Even for the most ardent Virginia soccer fans, it is quite easy to mistake senior defender Kyler Sullivan and redshirt freshman defender Sheldon Sullivan for one another.
In addition to sharing a common bloodline, the two brothers — Sheldon, the starting left-back, and Kyler, the starting right-back — share similar styles of play. Both are fearless defenders with impressive closing speed, warranting coach George Gelnovatch’s praise as the two most athletic players on Virginia’s team.
But perhaps most confusing is their jersey numbers. After wearing 31 his freshman season, Kyler Sullivan switched back to his trademark 13 — which he donned in high school — for his sophomore season and beyond. Little did he know at the time of his jersey switch that his younger brother would be the next Cavalier to wear his old number.
“I definitely think the coaches gave [Sheldon] 31 because I had it my first year,” Kyler said.
And while packed Klöckner Stadium crowds may still be busy attempting to decipher the switched-digit jersey numbers after one of the brothers stonewalls an opposing forward, there is no debate the Sullivan duo has boosted the Cavalier defense in their new 3-5-2 alignment.
After playing in a four-back system his previous three seasons, Kyler Sullivan — the lone senior starting defender among Sheldon and redshirt freshman Wesley Suggs — has been assigned the task of teaching the nuances of the three-back system to his young teammates.
“In a pretty young group, he adds a little stability,” Gelnovatch said. “That’s one of the better things he brings to the table.”
So far, the transition has been smoother than any Virginia coach could have anticipated. Through five games, the Cavaliers have earned three shutouts, despite switching between goalkeepers.
Thanks in large part to the unit’s impressive recovery speed, Gelnovatch has been able to use his five midfielders to press the ball forward while leaving his defenders on an island, allowing Virginia to control the time of possession.
“Not only are these guys aggressive, but having the athleticism that they have and the ground that they can cover allows us to be aggressive,” Gelnovatch said. “Playing this way has caused a lot of teams problems, and it’s caused a lot of teams turnovers in their half of the field.”
It should come as no surprise that the Sullivan’s brotherly bond only adds to the on-field product which has propelled Virginia to a 4-1 record to start the season.
The two first began playing soccer together in elementary school on the same indoor team. Since then, the pair has played for the same club teams, high school team and now collegiate program. Years of shared playing time have built an unrivaled on-field chemistry between the brothers.
“We’ve been playing soccer together since [Sheldon] was able to actually kick the ball,” Kyler said. “We know our strengths and our weaknesses. We’re able to find a balance between that and feed off each other just because we’ve been playing together for so long.”
After playing two years of high school soccer together, Kyler moved from Stafford, Virginia to Charlottesville to continue his soccer career with the Cavaliers. Sheldon said after receiving his offer from Virginia two years later, his decision to follow his brother’s footsteps could not have been easier.
“When I did go on my visit, I realized that everyone on the team was a family,” Sheldon said. “They’re all good guys. Kyler did have a strong role in it, but I think even if he wasn’t here, I’d still love to be here.”
Now that the two are firmly entrenched as Virginia’s starting defenders, they have been acting as only close brothers would — competitively.
Since the regular season began with a 1-0 extra time victory against Old Dominion Aug. 29, the Cavaliers have recorded statistics for each player that include tackles, interceptions and headers for the defenders. For the Sullivan brothers, this only serves to fuel the fire for family bragging rights.
“Every time we get the stats back, we kind of look at it and see who got the most headers and who got the most interceptions and what not,” Kyler said. “That’s fun to have that little competition, and it just makes us better as well.”
Despite Virginia’s hot start, both Sheldon and Kyler know the Cavaliers still have work to do. But a certain high school experience has given them aspirations for a lofty goal.
When Kyler and Sheldon were a junior and freshman in high school, respectively, they led North Stafford to a district title, but their season ended in the regional playoffs, creating a spark of extra motivation for the next season.
“We had a chip on our shoulders realizing that it could be my last year that we actually play together,” Kyler said. “Let’s go out with a bang.”
The following year, the Sullivans led North Stafford to the state championship. Now, a year removed from a disappointing defeat against Maryland in the College Cup, Sheldon said he hopes to end his brother’s final collegiate season the same way he did in high school — by winning the ultimate prize.
“We’re hoping to do that same thing, just with the national championship this year,” he said.
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