Masashi Wada had already had a wild week in his life as a professional soccer player. First, he took a flight from Japan to the United States on Tuesday, eventually making his way to Portland. He was introduced to his new Portland Hearts of Pine teammates — and then 3,000 of the club’s fans — on Wednesday. Then came another flight back across the country to the Spokane, Washington, on Thursday. On Friday, there was a brief workout and stretch session with the club, while his body was reeling from jet lag. And there he was Saturday night, in uniform and warming up for the first USL League One game he’d ever seen, expecting to spend the night watching the Hearts take on Spokane Velocity FC, and maybe get a few minutes as a late-game substitute. But just before the game, defender Samuel Mahlamäki Camacho, who was supposed to be in the starting lineup because center back Kemali Green was out with a concussion, “had a knock,” as coach Bobby Murphy put it. That meant a major reshuffling of the lineup was needed. Wada was starting. “Five minutes.” That’s how long Wada said he had to get into game mode. “Oh my God. I was so surprised. It was a big opportunity for me.” It was also a major adjustment. Wada had never even had a true training session with his teammates. Suddenly, he was in the middle of the field, playing a countable match. “I had to rely on instinct,” Wada said after Wednesday’s practice. “I was kind of mixed up.” Wada played the first 72 minutes of what would be a 0-0 tie against Spokane, the Hearts’ second scoreless draw on the road in its first two USL League One games. Spokane is now 1-1-2. “It was a wild week for him. A lot of travel,” Murphy said. “He’s been a trooper. He fits right in with the group. We’re glad to have him.” Portland will be back on the road this Saturday in Statesboro, Georgia, to take on South Georgia Tormenta (1-2-1) before returning to Lewiston High on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. Open Cup game against Rhode Island FC of the USL Championship. Murphy said Wada can add dimensions to the offense, which has scored one goal in three matches against professional teams. Portland has also allowed just one goal in those games. “Japanese players … technically, they’re going to be sound. Tactically, they’re going to be sound. They work hard. Culturally, that’s just part of what they bring to the table,” Murphy said. “I just think he’s something different that we didn’t have, like a true playmaker, who can play underneath and bring other people into the game and create for other guys. It will take him a little while to fit in, but I think he’ll be really good for us.” Wada speaks English better than most Americans speak Japanese. During an interview, he occasionally asked goalie coach Yuta Nomura for help translating an awkwardly phrased question or to explain a more nuanced point. One thing Wada quickly realized was that not only was he unfamiliar with his own teammates’ styles and preferences on the field, he was also adapting on the fly to a very different game of soccer. “It is completely different, Japan vs. the U.S.,” Wada said. “The U.S. game is faster, more direct. More physical.” Wada said as Saturday’s game wore on, he began to feel more comfortable, “little by little.” Wada, who will turn 28 on Friday, is a professional veteran. He played in Japan’s professional ranks from 2016-24, with a stint in the top-level Japan league. Last season, he played for Thespa Gunma of the J2 League, with three goals in 28 appearances. Defender Sean Vinberg had a good view of what Wada can bring to the Hearts. “He can play in tight spaces. He’s very technical with the ball,” Vinberg said. “He can keep control in those tight areas and make plays.” Wada’s signing was announced by the Hearts of Pine on March 5, but it took nearly a month for him to acquire his work visa. Coming to the U.S. is not the only big change in Wada’s life. Two months ago, he became a husband. His wife, Honami, is in Japan but plans to come to Maine in a month. “Everything has changed for me. For us,” Wada acknowledged with a grin and a nod of the head. “But this is what I wanted.”