Tuesday, September 28
LOUISVILLE, KY
7:30 PM
University of Louisville
vs
Western Illinois
Photo by: Mark Natale | Louisville Athletics
Cardinals Go for Fifth Straight Victory Tuesday
September 27, 2021 | Men's Soccer
Kickoff against Western Illinois is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The 25th-ranked University of Louisville men's soccer team aims for its fifth straight win on Tuesday night, hosting Western Illinois at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on ACC Network Extra.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
The Cardinals tallied their second consecutive shutout with a 2-0 victory over Boston College on Friday night. Ugo Achara headed home a corner kick in the 77th minute to break a scoreless tie and Nico Diaz added a goal in the closing minutes to seal the victory.
Louisville enters Tuesday's match riding a four-match winning streak, its first winning streak of at least four matches since capturing five straight victories from Sept. 9-24, 2016. The Cardinals have recorded shutouts in three of the four victories while tallying 14 goals.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville and Western Illinois are meeting for the first time on Tuesday night. The Cardinals are 4-0-1 al-time against current members of The Summit League (3-0-0 vs. Oral Roberts, 1-0-0 vs. Kansas City, 0-0-1 vs. Denver) and will take on Eastern Illinois later this season.
ACHARA DISPLAYING SCORING PROWESS
Ugochukwu Achara transferred to Louisville for the 2021 season from Northwestern, where he was a first team All-Big Ten selection last spring after scoring five goals, the second-most among all Big Ten players.
Achara failed to score through the first five matches this fall for the Cardinals before finally breaking through in the second half at Syracuse on Sept. 17. The goal opened the floodgates for the sophomore, who has scored in each of the two matches that followed against Northern Kentucky and Boston College.
Achara is the second Cardinal to score in three consecutive matches this season, joining Aboubacar Camara who did it in four straight.
BELL, CARDS DEFENSE RECORD THIRD SHUTOUT IN FOUR MATCHES
While the Louisville offensive attack has been lighting up the scoreboard, Detre Bell and the Cardinals defense has turned in clean sheets in three of the last four matches.
The Cards blanked No. 25 Wake Forest to start their four-match winning streak and have registered consecutive shutouts against Northern Kentucky and Boston College in the last two contests. It's the first back-to-back shutouts for the Cardinals in over two years.
Louisville limited Boston College to just three shots total and only one on target in Friday's victory. The three shots allowed were the fewest by an ACC opponent against Louisville since Sept. 24, 2016 when Virginia was held to just one.
ROED'S SET PIECE SERVICES COMING UP HUGE FOR CARDS
The Cardinals have proven to have one of the best offensive attacks in the ACC and the country with 19 goals through eight matches. While the majority of the goals have come during the run of play, it's been set pieces off the foot of Sander Roed that have delivered in some of the biggest moments this season.
The freshman has assisted on four goals this season, three of which have come off set pieces. Roed found Josh Jones for the second goal against Wake Forest, and then again for the game-winner in double overtime at Syracuse. The Norwegian midfielder also found Ugochukwu Achara on a corner kick to break a scoreless tie in the 77th minute in the win over Boston College.
Louisville Set Piece Goals
CARDINALS RETURN TO THE NATIONAL POLL
In the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll released on Sept. 21, the Cardinals moved into the No. 25 spot after wins in four of their first six matches and a 2-0-0 start to ACC play.
It marked the first time Louisville was in the national rankings since the final poll of the 2019 season. The Cardinals reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and were ranked No. 20 in the final rankings.
GOALS, GOALS, AND MORE GOALS FOR CAMARA
Aboubacar Camara scored just one goal in six matches during the fall of 2020. Since the calendar has flipped to 2021 however, the forward has been among the best goal scorers in the country.
Camara leads the Cardinals with five goals on the season, a total that ranks third in the ACC and 19th nationally. His five goals were the most in program history over the first seven matches of a season since David Guzman also had five through seven matches in 2006.
With another tally on Tuesday against Northern Kentucky, Camara extended his goal-scoring streak to four consecutive matches, becoming the first UofL player to do so since Tim Kubel in 2014.
LOUISVILLE PUTTING ON IMPRESSIVE OFFENSIVE DISPLAY
After a slow start to the season offensively, the Cardinals have gone on a scoring binge over the last two weeks. Louisville tallied just five goals over the first four matches of the season, going 2-2-0 over that stretch. However, the Cardinals have found the net 14 times in their last four matches, securing their first four-match winning streak since winning five straight in September of 2016.
Louisville put nine goals on the board in consecutive wins over Syracuse and Northern Kentucky, the most in a two-match stretch since scoring 12 in matches against Asbury (10) and Transylvania (2) during the 1987 season.
The Cardinals currently rank second in the ACC and 15th nationally at 2.38 goals per match, and lead the ACC with 10 goals through three conference matches. UofL also ranks second in the ACC and 16th in the country with 19 goals and is first in the ACC and second nationally with 8.25 corner kicks per match.
FONSECA SHOWING OUT IN SENIOR SEASON
Injuries limited Pedro Fonseca to just 16 matches over his first two seasons (2018-19) at Louisville. However, a healthy Fonseca has been among the best players in the ACC over the last two seasons.
Dating back to the start of the 2020 season, Fonseca has tallied eight goals and eight assists in 22 matches. The forward set career highs in 2020 with four goals and four assists and has already matched those numbers just eight matches into the season. Fonseca is currently third in the ACC with 12 points, including a conference-leading eight points in league play.
The Brazilian netted a pair of penalty kicks at Syracuse on Sept. 17, becoming the first Louisville player to record multiple goals in a match since Kino Ryusuke on Oct. 1, 2019 and the first with two PK goals since Mohamed Thiaw on Oct. 10, 2017.
FRESHMEN PROVIDING IMMEDIATE IMPACT FOR CARDS
John Michael Hayden and his coaching staff signed one of the top recruiting classes in the country in 2021, a group that was ranked ninth by TopDrawerSoccer. That collection of student-athletes has stepped onto campus and provided instant impact for the Cardinals.
Sander Roed has started each of the last five matches in the midfield, while true freshmen are making up three-quarters of the Louisville back line. Josh Jones has started six of eight matches at center back with Patrick Ajdukiewicz and Dante Huckaby each starting seven matches on the outside.
Their impact has been measurable as well. Roed is third on the team with eight points (two goals, four assists), while Jones has a pair of goals including the game-winner in double overtime at Syracuse and Huckaby notched a double-overtime winner of his own against Bellarmine.
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 tallied their second consecutive shutout with a 2-0 victory over Boston College on Friday night. Ugo Achara headed home a corner kick in the 77th minute to break a scoreless tie and Nico Diaz added a goal in the closing minutes to seal the victory.
Louisville enters Tuesday's match riding a four-match winning streak, its first winning streak of at least four matches since capturing five straight victories from Sept. 9-24, 2016. The Cardinals have recorded shutouts in three of the four victories while tallying 14 goals.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville and Western Illinois are meeting for the first time on Tuesday night. The Cardinals are 4-0-1 al-time against current members of The Summit League (3-0-0 vs. Oral Roberts, 1-0-0 vs. Kansas City, 0-0-1 vs. Denver) and will take on Eastern Illinois later this season.
ACHARA DISPLAYING SCORING PROWESS
Ugochukwu Achara transferred to Louisville for the 2021 season from Northwestern, where he was a first team All-Big Ten selection last spring after scoring five goals, the second-most among all Big Ten players.
Achara failed to score through the first five matches this fall for the Cardinals before finally breaking through in the second half at Syracuse on Sept. 17. The goal opened the floodgates for the sophomore, who has scored in each of the two matches that followed against Northern Kentucky and Boston College.
Achara is the second Cardinal to score in three consecutive matches this season, joining Aboubacar Camara who did it in four straight.
BELL, CARDS DEFENSE RECORD THIRD SHUTOUT IN FOUR MATCHES
While the Louisville offensive attack has been lighting up the scoreboard, Detre Bell and the Cardinals defense has turned in clean sheets in three of the last four matches.
The Cards blanked No. 25 Wake Forest to start their four-match winning streak and have registered consecutive shutouts against Northern Kentucky and Boston College in the last two contests. It's the first back-to-back shutouts for the Cardinals in over two years.
Louisville limited Boston College to just three shots total and only one on target in Friday's victory. The three shots allowed were the fewest by an ACC opponent against Louisville since Sept. 24, 2016 when Virginia was held to just one.
ROED'S SET PIECE SERVICES COMING UP HUGE FOR CARDS
The Cardinals have proven to have one of the best offensive attacks in the ACC and the country with 19 goals through eight matches. While the majority of the goals have come during the run of play, it's been set pieces off the foot of Sander Roed that have delivered in some of the biggest moments this season.
The freshman has assisted on four goals this season, three of which have come off set pieces. Roed found Josh Jones for the second goal against Wake Forest, and then again for the game-winner in double overtime at Syracuse. The Norwegian midfielder also found Ugochukwu Achara on a corner kick to break a scoreless tie in the 77th minute in the win over Boston College.
Louisville Set Piece Goals
| Match | Type | Play | Time | New Score |
| Evansville | Free Kick | Roed header from Fonseca | 86:19 | 1-1 |
| Wake Forest | Free Kick | Jones header from Roed | 27:29 | 2-0 |
| Syracuse | Free Kick | Jones header from Roed | 102:43 (2OT) | 5-4 |
| Boston College | Corner Kick | Achara header from Roed | 76:35 | 1-0 |
CARDINALS RETURN TO THE NATIONAL POLL
In the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll released on Sept. 21, the Cardinals moved into the No. 25 spot after wins in four of their first six matches and a 2-0-0 start to ACC play.
It marked the first time Louisville was in the national rankings since the final poll of the 2019 season. The Cardinals reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and were ranked No. 20 in the final rankings.
GOALS, GOALS, AND MORE GOALS FOR CAMARA
Aboubacar Camara scored just one goal in six matches during the fall of 2020. Since the calendar has flipped to 2021 however, the forward has been among the best goal scorers in the country.
Camara leads the Cardinals with five goals on the season, a total that ranks third in the ACC and 19th nationally. His five goals were the most in program history over the first seven matches of a season since David Guzman also had five through seven matches in 2006.
With another tally on Tuesday against Northern Kentucky, Camara extended his goal-scoring streak to four consecutive matches, becoming the first UofL player to do so since Tim Kubel in 2014.
LOUISVILLE PUTTING ON IMPRESSIVE OFFENSIVE DISPLAY
After a slow start to the season offensively, the Cardinals have gone on a scoring binge over the last two weeks. Louisville tallied just five goals over the first four matches of the season, going 2-2-0 over that stretch. However, the Cardinals have found the net 14 times in their last four matches, securing their first four-match winning streak since winning five straight in September of 2016.
Louisville put nine goals on the board in consecutive wins over Syracuse and Northern Kentucky, the most in a two-match stretch since scoring 12 in matches against Asbury (10) and Transylvania (2) during the 1987 season.
The Cardinals currently rank second in the ACC and 15th nationally at 2.38 goals per match, and lead the ACC with 10 goals through three conference matches. UofL also ranks second in the ACC and 16th in the country with 19 goals and is first in the ACC and second nationally with 8.25 corner kicks per match.
FONSECA SHOWING OUT IN SENIOR SEASON
Injuries limited Pedro Fonseca to just 16 matches over his first two seasons (2018-19) at Louisville. However, a healthy Fonseca has been among the best players in the ACC over the last two seasons.
Dating back to the start of the 2020 season, Fonseca has tallied eight goals and eight assists in 22 matches. The forward set career highs in 2020 with four goals and four assists and has already matched those numbers just eight matches into the season. Fonseca is currently third in the ACC with 12 points, including a conference-leading eight points in league play.
The Brazilian netted a pair of penalty kicks at Syracuse on Sept. 17, becoming the first Louisville player to record multiple goals in a match since Kino Ryusuke on Oct. 1, 2019 and the first with two PK goals since Mohamed Thiaw on Oct. 10, 2017.
FRESHMEN PROVIDING IMMEDIATE IMPACT FOR CARDS
John Michael Hayden and his coaching staff signed one of the top recruiting classes in the country in 2021, a group that was ranked ninth by TopDrawerSoccer. That collection of student-athletes has stepped onto campus and provided instant impact for the Cardinals.
Sander Roed has started each of the last five matches in the midfield, while true freshmen are making up three-quarters of the Louisville back line. Josh Jones has started six of eight matches at center back with Patrick Ajdukiewicz and Dante Huckaby each starting seven matches on the outside.
Their impact has been measurable as well. Roed is third on the team with eight points (two goals, four assists), while Jones has a pair of goals including the game-winner in double overtime at Syracuse and Huckaby notched a double-overtime winner of his own against Bellarmine.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE MEN'S SOCCER ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville men's soccer on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @UofLmenssoccer.
Players Mentioned
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