Gelnovatch debuts new attacking look

George Gelnovatch, as one might expect, is a soccer nut. If there’s a game on television, it’s a good bet that the Virginia coach is watching it or at least planning to.

It was earlier this summer when Gelnovatch was taking in some action and noticed a unique formation in which one of the teams had everyone but three players pushing forward.

After giving the idea some thought, Gelnovatch realized that it might work well with his personnel at Virginia.

“This formation is very attack-oriented, very aggressive,” Gelnovatch said. “It asks a lot of the outside backs and midfielders. It’s a lot of work for those guys.

“We feel that by advancing our outside backs out of build-up, pushing them up high, that we’re putting teams on their heels. To do that, you have to be a good team and have players like Jonathan Villanueva and Tony Tchani, and Matt Mitchell and Ross LaBauex and Neil Barlow — guys who are smart and experienced.”

Tonight, Gelnovatch will unveil his new creation when Virginia opens its regular season on the road at Portland as part of the Nike Invitational.

During the preseason, the new system didn’t look so hot — at least at first glance. UVa lost to George Mason, Old Dominion and West Virginia by a 6-1 combined score.

However, Gelnovatch said the results were deceiving. The Cavaliers dominated possession. They just couldn’t finish on the offensive end. Gelnovatch said the way his team controlled the ball was like a form of defense.

Virginia also didn’t have Tchani at full strength. The sophomore from Cameroon, who led the team in scoring in 2008 and was named ACC rookie of the year, is still rounding back into shape from a knee injury. Gelnovatch believes Tchani is getting close.

“He’s still trying to get his rhythm and form back,” said Gelnovatch, whose team opens its home schedule next Friday night against Duke. “When he gets his full swagger again, he’ll score goals.”

Jimmy Simpson and Brian Ownby, who also had nagging injuries during the preseason, are expected back tonight.

Meanwhile, Chris Agorsor, who had a solid freshman season last season, has gotten NCAA eligibility issues resolved but won’t play in Portland as he continues to get back into shape following a knee injury.

One of the biggest differences from last year — aside from the team’s new alignment — is in goal.

Diego Restrepo, a transfer from South Florida, replaces the graduated Michael Giallombardo.

“He’s been really impressive,” LaBauex said. “In the spring, he always came up with that one big save that kept us in the game.”

“He’s unbelievable,” added junior defender Hunter Jumper. “He has the whole resume. It’s a good feeling knowing if you get beat, he’s there.”

Last season, Virginia failed to win an NCAA tournament game for the first time since 2002. After receiving a first-round bye, UVa was upset at home by Connecticut.

LaBauex believes the team has more experience than that squad.

“I think we’re pretty strong everywhere — from our goalie to our attack, to our midfield,” he said. “I think we have a good corps of guys who can actually play a lot of different positions and we can interchange a lot of people.”

Throw-ins

Tonight will be the first-ever meeting between Virginia and Portland. The Pilots finished last season with an 8-10-2 record, including a 5-7 mark in the West Coast Conference … UVa concludes its participation in the Nike invitational with a Sunday afternoon game against Washington.