On the Carolina RailHawks roster, Martin Nunez is hard to spot. At just 5 feet 6, the forward is the shortest player on the team, towered over by many of his teammates.

But on the field, Nunez is hard to miss as he blazes past defenders, juking and jiving his way toward the goal.

What the Uruguay native lacks in stature he more than makes up for in speed, often leaving his opponents behind during his attacks. Though his height might be considered a disadvantage, Nunez recognizes how to exploit his larger and slower opponents with his offense.

"A lot of quickness is my main thing. I'm short and fast, and it's hard to go against those big guys," Nunez said. "I see my height as both an advantage and a disadvantage. It's difficult for a tall guy to mark a short guy because the tall guy doesn't have the same quickness."

The offensive spark Nunez provides has had an immediate impact on the RailHawks' success. The forward is tied with Daniel Antoniuk for the team lead with three goals.

But he almost didn't become a RailHawk.

After working out with the New York Red Bulls in January, Nunez was offered a contract by the MLS team. But rather than dive headfirst into the most competitive professional soccer in the U.S., he recognized the opportunity to develop and mature as a player in the USL First Division.

"The Red Bulls offered me something I didn't want," Nunez said. "Carolina had an eye on me, and I wanted to try something new. I wanted to come to this league and build myself up from this league to the MLS. "I'm young, I'm 21, and my goal is to try to go to the MLS and Europe."

Playing alongside veterans who have been involved with professional soccer for several years, including many with stints in the MLS, Nunez has had the opportunity to learn from those who have already excelled at what he hopes to accomplish.

"I don't think any of our young guys portray a young-guy attitude. Everyone's playing at such high standards," RailHawks coach Scott Schweitzer said. "He's a link between the older guys and the younger guys, the Spanish guys and non-Spanish-speaking guys."

Soccer has always been a part of Nunez's life because of the popularity of the sport in Uruguay. While family members played the game as a hobby, Nunez became the first to capitalize on his talent and turn professional.

"I'm from Uruguay, and in our culture over there that's all we do," Nunez said. "You just play soccer since you're small."

Although Nunez left the South American country when he was 9 to move to Miami, he hasn't forgotten his Latin roots. Early in the season Nunez participated in an afterschool program with young students learning English as their second language.

During home games at the WakeMed Soccer Park, Nunez notices the bilingual crowds cheering.

"The fans here are great, calling your name and pushing you and giving you that confidence," Nunez said. "There are a lot of Central Americans, and it's cool to hear them speaking Spanish."

With 13 games left on the RailHawks' schedule, Nunez has plenty of time to continue growing as a player, though not vertically. His height has never deterred him. Besides, he knows it would just slow him down.

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