Looking for inspiration on the soccer field, 21-year-old Crew SC midfielder Artur often turns to his brother, 26-year-old Norberto.

“I follow his example and I learned that good soccer is a lot of struggles,” Artur said through a team translator. “Watching his soccer, I learned that I needed to be strong.”

Artur — short for Jose Artur de Lima Junior — has found and demonstrated that strength over the last two months. Acquired on loan from Sao Paulo FC in February, the Brazilian central midfielder is away from his home country for the first time in his life.

He is without family, Brazilian food and a regular supply of Portuguese speakers, all while adapting to a new language, league and team. But Artur said he expected a difficult transition and, amid all the change, he said he is enjoying his new surroundings.

Five games into what has the makings of a promising rookie season, Artur said he has been better able to adapt to what he described as an intense, physical league in Major League Soccer. His speed and ground cover have made him an asset in the Crew SC starting lineup, and in a 2-0 win Saturday over Orlando City, he delivered a beautiful ball to Justin Meram to earn his first MLS assist.

Even in a jump between continents, soccer is universal. It often is the details off the pitch that require the most adjustment.

“I thought it was going to be difficult, but I was willing to learn,” Artur said of taking on English. “It is difficult, but I'm willing to do it and I wanted to learn more.”

Learning English has been a challenge undertaken by several Crew players over the years, from left back Waylon Francis to midfielder Federico Higuain. Now in his sixth season with the Crew, Higuain, an Argentina native, conducts full interviews in English.

When he arrived in Columbus in 2012, he said he was fortunate to have a wife and kids with him. He also had a plethora of books and used reading and listening to teammates as the means of learning a new language.

But with that came natural insecurities that spring up when asking unfamiliar faces for help.

“You feel you're bothering a guy to help, but as soon as you can learn some questions like, ‘Can I have?’ and ‘Do you like?’ you’re starting to feel more adapted,” Higuain said. “The first words that I learned were soccer expressions, and then the other parts came after.”

Center back Jonathan Mensah has experienced years of language adaptation playing in Russia and France. He said he took on French primarily by watching television. Soccer terms like “left,” “right,” “away,” and “man on” were usually his first in any new language.

Wil Trapp has been impressed with the Artur’s growth since he started training with the Crew in January. He said he sees the “wheels starting to spin” for his midfield partner with each additional practice, and added that the two have their own way of communicating.

“It’s trying to find words that are quick and easy to understand and get to the point,” Trapp said. “He is learning English and he knows the game, that’s the thing, but it’s making it as simple as possible to convey those directions.”

As Crew coach Gregg Berhalter noted, Artur is “a clever guy.” He’s a fan of action and comedy movies, as well as shooting and soccer video games in which the dialogue and narration are in English. In addition, Artur said he is taking English classes at the Crew training facility and is quickly learning.

He said he and his roommate, rookie forward Niko Hansen, are both fans of the Starz pirate series “Black Sails.” Hansen doesn’t speak Portuguese, so Artur often tests out what he has learned in classes.

“When I talk with him, I try speaking English,” Artur said, in English.

Artur communicates with family back home via FaceTime and WhatsApp messaging, but he said he still misses them.

The unpredictable early spring weather in Columbus also has taken some getting used to. Berhalter said that March 2 was the first time Artur had seen snow.

Higuain chuckles when he remembers what Artur said to him that Thursday training session: “'He said, ‘Pipa, I can't play soccer with this weather.’ ”

But other than the weather, there is a lot to like about the new situation, Artur said. Crew SC plays a similar style to his previous club, Sao Paulo, and Artur enjoys the company of his new teammates. He also found a Brazilian restaurant in the Columbus area this week. He doesn’t remember the name, but has the address saved in his phone for future visits.

Amid the struggle of being far away from home, Artur said he has found comfort.

“I like Columbus because it's very nice and calm and peaceful,” Artur said. “I feel at home.”

aerickson@dispatch.com

@AEricksonCD