Goalkeeper — it’s the last line of defense and, in many cases, the most important. The Virginia men’s soccer team has two capable and experienced goalkeepers. The problem is, only one can play at a time. So which one will earn the spot as Virginia’s starting goalkeeper? The answer is anyone’s guess.
Although an ongoing and open competition was held in camp, coach George Gelnovatch still has not settled, preferring to evaluate how both players progress instead. Sophomore Dan Louisignau and junior Michael Giallombardo are still dead-locked in an open competition for the starting goalkeeper job, and to this date neither keeper has gotten a leg up on the other.
“The competition is not over,” Louisignau said. “It’s tough. [Giallombardo] is my friend off the field and on the field. We’re good friends. If he goes in and gets the nod, I have just as much confidence in him as I do in myself.”
During the preseason Gelnovatch gave each player equal time in Virginia’s two exhibition contests. Louisignau and Giallombardo each started and played all 90 minutes of one preseason game. Giallombardo played the first match against West Virginia, and the Cavaliers walked away with a 2-1 win. Louisignau got his shot in the second preseason game against Old Dominion. Virginia downed the Monarchs 3-0, giving Louisignau a shutout.
On the opening weekend of the season, a death in the Giallombardo family caused the junior keeper to leave Charlottesville for the weekend, thereby ceding the starting job to Louisignau for the Virginia Soccer Classic. The weekend action saw Virginia take on two great soccer programs, St. John’s and Southern Methodist at Klöckner Stadium. Unfortunately for Louisignau, the Cavaliers dropped both weekend games — a 1-0 loss Friday night against St. John’s and a 3-1 setback Sunday evening against Southern Methodist. After this weekend’s action Gelnovatch expressed his confidence in Louisignau, despite the team’s two losses.
“He only started the last four games of the season for us last year, so he’s still a rookie,” Gelnovatch said. “He needs to grow with the rest of us, but he’s been solid.”
To make things more difficult, Virginia has had to break in an entirely new starting defensive line, which has added more pressure to the goalkeepers. Still, Louisignau indicated his steadfast approval of the defense’s early play.
“With three freshmen in the back, things are holding up really well,” Louisignau said. “As the season progresses, they’re just going to blossom. I wouldn’t want to play with anyone else in the world.”
With Giallombardo’s return likely to be sometime this week, it remains uncertain who will start next for the Cavaliers. Friday, Virginia will travel to Fairfax, Va. to take on George Mason. The Patriots will be Virginia’s first road game and should provide a tough test.
Virginia will have nearly a full week to prepare for the Patriots but will also have to shake off the losses and unsettling vibes of the weekend. Still, players and coaches seemed to remain united in their confidence.
“All in all, on paper, things might look a little shaky,” Louisignau said. “But they’re not. What really matters is how we respond to adversity, and I feel like we will respond really well.”
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