While the likes of Brian White and Amando Moreno have grabbed goals and headlines throughout the 2018 USL season, NYRB II’s squad depth has become one of its most important assets of late. With a number of players injured ahead of Friday’s clash with Penn FC, it was time for Tom Barlow, earning his third consecutive start, to step up and lead the line. Barlow’s selection paid off as he scored the game-winning goal in the 25th minute, sealing NYRB II’s fourth consecutive home victory.
“Yeah, it’s nice to get the start tonight and the past couple games I get to start.” said Barlow, postgame. “So, just continue to prove myself to coach and do whatever I can to help the team and just keep progressing and getting better every day, and hopefully he likes what I’m doing, and I can keep contributing and keep winning.”
The run of starts is a culmination of hard work from the 2018 SuperDraft second-round pick. Barlow’s work has not gone unnoticed by head coach John Wolyniec, who gives a lot of credit to the St. Louis native for his fight and effort in the locker room in his first season in professional soccer.
“Yeah, Tom’s interesting. He’s a little bit of a work in progress, but he’s got a lot of tools,” said Wolyniec. “We liked him in college at Wisconsin - he works, so we knew that part would fit. He runs, he’s faster than you think. He’s stronger than you think, and he can score. So, that part’s good too. He’s a great package and I hope he keeps building on it and keeps getting better.”
It’s not only Barlow, either. Jose Aguinaga, who assisted on Barlow’s goal on Friday, made only his seventh start of the season. Generally, for Wolyniec, the improving team depth is important and something he gives his team huge credit for:
“It’s great,” Wolyniec said. “Listen, I can criticize a lot, always pick things apart. But in the end, when you can roll that many different players out there and still get results, still perform well, and still go after games in a real way, still look like us - that’s a credit to the guys, and in a general sense I’m hesitant to sometimes give credit when credit is due. But that, for sure, is a big deal and I’m very proud of that. It’s a credit to guys that, whether it’s starting early in the end, or getting a start now, or kind of worked their way up. That’s great to see and I hope that continues.”
NYRB II looks to build on Friday’s 2-1 victory when they host Louisville City FC on Friday, August 10 at MSU Soccer Park. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET.
