MEN’S SOCCER GAME TIME
USF (0-0-1) at FIU (1-1)When: Tonight, 7 p.m. Where: University Park Soccer Stadium
After receiving a Big East honorable mention for his play last weekend, junior midfielder Kevon Neaves will lead the men’s soccer team to Connecticut to play in the University of Connecticut Adidas Classic.
The Bulls will face a pair of non-conference opponents in Florida International and South Carolina.
The UConn will host the four-team tournament. Last year the Bulls traveled to North Carolina for the Duke Adidas Classic and had mixed results, finishing
1-1-0.
After a successful opening weekend, the Bulls (2-0-0) will look for tournament success against two schools that have had successful pasts against USF.
On Friday the Bulls will play Florida International, a school that holds a 12-11-3 all-time record against them.
The Golden Panthers, under new head coach Munga Eketebi, have started their season slowly with a 0-1-1 start. This will be the seventh consecutive season the Bulls have played FIU and the first time in series history a match will be held on neutral ground.
The Panthers, who have put an extra emphasis on fitness this preseason, will have to place an importance on containing a USF attack that scored six goals in its first two games.
It’s a match that the Bulls should win. If they get an early goal, it’ll be tough for an FIU attack that – when the team has only mustered up one goal in its first two games – will equalize the score.
The second game on the Bulls’ weekend schedule puts them against the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. The Gamecocks have been one
better than the Bulls in their all-time series with a record of
3-2-0.
It’s the first opportunity of the season for the Bulls to play a ranked opponent. South Carolina comes in ranked No. 15 in the nation and is coming off a first-week upset of No. 12 Clemson.
The tournament will be a test of each team’s endurance as they play back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday.
One thing coach Kiefer will have his eye on is conference foe Connecticut, whom the Bulls will not play. This weekend’s tournament comes just two weeks prior to the opening of conference play when the Bulls host the Huskies and Kiefer’s former mentor, coach Ray Reid. What the two coaches see this weekend may impact their strategies for two weeks from now.