Virginia men's soccer has turned around a season that was once lost. After winning only two of their first nine games of the 2024 campaign, the Cavaliers have put together a five-game winning run, most recently dominating Syracuse 3-0 to extend the longest active win streak in the ACC. Next on the docket, Virginia will travel north to play No. 5 Pittsburgh Friday night. The Panthers present the team’s final ACC regular season match before postseason play.
Virginia and Pittsburgh began the season on two different sides of the coin. The Cavaliers entered the season ranked No. 13 nationally while the Panthers were on the outside looking in. Fast forward to mid-October, and Pittsburgh has been the ACC’s finest team, racking up five wins against ranked opponents and only losing one conference matchup so far. On the flip side, Virginia’s early-season stutters have seen them spend the majority of the year outside the top 25 rankings.
But recent success, including wins over No. 19 Virginia Tech and No. 8 James Madison, has the Cavaliers knocking on the door before the ACC Tournament starts in November. Virginia currently sits at fifth in the ACC and within striking distance of the top four.
Playing a ranked foe away from home will be unfamiliar for the Cavaliers, as each of their three matches against top 25 teams this year have come within the confines of Klöckner Stadium. In fact, six of Virginia’s last seven games have been played at home. The Cavaliers are hitting the road for only the second time since Sept. 21, when they drew 1-1 with California.
Virginia is prepared for this, though. It is unbeaten in four road games this year, conceding only three goals in those matches. Plus, when Coach George Gelnovatch’s team last played at Pittsburgh in 2022, the Panthers were ranked No. 10 and the Cavaliers did not hold a ranking. Virginia won anyway, pouring in three goals to sink Pittsburgh and catapult up to No. 21 in the country the following week.
A similar story will play out for the Cavaliers if they win Friday. They are currently the first team outside of the top 25, having received eight votes in this week’s poll. Beating a top 5 team on the road and pushing its winning streak to six games would certainly earn Virginia a ranking.
As for how they can pull off the upset, the Cavaliers will rely first on their defense. Virginia’s backline has been the most consistent element of the team throughout the season, even during the early draws and losses. Led by senior goalkeeper Joey Batrouni and junior defender Nick Dang, the Cavaliers have conceded multiple goals in only two of their 14 games. They have kept three shutouts already this month.
The defense will aim to continue its dominance as they face a Panthers team that netted eight goals in a match against Howard earlier this season and currently sits tied for third in the ACC in scoring. With Pittsburgh playing for the ACC’s No. 1 seed in front of a home crowd Friday night, setting the tone early on the defensive side will be key for the Cavaliers in staying in the game.
But winning games also requires scoring goals, and there is no tougher opponent to do that against than the Panthers. Friday’s hosts have allowed just nine goals this season, which is good for the best mark in the ACC. Nearly half of Pittsburgh’s opponents have failed to score against them, and seeing as Virginia was shut out by both Duke and No. 2 Stanford earlier this year, a clean sheet for the Panthers is certainly within reach.
This current Virginia team is not the one that was stymied by the Blue Devils and the Cardinal, though. During the Cavaliers’ winning streak, they have totaled 11 goals, including seven in their last two matches. Gelnovatch’s attack has undergone a renaissance of sorts after a dormant stretch to open the year, and that will have to continue if they are to break down the strongest defensive unit they have seen in 2024.
Fifth year midfielder Daniel Mangarov and senior defender Paul Wiese, who have assisted 12 of the Cavaliers’ 23 goals this season, will be vital in the final third for Virginia. Dang, surprisingly, leads all Virginia players with six goals and figures to be in and around Pittsburgh’s box plenty as well.
But really, the Cavalier strikers will need to show up more than anyone Friday evening. Virginia’s forwards have netted just two goals between them in seven ACC contests to date, a number that will likely have to change for the team to walk out of Pittsburgh with three points.
Freshman forward Joaquín Brizuela contributed a goal in an impressive performance against Syracuse and may be picked to start again. Senior forward Kome Ubogu, graduate forward Hayes Wood and sophomore forward AJ Smith are the others in contention.
This week’s stakes could hardly be higher for a regular season game. Win, and the Cavaliers will be ranked inside the top 25, likely host a game for the first round of the ACC Tournament and also boost their chances of earning a seed for the NCAA Tournament. Lose, and all three of those things could be in jeopardy.
It is all to play for Friday night in Pittsburgh. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and will be streamed on ACCNX.
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