A defensive midfielder on any soccer team is often inglorious and underappreciated, commonly referred to as the “engine room” for those reasons. The engine room on the soccer field doesn’t receive the plaudits of a more flashy player, but is invaluable to any team.
Sophomore midfielder Brad Sweeney fills that role for the NC State men’s soccer team. Born and raised in the United Kingdom, that English holding-midfield style has definitely influenced the tough-tackling Sweeney’s style of play.
“I think back home it’s just a given that we’re blue-collar,” Sweeney said. “Everyone loves a tackle; [assistant coach Kyle] Nicholls is the same when he joins in training. He loves a tackle. I think it’s just a given back home that we’ve got that mentality, where we like the tough side of the game and just that style of play.”
That blue-collar attitude is one of the many ways Sweeney has fit so well into the team, as head coach George Kiefer believes it is not only a staple of his team but the university as a whole.
“It’s a staple of NC State, that we are a tough blue-collar team and that is the reality of it,” Kiefer said. “I think that is the culture of NC State, let alone soccer. The art department, the math department, the business department – if you look at the history of the school, you have to adapt that cultural behavior if you are going to play for a successful team at NC State, and I think [Sweeney] epitomizes that.”
One of the things that Sweeney does so well, yet is so difficult to quantify, is the impact he has on his teammates’ abilities to play their own style. One person whose game has benefited the most from this is sophomore midfield maestro David Loera.
Loera has been one of the standout players for the Wolfpack this season, scoring two goals and providing another six for teammates. One of the aspects of Loera’s game is his ability to float around the midfield and find any gaps that can be exploited. This wouldn’t be possible without Sweeney alongside him.
“Every single step I take on the field, I know that he will get my back,” Loera said. “That’s why I feel comfortable doing what I do, because I know that if I lose the ball or if the ball turns over I know he is there covering for me and doing what he needs to do for me.”
Kiefer also believes that the balance between these two has been one of the team’s keys to success this season.
“Those two have a really good relationship,” Kiefer said. “Everyone notices [Loera] on the offense but he is also very hard working without the ball for NC State, but Sweeney can pick balls off, can win stuff and find David. You need both, they are a good compliment in the middle.”
The role that Sweeney fills is a very niche one that not every player is able to succeed in, and Kiefer has found the perfect player to fit the role his team requires.
“Sweeney does a good job as a six, getting into good spots, protecting the back four,” Kiefer said. “But if you look, a lot of our attack goes through him as well, so it is a really intricate spot the way we use it. You’ve got to have the right guy there, some toughness to him, some grit, and then guys that can make good, simple decisions on the ball.”
With everything else, Sweeney also brings a surprising goal threat to the team. The deep-lying midfielder has scored three goals this season, all from direct free kicks. Despite this proficiency in the dead-ball situation, free kicks are a new part of Sweeney’s game.
“Last year I didn’t really take many,” Sweeney said. “I was just serving the ball. I was on corners. Back home I didn’t really take them, but I have always been confident in myself to take a free kick, and fortunately it’s just paying off.”
This set-piece threat helped the team secure a crucial point against Syracuse on Oct. 20 that saw the Wolfpack finish the season undefeated at home. With just 24 seconds on the clock, Sweeney curled a free kick around the wall and off the post to give the team enough points to secure the eight seed in the ACC Tournament.
“I think it is a really good weapon,” Kiefer said. “I think if you are preparing to play NC State, you’ve got to be really smart not to foul us, because our restarts are really effective. If you want to foul us, that’s OK, but it is going to give us a good chance.”
For Sweeney, his role in the team may not be seen and glorified by many spectators, but his teammates, coaches and opponents all feel the impact he has on every game.
“I enjoy tackling. I enjoy just passing the ball, ‘doing the dirty work,’ as people say,” Sweeney said. “I have been doing it for a lot of years now, and I just got used to it, and it goes under the radar, but I think a lot of teams appreciate those kinds of players.”
