“I had a week that I will never, ever, ever forget.” From the soccer fields of Montgomery County to representing his country at the highest level, Nicholas Gioacchini (pronounced joe-uh-KEENY) is making an impact for the U.S. national team.

Gioacchini was born in Kansas City, but his family moved around a lot due to his father’s job. At eight years old, they moved to his father’s native Italy. Four years later, they returned to the United States and moved to Bethesda, Md.