SILOAM SPRINGS — As an eighth-grader last spring, Aldair Umana sat in the stands of Siloam Springs soccer games watching his older brother, Yosi, play for the Panthers and dreaming of this year when he would be eligible to play varsity soccer as a freshman.
“Honestly, I had a lot of hope in myself to be someone who helped the team go far this year,” Umana said.
Umana’s freshman season couldn’t have gone any better for the Panthers.
He was the Panthers’ leading goal scorer and was a big reason Siloam Springs advanced to its third straight state championship game.
For his season, Umana was named the Newcomer of the Year in the 7A/6A-West Conference, and today he is named the All-NWAMedia Boys Soccer Newcomer of the Year.
“There was never any doubt that he equipped with the tools necessary to compete in our league and play good soccer,” said Siloam Springs coach Jason Bowen said.
Umana had several multiple goal games on the season, including two in the Class 6A semifinals when Siloam Springs beat Jonesboro 5-0 to advance to the championship game against Searcy. Searcy defeated the Panthers 3-2 in extra time. He had four goals total in the state tournament.
Before Umana had even tried out, Bowen had heard about him from Yosi Umana, who is a junior defender, and others on the team.
“But I would have never imagined he would be the player that he is, a freshman who plays like a senior,” Bowen said.
Bowen said it was obvious from the first day of practice that Umana would be able to help the Panthers.
“The first day I saw him practice, I threw him with that varsity group and knew he was going to be a contributor,” Bowen said. “We knew he was going to start for us.”
Bowen said Umana had all the tools necessary to succeed at the 7A/6A level.
“Speed, his technical ability, knowledge of the game,” Bowen said. “There’s all kinds of little intangible things that as a soccer coach you don’t necessarily teach. It’s more being around the game and playing the game that make you that kind of player. He has those kinds of intangibles that you don’t really talk about or teach them in practice.”
One example of an intangible Umana has, Bowen said, is his calmness in front of the net. While some players tend to panic in front of the goal and kick the ball as hard as they can, Umana is able to control himself in those moments, his coach said.
“He’s calm on a breakaway, and can score,” Bowen said. “A lot of those kids get those breakaways and panic at the last moment. He’s pretty calm on the ball when he’s in front of the net.”
Umana still has work to do, Bowen said, and three more years of eligibility left to do it.
“He’s just got to be a team player more,” Bowen said. “I think him and Alejandro (Dominguez) both try to do too much and play individually at times and not with the rest of their teammates. He’s going to have to learn to let his teammates help him. He can’t do it all himself.”