question. After a smile and a nod, Folla proceeds. "To win games is never simple. It depends on if we can stay organized, how well we practice, and how well we get to know each other. We have a young team with a lot of new players, but we all believe we have a good team and that we can play good soccer."
 
Folla's home community of Ruda in Udine, Italy is situated in the northeast corner of the nation, less than an hour from the beach but nearly four hours from where Battistotti learned to play the game. The two had never met before this fall, but they feel a bond of connection through the strength of their passion for the game of soccer that stems back to their childhood days.
 
With the weight of a neighborhood full of children riding on his shoulders, a 12-year-old Samuele carefully maneuvers the ball with his right foot into shooting position. "We used to pretend we were the Italian national team, and we used to simulate the goals after each game in that World Cup," Folla said drawing a smile from Battistotti.
 
A carefully calculated strike with his right foot, keeping the ball low and heading for the far corner, is a play he repeated countless times over in a backyard he was quickly outgrowing. In that moment he was Andrea Pirlo, Italian hero.