Terps rally in support of Endoh’s fight
Ex-player was diagnosed with acute leukemia Dec. 2
The Maryland men’s soccer program has a new offseason goal: to help one of their own in his fight against cancer.
Former midfielder Tsubasa Endoh, 29, recently began his second round of chemotherapy after being diagnosed Dec. 2 with acute leukemia. The Tokyo native is undergoing treatment in Japan, but may require a bone marrow transplant in the future.
Since learning of Endoh’s predicament, Terps coach Sasho Cirovski, who coached him from 2012-15, has set up a GoFundMe page to help offset Endoh’s medical bills. The effort raised more than $20,000 in the first month and is at $41,152 through 280 donations as of Thursday towards a goal of $100,000.
“He’s one of the sweetest and nicest young men I’ve ever had the pleasure to coach,” said Cirovski, who has guided Maryland to three NCAA championships. “He’s just so young, and having to go through this without the proper insurance coverage is not easy on anyone. So we are doing everything we can to help him.”
Cirovski said he learned of Endoh’s health scare when he received a text from former midfielder Maël Corboz shortly after the Terps had defeated Rutgers, 3-2, on Oct. 4. At that time, Endoh was in Los Angeles as a member of the Galaxy II.
Corboz, who has been in contact with
Endoh since they played together in 2014 and 2015, said he learned about Endoh’s health when he called Corboz from the hospital.
“He had been really ill a few weeks earlier,” Corboz wrote via text from Germany where he plays for SC Verl. “So when he told me he was sick again, it was clear that something was wrong.”
Via social media, Endoh has kept his friends and supporters apprised of his health status. Admitting on Dec. 27 that he “was honestly shocked at first and it was really hard to accept the whole situation,” Tsubasa said he had already begun chemotherapy.
“It’s gonna be a hell of a journey and it’s surely the hardest moment in my life but I’m determined to fight this and come back stronger than ever!” he wrote.
On Jan. 10, Endoh said he had nearly
completed his first four weeks of chemotherapy and was permitted to return home to recover with his family. “It’s gonna be a long year for me battling this disease but step by step,” he wrote before ending his post with a clenched fist.
On Jan. 23, Endodh said the results of blood tests were positive and that he was scheduled to start his second round of chemotherapy the next day.
Endoh’s positivity and encouragement are not new to those who know him, especially Cirovski. The Terps coach recalled meeting Endoh at a soccer camp in the summer of 2011 and informing him that academic, financial and language barriers would likely make it difficult for the program to recruit him.
In November of 2011, Cirovski received an email from Endoh, who wrote that he had earned a qualifying score on the SAT and was traveling 90 minutes one way to learn English from a tutor. Even then, Cirovski told Endoh that the odds were long because he would have to enroll in the Maryland English Institute on a full-time basis, take 24 credits of courses per year, and juggle soccer practices and games.
But Endoh refused to relent. He joined the Maryland English Institute in the summer of 2012 and graduated in less than two years. He took six credits of courses in the summer, fall, winter and spring semesters, and appeared in 20 games as a freshman and made 25 starts in 26 games as a sophomore.
“Everything you asked this young man to do, he did it and beyond,” Cirovski said. “I was just absolutely floored at the level of commitment and persistence this young man showed.”
After contributing to the Terps capturing six Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season and tournament championships from 2012 to 2014 and Big Ten regular-season
and tournament titles in 2015 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament semifinals in 2012, final in 2013 and quarterfinals in 2015, Endoh was selected with the ninth overall pick by Toronto FC in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. In January of 2022, he signed a six-month contract with Melbourne City of Australia’s A-League before joining the LA Galaxy II in August.
Endoh’s fight has been fully backed by Toronto, Melbourne and LA, and he thanked others for their well wishes. “I am truly overwhelmed with the amount of messages and loves that I’ve been getting from all over the world,” he wrote on Dec. 27. “… I literally have no words. I am still trying to read every single comment and message, but I am so thankful.”
Corboz said he reached out to Cirovski not necessarily for financial assistance, but because Cirovski might have some doctor recommendations for Endoh.
“Sash was responsive and active right away despite still being in the midst of the college season,” Corboz wrote. “The outreach he has and the response from everyone who has donated is incredible. Tsubasa is so thankful and can’t quite believe it, to be honest.”
Cirovski remains in close contact with Endoh. “He’s doing well,” Cirovski said. “He’s doing everything that is humanly possible at this point.”
In the midst of the chemotherapy, Endoh has been studying the managerial and scouting side of soccer as a potential role in the future.
Former Terps forward Patrick Mullins, who played with Endoh at Maryland in 2012 and 2013 and at Toronto FC from 2019 to 2021, said his teammate won’t give up.
“He’s someone who is a fighter and has a big heart, and he’s going at it head on,” Mullins said. “And while he’s putting all of his effort and heart into fighting, he’s also still engaged in the soccer world, which I think is pretty much a testament to how strong of a person he is.”