UNC men's soccer: A Winn-win situation

For most of the season, freshman forward Alan Winn has played the role of super sub.

But as the No. 17 North Carolina men’s soccer team takes the field Tuesday night against Campbell, in what becomes a 3-0 win, Winn isn’t sitting in his usual place on the bench. He’s out on the field, starting for the second game in a row.

Minutes into the game, Winn makes sure everybody knows he’s there. The freshman blazes through the middle of the field and sends a pass towards streaking senior forward Andy Craven that the opposing keeper has to come off his line to intercept.

“Unbelievable,” senior forward Rob Lovejoy said, “You can already see the signs of extraordinary talent in him.”

Winn had a similar impact the rest of the game, cutting through the Camel defense like a hot knife through butter and creating several scoring opportunities for both himself and his teammates.

This is exactly what coach Carlos Somoano envisioned when he was recruiting Winn, the No. 9 ranked player by Top Drawer Soccer.

“If you had said when you were recruiting him, ‘How would you line him up?’ this is exactly where I want him,” Somoano said. “I’m very pleased with the role he’s playing.”

Winn chose UNC in part due to the insistence of friend, teammate and former UNC player Cameron Brown. Winn’s interest in college soccer also began in 2011 — the same year UNC won a national title.

Despite his youth, Winn’s talent immediately asserts itself when he steps on the pitch. The one word he uses to describe himself is fast, and his neon orange cleats display his signature attribute. The skilled freshman has gotten better with each passing game this season.

“He’s getting used to the demands; new environment, new teammates, new coaches,” Somoano said. “He’s just getting better and better.”

Winn’s minutes have increased steadily in the past four games, playing 31, 34, 55 and 67 minutes against Duke, Notre Dame, UNC-Wilmington and Clemson, respectively. With the losses and injuries mounting for the Tar Heels, Somoano has been forced to adjust, and Winn has been a key part of that.

Against Campbell, the freshman started alongside the stalwart senior trio of Craven, Tyler Engel and Lovejoy.

Somoano changed his formation, moving Lovejoy slightly back while placing Winn forward with Craven and Engel, partially to help accommodate the standout freshman.

“It fits our personnel better,” Somoano said. “When the team functions, we attack and defend better.”

Halfway through the second half, Winn makes his presence known again. He draws the defense in with a run to the goal, then deftly passes to an open Lovejoy who scores the insurance goal. After playing only 50 minutes, Winn is subbed out.

The team will need Winn to continue to grow the rest of the season. But for now, he’s earned the right to take a break.

sports@dailytarheel.com