Columbus Crew's strong connection to Ghana is visible the moment you arrive at the Major League Soccer club's MAPFRE Stadium, where giant images of Harrison Afful and Jonathan Mensah, two of the most prominent Ghanaian players in the past decade, loom large.
As Mensah and another Ghanaian, Lalas Aboubakar, walk past the image of Afful, they joke about his hairstyle, then speak in glowing terms about his abilities as a left-back. The chatter quickly returns to his hairstyle, before Aboubakar remarks how the images speak volumes about the importance of the players to the club.
"The big boys are the ones hanging on the wall," he tells KweséESPN. "One day I want to get there."
Crew's Ghanaian quartet is an interesting mix. There are the two established names of Afful and Mensah, both regular internationals with three World Cup tournaments and multiple Africa Cup of Nations appearances between them. The third is Mohammed Abu, who has drifted in and out of the Black Stars' set-up.
The fourth, Abubakar, is effectively the novice, trying to work his way up at the club, having joined the side from the University of Dayton through the draft system in January this year. He was the fifth pick overall and the club's first. "When I was drafted here, part of the thrill came from knowing I will be playing with these established Ghana internationals, including Jonathan," Abubakar says of the man alongside him.
"I watched him win the Under-20 World Cup with Ghana and have watched him play in World Cup games with the Black Stars, so I knew immediately there was an opportunity to learn from a very good player.
"But the benefit of having other Ghanaians has not just been on the field. When I came here initially, I wasn't playing and things were not going really well, but they stood behind me, encouraged me and urged me on. In a way, they have become family."
It is not only Abubakar who has needed a shoulder to lean on this season. When Mensah, the highest paid Ghanaian player in the league, arrived from Russian club FC Anzhi Makhachkala as a designated player in December, he knew things would be different.
Still, the sheer scale of it shocked him, and it was evident in his performances. The reviews were not good after red cards, dodgy defending and an overall performance that was underwhelming for someone with his experience and international exposure.
"I am good now. I embraced a tough challenge. I was open-minded about how I could develop into the new system, a new league and a new environment," Mensah explains.
"It wasn't easy, but I think I have coped thanks to the support I have received from everyone here, especially my compatriots.
"Having them here is like a wake button all the time. We are honest. When you are doing well, they praise you. When things go wrong, they point it out, they encourage you. The brotherhood we keep here keeps us growing in the game and keeps us growing as human beings."
That 'brotherhood' manifests itself in many ways, but for Mensah the most important remains the time they spend away from the pressures of practice and match-days.
"We want to keep this bond," Mensah says. "Abu is married, Harrison is too, so we can't be together all the time, but we try and get together as much as we can. "We always hang out when we have off days. It is always an important period for us because then you can forget about football for a while and just be yourself."
Those moments are crucial for Abubakar. He arrived in the United States to study at the University of Dayton from the University of Ghana in 2014 and has not been back home in three years. He had been consumed by a desire to get better academically, but also to break through in the professional ranks.
That initial break came when he was drafted, but on the field it took a while to find his place. His chance arrived when he was brought into the squad by coach Greg Behalter, who was attempting to sort out a defence that was conceding too many goals.
Abubakar has not played as many times as he would have expected - caps still in the single figures - but there are signs of progress, including selection into the MLS Team of the Week recently after a 3-0 win over Chicago Fire.
Mensah has been impressed by his young compatriot: "He is still young but he plays with incredible passion. He is one of the best young defenders in the league.
"He is a good learner too, and the way he plays is contagious for all of us. When he laces up his boots it is business time. He gives everything on the field and that is why I think this club drafted him. I am excited to see how he develops."
They may have taken different paths to arrive in MLS, but their ambitions have effectively evolved into one.
"I always wanted to become a professional so I am very happy to be here. I remember my excitement on draft night and then when I was picked. Now I want to grow as a player and be a big part of these exciting times in soccer here, and win the championship," Abubakar declares.
"I came here because I wanted to be a part of the soccer revolution going on here," Mensah adds. "The league is growing and I am learning new things in many aspects every day."
It seems that for both players, and presumably their two compatriots, the learning process has been eased by the sense of family they've built in their Columbus Crew Ghanaian squad.