It didn't take long for Milovan Mirosevic to win the adoration of Crew supporters.
Just thirty minutes into his Crew Stadium debut, the Chilean playmaker buried a penalty past Montreal goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts to open the Black & Gold's scoring account in 2012. Mirosevic was greeted with cheers all afternoon for his hard work and craftiness in the central midfield, welcoming him to Columbus for the first time. The offseason acquistion feels he and his teammates are starting to hit their stride.
VIEW MILO'S STRIKE FROM THE SPOT
"(The win against Montreal) was very exciting, not only for me, but the whole team," Mirosevic said. "As the days are passing, I am starting to feel more comfortable with my teammates. As a team, that's the most important thing right now."
Columbus is starting to feel more and more like home to Mirosevic off the field as well as the midfielder's wife, Andrea, and one year old daughter Sofia recently joined him in the city.
"My family is here now and everything feels normal," Mirosevic said.
Mirosevic and his family have made the transition to Columbus with ease, thanks to help from fellow Chilean Sebastian Miranda.
"Since I've arrived up until now, (Miranda) has helped me with a lot of things involved with changing houses, everything," Mirosevic shares of his fellow countryman. "He has given me a lot of tips. He has been there for me all of the time."
The two players and their families spend quality time together when the Crew is not in action. Having a son the same age as Mirosevic's daugther, Miranda and his wife have taken pleasure in getting Mirosevic and his family familiar with the city.
After having spent a year in Columbus himself, Miranda was instrumental in convincing Mirosevic to leave his home country for Major League Soccer and the Columbus Crew.
"My experience last year was very good. I told (Milo), 'It's a good league, it's a good team, good teammates, good coaches, nice people, nice fans.'
"I tried to say 'Hey, your whole career is hard. There was pressure on your team, on you because your the captain," Miranda continued, "The last couple years of your career, you can in enjoy it (in MLS). You can enjoy your family. (Columbus) is the place."
Miranda hopes their chemistry will spread among their teammates and produce results on the field.
"I think (Mirosevic) is happy," the Crew defender said. "Now, we will try to put that happiness on the field and try to win games."
