North Carolina's Michael Farfan is a California kid. (Daily Tar Heel photo)
Every soccer team has an engine, the player who has great vision, the one who gets others involved in the attack, controls the tempo and, when needed, steps up to score a big goal.
Remember Spain in the 2010 World Cup? Andres Iniesta set up teammates for great chances throughout the tournament. And, in the final against the Netherlands, he was the one who stepped up and delivered the game-winning goal.
Michael Farfan is North Carolina’s Iniesta.
The senior from the San Diego area has the Tar Heels’ attack running at full throttle entering Friday’s NCAA Men’s College Cup. They’ll play top-ranked Louisville (19-0-3) in the first national semifinal game at 5:30 p.m. at UCSB’s Harder Stadium.
The second game will pit No. 3 Akron (20-1-2) against No. 10 Michigan (17-4-3) at 8 p.m. The national championship game is Sunday at 1 p.m.
It will be a sort of homecoming for Farfan. He played at Harder Stadium against UCSB when he was a freshman at Cal State Fullerton back in 2006.
“I didn’t play there my sophomore year because of an injury, but I do remember playing there my freshman year,” Farfan said in an email interview with Presidiosports.com “It’s a nice atmosphere to play in.”
Farfan transferred to North Carolina following his sophomore season at Fullerton, and it’s turned out to be a great fit for him and the Tar Heels (16-3-4). They are playing in their second straight College Cup together — this is North Carolina’s third straight final four appearance.
“Since I came to this school nearly two years ago, everyone has been wonderful to me,” he said. “The best part about North Carolina is my teammates. They made the transition for me easier than I expected. The coaches also helped me out with anything I needed and gave me advice on how I could help fit in to the playing style here.”
The style of playing fast and on the ground was perfect for the skillful Farfan.
“When you give him the ball, chances are, we’re going to connect through him,” North Carolina coach Elmar Bolowich told TarHeelBlue.com about Farfan’s role in the attack. “He’s going to give it to somebody else, or he’s making something happen. On top of that, he can also score some nice goals.”
Once he stated playing in the highly regarded ACC, Farfan said he noticed a difference in the style of play from the West Coast.
“I believe the intensity level is raised in the ACC,” he said. “You have less time to decide what you want to do with the ball when you receive it.”
Farfan adjusted quickly and has thrived. This season he helped the Tar Heels win the ACC regular season title with a 7-0-1 record. In five of those wins, he either scored the winning goal or assisted on the game-winner.
Teammate Kirk Urso, who competed against Farfan at national team training camps, recognized his talents.
“I knew he was a great player,” Urso told TarHeelBlue.com. “Everything he’s done, “I’ve respected. I see it every day in practice.”
Farfan’s masterful play on the ball has earned him national recognition. He is a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy, the national player of the year award.
“He’s always three steps ahead of the whole game,” forward Enzo Martinez, the team’s leading goal scorer, said to TarHeelBlue.com “That’s what makes him the best player I’ve ever played with. He’s just so smart.”
Martinez knows first hand how important Farfan is to the team. He filled in for him for a few games in October while Farfan recovered from an ankle injury.
Asked about his role, Farfan responded, “I play in the midfield, so my role is to help get everyone on the same page by getting the ball and connecting with the people around me, whether it be with the forwards that are making runs or simply keeping the ball with my teammates around me to slow the game down while keeping possession.”
Just like Iniesta.
Farfan is thrilled to be coming back to southern California to play in the College Cup. He said several family members and friends will be in attendance at Harder Stadium.
“All of my family that lives in California is planning on coming to the game, so I should have a good amount of people to cheer me on.”
