The Harvard men’s soccer team has been reborn. After two years without a win, they started off the 2021 season with a 3-2-1 record, beginning with a 4-0 victory over Central Connecticut State University. What provoked this new beginning? After a year off the field, the team boasts a fresh coaching staff, goal-oriented upperclassmen, and two new classes of eager players who are ready and willing to carry the men’s soccer to success.
“The freshmen bring new experiences that have contributed in a positive way to this team,” said senior captain Paolo Belloni Urso ’22. Head coach Josh Shapiro agreed: there are “some good personalities and a diversity of skills on our team,” he said. The recruits have only magnified this team’s new beginning, adding the final pieces to their puzzle.
Recounting his first steps onto the Harvard turf, Jan Riecke ’25 said, “I immediately had that team structure around me to welcome me and make the transition easier.” After a year of uncertainty and a trip across the globe from Germany, Riecke was welcomed onto the team with open arms.
Meanwhile, the team remains grounded by the experienced upperclassmen players. “We’ve found the right mix and the right balance to tackle the season differently,” Urso said. Older players have also occupied a significant role in the team’s winning record. According to Shapiro, “we have done an excellent job of bridging the gaps and making the young guys feel like proper teammates from day one.”
The team has schemed their victory by changing their past strategies. Shapiro became the team’s head coach after winning four championships coaching the Tufts’s soccer team. At Harvard, he and his staff have created an environment where the soccer team can mature and thrive with the support of an encouraging administration and alumni. “Every spot is up for grabs—we’ve created a real depth and competitiveness at each spot and the team is really embracing that,” said Shapiro.
The players notice this, too. “The new coaching staff has put a new air in the locker room,” said Urso. While the staff implements a balance between fun and diligence, Riecke said they “make sure their messages to the team are clear.” Under these new competitive circumstances, the men’s team has begun to excel, bringing their diverse talents to a new level of play.
This energy prevails in the Harvard women’s soccer team as well, which continues their season with no losses as they carry 18th place in the Division I ranking.
What does the future have in store for the men’s soccer team? “I really believe we have all the pieces we need to be successful and push to challenge for an Ivy League championship,” said Shapiro. Riecke reflected this determined attitude. “We want to be as ready as we can be once we play Yale so we can deliver a good performance and hopefully beat Yale,” he said.
With these ambitious goals ahead, the team looks to come away from the 2021 season victorious—and the odds are in their favor.
Ariel Beck ’25 (arielbeck@college.harvard.edu) looks forward to cheering the men’s soccer team on from the stands.