When leading returning scorer Evan Morgan was injured in the off-season, Stanford men’s soccer knew it had some readjusting to do. The offensive gap desperately needed filling if the Card was to survive the Pacific-10 Conference.

Enlarge
#gallery http://daily.stanford.edu/image/full/8011
Aaron Wasserman

Freshman Bobby Warshaw has filled the gap left by an injury to senior Evan Morgan, the Card’s leading scorer from last season.

Survive it has, though not always with the underdog glitz seen in its 2006 matchups with UCLA, Washington and Cal. But Stanford’s 4-3-5 record (1-1-2 Pac-10) can largely be attributed to the contributions of a newcomer filling Morgan’s large cleats.

Freshman Bobby Warshaw leads the team in points, tallying 10 through a combination of four goals and two assists in his 12 appearances. He has launched 34 shots, including six of the team’s 10 shots against UCLA, and has pressured defenses around the country. Even his misses seem a cut above, like the bicycle kick that floated just high of the Bruins’ crossbar on Friday. However, the clear indications of his offensive prowess do little to enthuse Warshaw.

“As far as the stats, I don’t really care,” Warshaw said. “That just means that I had [six] chances to score and win the game for us. My motivation [comes from] winning games; that’s what it comes down to. One coach said it’s [both] my best and worst [quality]: I just want to win games. Whether I’m the guy scoring or the guy sitting on the bench when we score, I just want to do what I can.”

Coach Bret Simon is not at all surprised by Warshaw’s modest commentary on his own play. Simon, though, was more forthcoming in addressing Warshaw’s individual game and his position in the team’s framework.

“Bobby is a very, very competitive person,” Simon noted. “He’s very confident, and he’s not shy about jumping right in with the team, [which is why] he was able to play right away as a freshman on a competitive team. Beyond that, Bobby has great vision. He reads the game very well, and he’s worked to perfect his skills, so that allows him to place the ball in more situations than the average player typically can. He’s a very special player.”

Simon saw Warshaw’s potential during the forward’s time with the U-17 and U-18 National Teams, as well as with FC Delco, one of the country’s top club programs based near Warshaw’s home in Pennsylvania.

Simon and the Cardinal recruited Warshaw, but Bobby was especially swayed by Stanford’s combination of athletics and academics.

“He has two older brothers, one of whom is at Stanford as a graduate student, so he came out and visited,” Simon recalled. “He played for one of the top clubs in the country ... so he’s a very talented player and we knew a lot about him. Luckily, he knew a little about us, and had some interest in [playing on] the West Coast.”

Warshaw’s account of how he ended up on the Farm begins a little earlier in his soccer career.

“The story I tell people is that when they were in the Final Four [in 2001], I remember watching the game on TV and thinking, ‘Wow, those guys are so cool — they’re smart and they’re great soccer players,’ “ Warshaw said. “That first set my interest on Stanford ... and between the location, the academics and the soccer program, it was a no-brainer.”

As for his experiences with the National Team, Warshaw acknowledges that “playing at that level and in that atmosphere with those players would help anyone.” But, he prefers the camaraderie of the Stanford program.

“The atmosphere here is better than with the National Team,” he said. “The National Team is a little more individual. Here everyone wants the team to win. Whether you’re playing one minute or 90 minutes, everyone really does want what’s best for the team.

“The older guys help the younger guys, the younger guys push themselves to be like the older guys. While the atmosphere here is just as competitive, it’s a little more directed towards the team doing well.”

Warshaw only wishes he could do more.

“I think all the guys, [myself included,] take it personally and wish that they could be doing better in [close game] situations,” he said. “It’s weird coming from a high school environment [and] going to playing UCLA in a double-overtime game. You look around and [realize] this is a national scene, a national showcase of the team, and it’s worth a lot more than what you’re used to.”

Coach Simon doesn’t doubt that Warshaw will soon be used to this stage and will play at an even higher level in the future.

“We just take [each] day as a chance to get better,” Simon said. “For Warshaw, that means rounding out parts of his game. He’s very gifted in certain areas, but he needs to round out other areas. So he’s working hard at that. He really wants to get better, so I definitely expect he’ll keep growing as a player.”