BEAVERTON, Ore. – On his first-ever trip to the United States, Portland Timbers defender Vytautas “Vytas” Andriuskevicius disembarked from his connecting flight at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, stepped out into the terminal, and began to laugh.
Not even in his wildest imagination could the Alytas, Lithuania native have imagined that the America of Hollywood movies would bear even the slightest resemblance to the America that now appeared in front of him. But as he looked around the terminal at the people rushing by, Vytas saw looks, actions, and demeanors straight out of central casting.
“When you're in Europe and watching a movie about America...the people [appear] different,” he explains. “Because in Europe, we are kind of also different. So when I came [to the U.S.], I was like: 'Hey, yeah, these are all the kind of people you used to see on television.'”
But if Vytas was intimidated by the Hollywood glamor he thought he saw at SeaTac, he certainly didn't let it affect him when he finally arrived in Portland.
“Whatever life brings me,” he says, “I like to take it.”
So far in his professional career, Vytas has borne out the truth of these words. When his early career in Lithuania slowed because of federation politics, he sought a move to neighboring Poland. Two years and four coaches later, he traveled to Sweden to play for Djurgårdens IF and then, most recently, to the Netherlands to play for SC Cambuur.
Watching Vytas interact with teammates and staff at training, it's easy to see why he has adapted so well to every new country he's played in. Nearly everyone – from the groundskeepers and equipment managers to the players in the locker room – seems to appreciate the Lithuanian's outgoing personality and his optimistic outlook on life.
“For me, the best thing in life is to meet new people because you can learn from any of them,” he says. “And the stories are always incredible to hear. There are so many players and they all have their own stories, so there's still time to get to know every one of them because everyone's been through bad or good.”
Remarkably, Vytas seems to have translated his successful integration off the pitch into an immediate impact on it.
Last Sunday, in only his first MLS regular season start, Vytas assisted on Diego Valeri's stunning half-volley against Sporting Kansas City, a game that the Timbers went on to win 3-0.
Those frequent offensive forays up the left flank, along with an already dogged defensive determination, have combined to make Vytas an immediate fan favorite.
“If they are giving [to] me, I'll always want to give back the same,” he says about his relationship to the fans. “[When] we won, the whole stadium was happy about the game and it makes your week because what a game! You were a part of it. So we get from them and we also give back.”
But just what is it that's allowed Vytas to transition so quickly to life in Portland, a place he'd known little about on the far side of a country he'd only ever seen in Hollywood movies?
He puts it this way:
“I still love that even though I'm getting older, I still find things to do for the first time in my life...to go to see one thing where I have never been...Just keep [myself busy] with new adventures even though it's a small thing or [a] big thing. Go around Portland. See the mountains. There's a bunch of things to do.”
The other day, he says, he went out for a walk in his neighborhood when he saw a group of young women practicing lacrosse. Having never seen the game played before, Vytas sat down on a bench and watched the players train until he had finished speaking on the phone with his older sister Rasa.
That, in short, is who Vytas is: a newcomer eager to understand and become a part of this community.
“I want to use [my free] time just to see the culture, to see things, to meet people, to find new friends,” he says. “Just to keep busy, you know?”
