Virginia men’s soccer entered Thursday night knowing a season opener against UCLA would provide an unusual and difficult early test. After an early exit to last year’s postseason, there was no reason to believe the Cavaliers were not ready for this test. And for stretches of the second half, Virginia appeared ready to pass that test.
However, the No. 11 Cavaliers (0-1, 0-0 ACC) saw the match slip through their hands after equalizing in the second half, as they fell 2-1 to the Bruins (1-0, 0-0 Big 10) Thursday night in Charlottesville. After conceding in the first half off a corner kick, Virginia equalized after the break through senior forward Marco Dos Santos and appeared to temporarily seize control of the match before fatigue and a late outside-the-box UCLA goal spoiled opening night at Klöckner Stadium.
Despite the disappointing result for the Cavaliers, Coach George Gelnovatch believes there is plenty to take away from a matchup against a formidable opponent in the middle of August.
“The bottom line is losing is disappointing as hell,” Gelnovatch said. “But trust me when I tell you, I've lost a few first games of the season … There's a lot for me to get out of this. A ton for me to get out of this.”
Neither side found much offensive momentum early. However, UCLA looked the more dangerous team through the first 45 minutes. In the 38th minute, junior midfielder Zachary Neuls nailed a header into the left side netting to open the scoring. In the first frame, UCLA outshot Virginia 8-4, with three shots on target to the Cavaliers’ one. Virginia controlled stretches of possession but didn't consistently turn that control into chances, mainly because of lackluster passing that led to turnovers and gave UCLA opportunities to break forward.
The deficit presented the Cavaliers with early adversity — a test Dos Santos believed Virginia handled well, especially so early in the season.
“[We] hadn't conceded first in a preseason game, so I thought our reaction was actually overall positive in the second half,” Dos Santos said. “Came out, scored the goal. [The] team was ticking.”
Gelnovatch also used the intermission to reshape his attack tactically. The Cavaliers moved away from playing with two forwards and brought in sophomore transfer Ethan Martinez from Santa Clara, dropping Dos Santos and Martinez deeper as attacking midfielders.
The adjustment immediately changed the game's complexion.
Virginia erupted from halftime with an urgency largely absent during the opening 45 minutes. The Cavaliers began finding more space going forward, putting the Bruins under sustained pressure.
After what seemed like endless momentum without a result, Dos Santos equalized from outside the box with his left foot, hitting the bottom corner. After scoring just once and recording 10 assists in his first season with Virginia, Dos Santos opened his senior campaign with an unforgettable goal.
For Gelnovatch, the goal was a direct result of the Cavaliers’ halftime adjustments.
“How he scored is exactly how we drew it up,” Gelnovatch said. “And I felt like after that goal, gosh, there was 25 minutes left. That's usually when we turn the screw on teams and just win.”
For about 15 minutes, it looked like that familiar formula would hold true. Virginia continued to press forward after Dos Santos’ equalizer, pressuring UCLA’s back line and making a second goal seem increasingly within reach.
“I think everyone felt it here,” Dos Santos said. “I think we were turning the dial. As George says, they were on the hook.”
But just as the Cavaliers were starting to look back to their form of the previous season, fatigue began to interfere. Dos Santos was one of several Virginia players forced off the pitch with cramping, disrupting the Cavaliers' momentum.
The Bruins capitalized on that lapse. In the 81st minute, sophomore defender Logan Hall found the winner from outside the box.
Virginia couldn't equalize a second time and left Klöckner with a loss despite an encouraging response against a strong opponent.
“It [was] not a poor performance at all from our standpoint,” Gelnovatch said. “In fact, it was a very solid performance.”
After the disappointing opening result, the Cavaliers will have little opportunity to ease into their schedule. They will instead face another early challenge, as they welcome No. 16 High Point to Klöckner Stadium Monday.
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