Before the start of the 2007 season, Virginia men's soccer coach George Gelnovatch decided to promote his midfielders. After restructuring their formation and reducing their front line to a single forward, the Cavaliers have entrusted the midfield with a tremendous amount of responsibility.
"It's a different formation, but I think that this midfield is a lot more talented than last year's and can do a lot more things on the ball," sophomore midfielder Jonathan Villanueva explained. "That said, the adjustment has been a little rough, but I think the team is starting to take it in stride."
Having solid veterans like Villanueva in the midfield inspired the team to tweak its on-field formation. As a freshman last season, Villanueva led the Cavaliers in assists and contributed significantly to their overall success.
Nevertheless, this new formation required the veterans to modify their style of play. Though teaching old dogs new tricks can be difficult, the seniors have come around to their new roles.
"The new formation puts me in a position that I played in the past," senior Jeremy Barlow said. "So I am feeling comfortable with it."
Last season, Virginia's power forward combination of then-senior Adam Cristman and then-sophomore Yannick Reyering struck fear into the hearts of opposing goalkeepers. Cristman's graduation last December, however, left Reyering alone at the front. The Virginia coaches decided to leave it that way, turning to their midfielders -- particularly senior Chris Tierney -- to shoulder the void left by Virginia's lack of pure attackmen. As the Cavaliers' leading scorer in the offseason, Tierney has already notched three goals, equalling Reyering's record.
"I definitely think there is more pressure on Johnny [Villanueva], Tierney, my little brother [sophomore Neil Barlow] and me to score more," Jeremy Barlow said. "We like to go forward a lot and get as many goals as we can."
Indeed, six of the 10 goals the Cavaliers have scored so far this season have come from the midfield. In addition to Tiereny's three goals, Neil Barlow has found the back of the net twice while his brother, Jeremy Barlow, has found it once.
Touting one of the highest-ranked recruiting classes at the beginning of the season, the Cavaliers have welcomed freshmen Jason Kim. from Irvine, Calif. and David Newman, from Annandale, Va. to the midfield line. Red-shirt freshman Karter Smith is also seeing his first minutes at midfield.
Under the tutelage of the veteran midfielders, most of the freshmen have already had the opportunity to stretch their legs in a game or two, and so far it appears that the midfield could be Virginia's strength for many years to come.
"We are playing the best soccer that I have seen this team play since I have been here," Jeremy Barlow said. "We've always been developing, and are really doing great right now."
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