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CHAT WRAP: VirginiaSports.com Live Chat With George Gelnovatch
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If you missed the Oct. 1 VirginiaSports.com live chat with UVa men’s soccer coach George Gelnovatch, check out the transcript below.
Be sure to follow men’s soccer on Twitter (@UVaMenSoccer) and check back to VirginiaSports.com for upcoming live chat events.
Moderator:: Good morning and welcome to the VirginiaSports.com live chat with head men’s soccer coach George Gelnovatch! Coach will be here in just a few minutes so get your questions ready!
Coach Gelnovatch:: Hey everybody, thanks for joining us. Fire away!
sbnnews:via Twitter: Hey Coach- Talk about team’s formation changes and assess their success so far this season in terms of offensive production
Coach Gelnovatch:: In preseason, we were asking our outside backs to be really aggressive in the attack and to start 15 yards further up the field as we build out of the back. We also asked our outside midfielders to be really aggressive in terms of getting forward. I think it was asking too much of them and of course we didn’t get the results that we were looking for. To start the season, we lined up like we lined up all of last year. Which is a 4-1-4-1. We have been more successful with that formation. Guys like Chris Agorsor, Brian Ownby, Tony Tchani and Jimmy Simpson are guys that we were counting on for goals this year. All of them have issues (Ownby is at U-20s) and Simpson, Tchani and Agorsor are all coming back from surgeries and are trying to get in form. We feel like as we get into late October and November, that we can get these four guys scoring more goals as they get fitter and sharper.
Katharine:via Twitter: What’s the biggest key in playing an ACC game on the road?
Coach Gelnovatch:: I think mentality. Having the right mentality. Every ACC game is a battle but on the road you have to deal with fans. I think it’s a mentality – a mentality that you have to compete. And the concentration level on every single play.
Andy :Crozet, VA: Big game on Friday — what challenges will UNC have for you?
Coach Gelnovatch:: I think they are one of the most technical teams in the country. And I think they have three or four guys in the attack that can really hurt you off the dribble and with their speed. We’ll have to contain those guys. The mentality and the tactics that we had in the Wake Forest game will be similar going into this UNC game.
Mike:Washington D.C.: Coach, great job this season, congrats on the 200 wins. Coming into the season, Goalkeeping was one of the questions for your team. It looks like D.Restrepo has done a good job, how do you feel about your goalkeeping situation so far?
Coach Gelnovatch:: Thank you Mike. So far, so good! Diego has been great for us. We’ve given up four goals in eight games, which is among the best in the conference. Diego also adds a leadership quality to our team. In the Wake Forest game, he was one of our MVPs.
Brian:Charlottesville: Hey Coach, looks like Chris Agorsor returned in a big way against VCU and congrats on the win. Would you say he is fully healthy after returning from his injury?
Coach Gelnovatch:: Chris is obviously back in terms of playing. The past two games he’s played the entire game. I think he’s still trying to find his sharpness and improve his fitness. It was good for him to score the other night against VCU.
tommy:c-ville: are you going to the U2 concert tonight?
Coach Gelnovatch:: Generally, during the season I leave the house when it’s dark and generally come home when it’s dark! The first day of preseason, my wife said to me “See you at Christmas.” So … no I will not be going to the U2 concert. Have a great time!!!
BJ:Staunton: what win out of No. 200 meant the most to you if there was one?
Coach Gelnovatch:: Nobody has asked me that question … I remember the first win. It was against Old Dominion, 4-0. I actually remember the first goal scored in that game. It was Mike Fisher. But there was a lot of GREAT wins along the way. I’m not sure that one in particular stands out to me.
Junior:C’Ville: do you have an opinion on whether or not the acc tournament should ever change from the cary, nc location?
Coach Gelnovatch:: Personally, I love playing down at Cary. The facility is excellent, the organizers are first class and the weather has generally cooperated. Until something better comes along, I think we have a good thing going.
Bernie:Schenectady, New York: After the UNC game on Friday, you have a few home non conference games … what are the benefits of such scheduling in the middle of conference play?
Coach Gelnovatch:: After the UNC game, we have a Wednesday game at home and then we don’t have a weekend game. We have a bye that next weekend after the UNC game. The bye weekend and the three non-conference games provide us a breather in the middle of the season while also keeping form for the home stretch of the regular season.
Mandy:charlotte: what are some of the things you feel are most important to improve on for the next half of the regular season?
Coach Gelnovatch:: I’ve said I feel like our team is emerging and developing. And I mean that in a good way. We are winning and doing well, yet not fully firing on all cylinders. I feel like some of the attacking players that have been injured are trying to get back in form and with Ownby rejoining the team as well as other players starting to emerge and play their best my hope is that we’ll be at our best in November.
Yang Shin:Tokyo Japan: What have been challenges of losing Brian Ownby for a few weeks to the U-20 WC team?
Coach Gelnovatch:: Wow thanks for joining us all the way from Japan, what time is it there? I would say that Brian is a threat to any team with his speed and his ability to run at defenses. Just not having that has made it a little bit more difficult for us to score. We have managed fairly well without him and wish him the best in the remaining games. But we definitely look forward to having him back.
bobby:uva: what’s your favorite thing about charlottesville?
Coach Gelnovatch:: Good question Bobby! I don’t know that there’s one thing. I came to school here in 1983 and have basically been around here since then and have seen a lot of changes, all for the better. The best thing I can say about Charlottesville is how comfortable and happy my family is here.
Jim Nasium:Charlottesville: Coach, what was the best advice Bruce Arena gave you as a player that you now find yourself passing along to your team. Go Hoos!
Coach Gelnovatch:: Thanks for the question, Jim … I would say I don’t remember any specific piece of advice. Bruce was a great coach and teacher and I learned a lot as a player and as a young man.
Greg:Harrisonburg: What improvements to the athletic facilities would you most like to be made?
Coach Gelnovatch:: A year or two ago there were discussions about a new Klockner project, which would have included a new building up at Klockner. For me, that facility is the next step.
Yang Shin:Tokyo Japan: Hi coach it 11:21 p.m. here … almost bedtime!
Doris:Washington, D.C.: what kind of scouting report can you give us for the unc game?
Coach Gelnovatch:: Scouting report – they are one of the most technical teams in the entire country. In particular, players like Schuler, Brown and Farfan can really hurt you with their ability to run at defenses. We’ll have to be especially diligent on how we contain those guys.
Moderator:: Great questions, we have time for one or two more!
Mike:Washington D.C.: Coach, what happened with streaming video? I live in DC and cant make every game, but used to love to watch the games streamed online. Can we get at least an audio feed? anything is better than the live stats
Coach Gelnovatch:: You were most likely watching ACC Select, which I also enjoyed watching games on. Unfortunately, that service is no longer available, but hopefully something will be in the future.
Coach Gelnovatch:: Okay everybody, thanks for joining me for the first VirginiaSports.com live chat of the year! I enjoyed getting the chance to answer some great questions. Thanks for all your support!
Moderator:: Remember to follow the men’s soccer team on Twitter (@UVaMenSoccer) and thanks to those who submitted questions via Twitter and e-mail as well as those of you here with us live!