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MLSSoccer.com | Andre Shinyashiki's journey from Brazil to being named MLS Rookie of the Year

Around every corner, Andre Shinyashiki has had to fight through doubt, adversity and inattention.

Sometimes this resulted from his circumstance. Growing up in Brazil, he saw the uglier sides of the country he loves, like poverty, violence and men with guns on the sidelines of his youth games. Sometimes it was due to oversight from others. He starred on a high school soccer team that enjoyed an 117-game unbeaten run with two national titles, yet he wasn’t heavily recruited. At other times it’s been of his own doing. In just a brief span during his time at the University of Denver, he was embroiled in three altercations, leaving teammates with a concussion, broken nose and bloody face.