The Virginia men's soccer team kicks off the 2007 season tonight under the lights at Klöckner Stadium. The Cavaliers will take on the Columbia Lions in the first match of an opening weekend doubleheader featuring the Richmond Spiders Sunday night.
"I don't like to talk about Richmond until I get through Columbia," Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. "But Columbia is very well coached. The head coach used to be the assistant coach at Santa Barbara -- the current national champions. They are aggressive, they pressure, they are very athletic and we expect this to be a halfway decent game for sure."
As Columbia prepares for tonight's match, watching tape of last year's Virginia squad will help little, if at all. The graduation of goalkeeper Ryan Burke and forward Adam Cristman, along with the loss of defender Bakary Soumare to Major League Soccer, prevents the Cavaliers from retaining the same strategy that took them to the NCAA Tournament semifinals last year.
"We are playing a little differently than last year, in terms of our formation and how we line up," Gelnovatch said. "So we are working through some of those issues that arise because of those differences."
Several veteran players have already proven that they are capable of stepping up and assuming new responsibilities on the field. Although he did not see a considerable amount of playing time last fall, senior midfielder Chris Tierney saw a considerableincrease in minutes during spring training and was Virginia's leading goal scorer. This season, Gelnovatch is planning a formation aimed at increasing Tierney's touches off the ball.
"Last year I had a role where I was coming off the bench," Tierney said. "But what [Gelnovatch] said was that the left side is really going to be my spot. My style is focused on crossing and getting the ball into the box for the strikers -- it's a role I like to play, and I'm really looking forward to having the chance to show what I can do."
As a senior, Tierney recognizes just how different this team is from the one that had such success last fall; however, he does not see change as a bad thing and remains confident that the Cavaliers can adapt and be highly successful.
"It is a whole different look from last year," Tierney said. "A whole different looking team even, but it is good. We have a really fast passing style and the team looked great last Sunday against South Florida."
During that same exhibition match, Soumare's replacement, freshman T.J. Cyrus, got his first taste of what he calls the "college game." Indeed, at the collegiate level, the pace is faster, the opponents are stronger and self-confidence on the field is critical.
"You can't play lazy passes; you have to be sure of what you are doing at all times," Cyrus said. "But also you have a lot more support from your teammates."
While the Virginia men always prefer to open the season at home rather than on the road, the freshmen in particular are enthusiastic about having the home field advantage for their first collegiate match.
"I am excited to experience the atmosphere of the college game for the first time," Cyrus said. "It's my first home game with a lot of fans there. I think I will do well and have a good time doing it"
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