By @SAdyson

Back in April, the USA today ran a story on the story of three members of the Cuban men’s national soccer team who defected to the United States.

After renting a house in Jacksonville, FL, the three reached out to a Cuban soccer blogger, who lined up a tryout for them with the Charleston Battery.

Since then, the three Cuban defectors — Heviel Cordovés, Odisnel Cooper, and Maikel Chang — have become an integral part of the Battery squad:

Cooper has started in net for almost all of the games played by the Battery this season, while Cordovés and Cooper are clearly being used as power subs.

It is interesting that they did not try to go to Orlando first. Or maybe they did, and the Battery was the closest team in proximity to them that would give them a tryout.

Regardless, this is a rather sneaky pickup by the Battery, who are looking in 2013 to defend their 2012 USL PRO championship title.

Perhaps the Hounds should take a page out of Charleston’s book and begin to expand their strategies for finding low-risk, high-reward players like Cordovés, Cooper, and Chang.

Until then, let’s plan on making life miserable for these three tomorrow at the Highmark. Cooper, it’s going to be a long 45 minutes down by the supporters’ section tomorrow…

#UNLEASH