By Darryl Slater

The curious locals arrived on their own shore three years ago, clueless about their newest endeavor, beach soccer.

They stood on the sidelines and videotaped the Brazilian players who, year after year, waltzed through the North American Sand Soccer Championships on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. The locals went home and studied the tapes, eager to pick up the sport's intricacies.

Now, they're showing they're quick learners.

Three years after forming the HRSC All-Stars, this group of former college and pro players from South Hampton Roads is poised to win its second consecutive NASSC title and remain a sign of promise for American beach soccer success.

The All-Stars went 2-0 Saturday afternoon in group play. They meet Montco Azzurri, a Pennsylvania-based team they beat in last year's final, in the semifinals at 9 a.m. today. The final begins at 1 p.m.

"As each year's gone by, we've adapted to the game more," said All-Star Josh Hill, a former Virginia Beach Mariner. "We're starting to play more like it's supposed to be played."

The All-Stars certainly impressed Roberto Ceciliano, who coaches the U.S. beach soccer national team. Ceciliano formerly coached Flamilia, the Brazilian squad that dominated the NASSC. He noticed how the Americans taped Flamilia's games and learned to play with the Brazilians' finesse instead of the brutish style they'd tried to carry over from American grass games.

"In two or three more years, they'll have as high of quality as in Brazil," he said.

But Americans take time to pick up beach soccer, a game that Hill said is completely different from grass soccer. A first-year team from James Madison University struggled Saturday, losing to Montco Azzurri 7-2.

The All-Stars, though, have logged their time. They practice five days a week, from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m., for three months before the NASSC.

"When we came together, we made a pact," goalkeeper Daryl Fischer said. "And we said, 'This is what we're stickin' with.' "

In 2002, they almost knocked off Flamilia, losing, 4-3, on a last-minute shot that players refer to as "a beach bounce." The ball bounced into a hole in the sand, changed direction and sailed past Fischer.

The All-Stars have adjusted to beach bounces and other beach soccer quirks.

"Now, they're waiting for the other teams' mistakes," current Flamilia coach Paulo Ferreira said.

They play more patiently, too, rarely letting the ball touch the sand. In their second game Saturday, Hill balanced the ball atop his right foot for several seconds, tapped it up to himself and blasted a shot that flew just wide of the goal.

"Us winning last year was an eye-opener that we can play, too," Hill said.

Hill and Fischer play well enough that Ceciliano recruited them to join the U.S. national team, which has traveled to tournaments in Portugal and Brazil in the past year. The Americans struggled against international competition that Fischer said is "20 times better than here."

"The Brazilians are still head and shoulders above everybody else in the world," Hill said.

Yet the Americans fare well in the NASSC in part because referees, trained for grass games, allow more contact than in international events, said Francis Faberoff, a Brazilian-born player who's on the U.S. national team.

Plus, this is their shore. And now, everyone's watching them.