Have you ever watched one of your favorite players and thought, "This team would great if they had another guy just like him?"
Well, for the next four years, Cavalier fans are in luck. Among the twelve freshmen brought in to help the Virginia men's soccer team reload on young talent, there are no two players exactly alike. The 12 players come from five states, range in size from 5-foot-8 to 6-foot-3 and earned various accolades during their high school careers. One pair, though, shares a lot in common.
Meet freshman midfielders Calvin and Conner Rezende. Fewer than two months into their college careers, the twins are ascending into key roles for the Cavaliers as the team battles the injury bug. For the season, Calvin has played 233 minutes, and Conner has contributed 80 minutes. Calvin's two assists are also tied for third-best on the team.
The midfielders have played in crucial moments during the last two games and made positive impacts, particularly in the attacking third, and both are poised for bumps in playing time as they continue to build off their mutual success.
"That's how we grow as players," Calvin said. "We're kind of like each other's role models."
The twins have honed their remarkable technical abilities since they first picked up soccer at the age of 4. The Rezendes first learned the game from their father, a Brazilian with a lifelong passion for the game. The brothers credit their close-knit family, including parents John and Juliet and older sister Brianna, for supporting their soccer aspirations.
"We've done everything together," Conner said, referring to the three siblings. "New experiences, traveling and everything else have all been together. We get along really well."
At the collegiate level, one of the Rezendes' top priorities is adding strength to make up for their smaller stature. At 5-foot-8, both brothers rely on their crafty foot skills and soccer instinct but are also working hard to get stronger. Their work ethic has not gone unnoticed by the squad's coaching staff.
"The one thing - and they know it - is they have to get stronger," coach George Gelnovatch said. "Part of that will be time. They're unique in that they literally love to train. They love to get better, they love nutrition [and] they pay attention to things like getting sleep ... These guys are professionals."
Despite being undersized, the Rezendes are not fazed by high-level competition. During 2007, they played for the under-15 men's national team at the Nike Friendlies. From 2009 to 2010 they started with Weston FC Academy as the team's outside midfielders while still suiting up for their high school team.
Off the field, Calvin and Conner are nearly inseparable, and their close relationship has eased the transition to college life. The brothers are currently rooming together and though they acknowledge that eventually their careers might diverge, they are still enjoying the chance to stay on identical paths.
"We know there's going to be a point where if - say we go into professional soccer - we're going to have to split, so we're ready in the back of our minds," Calvin said.
After starring together at University School, a small private school in Davie, Fla., the brothers first considered Virginia at the suggestion of an uncle who played college soccer.
One recruiting certainty was that the Rezendes would be a "package deal." The twins impressed the Virginia coaching staff at a showcase tournament while playing with Weston FC and realized the Cavaliers were an ideal fit.
"We definitely wanted to go out of state," Conner said. "We knew academically and soccer-[wise] Virginia was a good school."
Against No. 4 North Carolina Friday, they looked comfortable sliding into the Cavaliers' lineup and linking up on a few plays. Calvin earned his second consecutive start and third overall this season. Conner, meanwhile, entered during the first half and played 26 minutes in his fourth appearance.
While on the field together, the twins' mutual awareness and chemistry was evident as the duo made multiple combination passes to generate scoring opportunities within the flow of the Cavaliers' offense.
"I think they'll be great for our program," Gelnovatch said. "We'll see what happens, but I think, for sure, moving forward and for years to come, they're going to be great players"
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