Thursday, August 26
St. Louis, MO
8:00 PM
University of Louisville
at
Saint Louis
Cardinals Set to Open Season at Saint Louis
August 25, 2021 | Men's Soccer
Thursday’s kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN+.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville men's soccer team opens up the 2021 campaign on the road at Saint Louis on Thursday evening. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN+.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
The Cardinals enter the 2021 season coming off a strong spring that saw them post a 4-2-0 overall record and a second place finish in the ACC Atlantic Division. Louisville was picked to finish third in the Atlantic in the 2021 preseason coaches poll.
UofL returns 67 percent (14 of 21) of its goal scoring from the 2020 season led by forwards Aboubacar Camara (six goals) and Pedro Fonseca (four goals). The Cardinals return seven starters in total from a year ago including goalkeeper Detre Bell, who started all six spring matches in goal after transferring from Cal State Bakersfield.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville trails the all-time series against Saint Louis 5-13-0, but the Cardinals have won three of the last five meetings between the two programs. The last time the two programs met, Mohamed Thiaw scored 10 minutes into the match and led then-No. 13 Louisville to a 1-0 victory at Saint Louis on Sept. 20, 2016. Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland saved all four shots on goal to secure the shutout.
CARDINALS PICKED THIRD IN ACC ATLANTIC PRESEASON POLL
Louisville was picked to finish third in the Atlantic Division in the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason coaches poll.
Clemson received nine of 12 first-place votes and sits atop the Atlantic followed by Wake Forest, which tallied a pair of votes for the top spot. The Cardinals came in third followed by Boston College, NC State and Syracuse.
The Cardinals were 5-8-1 overall in 2020, but went 4-2-0 during the spring portion of the season and finished second in the Atlantic Division.
FONSECA NAMED TO ACC PRESEASON WATCH LIST
For the second straight season, forward Pedro Fonseca was named to the ACC Preseason Watch List. The list consists of one player from each conference program and is selected by the league's head coaches.
Fonseca led the Cardinals with four assists last season and was second on the squad with four goals on his way to second team All-ACC honors. In 30 career matches at UofL, the senior has seven goals and eight assists.
STRONG SPRING BUILDS MOMENTUM HEADING INTO 2021
After struggling during the fall of 2020, the Cardinals hit their stride during the spring season and posted a 4-2-0 record and a second-place finish in the ACC Atlantic Division. Louisville capped off the spring with a 2-1 upset victory over then-No. 1 Clemson on April 9.
UofL improved on both ends of the pitch during the spring. The Cardinals averaged 1.83 goals per match over six spring contests, up from their 1.25 average from the fall. Louisville's biggest turnaround came on the defensive side though, lowering it's goals allowed from 2.63 per match in the fall to 1.50 in the spring.
2021 CARDS FEATURE FIREPOWER UP TOP
Louisville's offensive attack proved to be dangerous during the spring portion of the 2020 season. The Cardinals tallied multiple goals in four of six spring matches, including three in victories over NC State and Syracuse.
Aboubacar Camara was one of the top goal scorers in the country during the spring, finding the back of the net in five of the six matches. Camara led the Cardinals with six total tallies in his first season and was an All-ACC freshman selection.
Camara pairs together in Louisville's attack with Pedro Fonseca, who led the Cardinals with four assists in 2020 and was second with four goals. UofL also added Northwestern transfer Ugochukwu Achara, who was the second-leading scorer in the Big Ten Conference last season with five goals.
FONSECA, SAMPLE NAMED 2021 TEAM CAPTAINS
Senior Pedro Fonseca and sophomore Bradley Sample have been named team captains for the 2021 season.
Fonseca is in his fourth year with the Cardinals and is coming off the best season of his career in 2020. The forward started all 14 matches and tallied four goals and four assists.
Sample also started all 14 matches last season and has made 29 consecutive starts for the Cardinals dating back to September of 2019.
LOUISVILLE SCHEDULE LOADED WITH RANKED OPPONENTS
Playing in the toughest conference in the country, Louisville's schedule is once again filled with opponents in the preseason rankings.
The 2021 slate for the Cardinals features three teams ranked in the top eight in the country and two others in the top 15 of the United Soccer Coaches preseason rankings.
Louisville will host No. 4 North Carolina, No. 8 Wake Forest and No. 14 Kentucky, while traveling to No. 7 Clemson and No. 15 Virginia Tech. The Cardinals also open the season on the road at Saint Louis, which is receiving votes in the preseason poll.
CARDINALS ADD TOP-10 RANKED RECRUITING CLASS
For the second consecutive year, head coach John Michael Hayden and the Louisville coaching staff put together a top-10 ranked recruiting class. The Cardinals 2021 class was ranked eighth nationally by TopDrawerSoccer.
Louisville's class features 13 newcomers, two of which (Patrick Ajdukiewicz and Brandon McManus) were with the program during the spring semester.
Top-50 recruits Dante Huckaby (No. 20) and Gavin Krenecki (No. 41) headline the incoming freshman class. The Cardinals also added transfers Ugochukwu Achara (Northwestern), Axel Alejandre (North Carolina), Jamie DiLuzio (Davidson), McManus (Kentucky) and Ryan Nichols (Bryant).
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE MEN'S SOCCER ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville men's soccer on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @UofLmenssoccer.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
The Cardinals enter the 2021 season coming off a strong spring that saw them post a 4-2-0 overall record and a second place finish in the ACC Atlantic Division. Louisville was picked to finish third in the Atlantic in the 2021 preseason coaches poll.
UofL returns 67 percent (14 of 21) of its goal scoring from the 2020 season led by forwards Aboubacar Camara (six goals) and Pedro Fonseca (four goals). The Cardinals return seven starters in total from a year ago including goalkeeper Detre Bell, who started all six spring matches in goal after transferring from Cal State Bakersfield.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville trails the all-time series against Saint Louis 5-13-0, but the Cardinals have won three of the last five meetings between the two programs. The last time the two programs met, Mohamed Thiaw scored 10 minutes into the match and led then-No. 13 Louisville to a 1-0 victory at Saint Louis on Sept. 20, 2016. Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland saved all four shots on goal to secure the shutout.
CARDINALS PICKED THIRD IN ACC ATLANTIC PRESEASON POLL
Louisville was picked to finish third in the Atlantic Division in the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason coaches poll.
Clemson received nine of 12 first-place votes and sits atop the Atlantic followed by Wake Forest, which tallied a pair of votes for the top spot. The Cardinals came in third followed by Boston College, NC State and Syracuse.
The Cardinals were 5-8-1 overall in 2020, but went 4-2-0 during the spring portion of the season and finished second in the Atlantic Division.
FONSECA NAMED TO ACC PRESEASON WATCH LIST
For the second straight season, forward Pedro Fonseca was named to the ACC Preseason Watch List. The list consists of one player from each conference program and is selected by the league's head coaches.
Fonseca led the Cardinals with four assists last season and was second on the squad with four goals on his way to second team All-ACC honors. In 30 career matches at UofL, the senior has seven goals and eight assists.
STRONG SPRING BUILDS MOMENTUM HEADING INTO 2021
After struggling during the fall of 2020, the Cardinals hit their stride during the spring season and posted a 4-2-0 record and a second-place finish in the ACC Atlantic Division. Louisville capped off the spring with a 2-1 upset victory over then-No. 1 Clemson on April 9.
UofL improved on both ends of the pitch during the spring. The Cardinals averaged 1.83 goals per match over six spring contests, up from their 1.25 average from the fall. Louisville's biggest turnaround came on the defensive side though, lowering it's goals allowed from 2.63 per match in the fall to 1.50 in the spring.
2021 CARDS FEATURE FIREPOWER UP TOP
Louisville's offensive attack proved to be dangerous during the spring portion of the 2020 season. The Cardinals tallied multiple goals in four of six spring matches, including three in victories over NC State and Syracuse.
Aboubacar Camara was one of the top goal scorers in the country during the spring, finding the back of the net in five of the six matches. Camara led the Cardinals with six total tallies in his first season and was an All-ACC freshman selection.
Camara pairs together in Louisville's attack with Pedro Fonseca, who led the Cardinals with four assists in 2020 and was second with four goals. UofL also added Northwestern transfer Ugochukwu Achara, who was the second-leading scorer in the Big Ten Conference last season with five goals.
FONSECA, SAMPLE NAMED 2021 TEAM CAPTAINS
Senior Pedro Fonseca and sophomore Bradley Sample have been named team captains for the 2021 season.
Fonseca is in his fourth year with the Cardinals and is coming off the best season of his career in 2020. The forward started all 14 matches and tallied four goals and four assists.
Sample also started all 14 matches last season and has made 29 consecutive starts for the Cardinals dating back to September of 2019.
LOUISVILLE SCHEDULE LOADED WITH RANKED OPPONENTS
Playing in the toughest conference in the country, Louisville's schedule is once again filled with opponents in the preseason rankings.
The 2021 slate for the Cardinals features three teams ranked in the top eight in the country and two others in the top 15 of the United Soccer Coaches preseason rankings.
Louisville will host No. 4 North Carolina, No. 8 Wake Forest and No. 14 Kentucky, while traveling to No. 7 Clemson and No. 15 Virginia Tech. The Cardinals also open the season on the road at Saint Louis, which is receiving votes in the preseason poll.
CARDINALS ADD TOP-10 RANKED RECRUITING CLASS
For the second consecutive year, head coach John Michael Hayden and the Louisville coaching staff put together a top-10 ranked recruiting class. The Cardinals 2021 class was ranked eighth nationally by TopDrawerSoccer.
Louisville's class features 13 newcomers, two of which (Patrick Ajdukiewicz and Brandon McManus) were with the program during the spring semester.
Top-50 recruits Dante Huckaby (No. 20) and Gavin Krenecki (No. 41) headline the incoming freshman class. The Cardinals also added transfers Ugochukwu Achara (Northwestern), Axel Alejandre (North Carolina), Jamie DiLuzio (Davidson), McManus (Kentucky) and Ryan Nichols (Bryant).
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE MEN'S SOCCER ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville men's soccer on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @UofLmenssoccer.
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