Claudel and Billhardt score in the 110-minute affair.
TAMPA (Oct. 22, 2019) – The University of South Florida men’s soccer team held the upper hand on Florida International for over 60 minutes on Tuesday night, however, it took just under 90 seconds for the Panthers to change the complexion of the contest as the two sides played to a hard-fought 2-2 double overtime draw at Corbett Stadium.
The Bulls, 8-4-1* on the year, got goals from Victor Claudel (Strasbourg, France) in the 28thminute, and Adrian Billhardt (Berlin, Germany) in the 62nd, to take a 2-0 lead on the Panthers (9-0-5) who came into the match ranked No. 11 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll. Claudel would find the back of the net after assists from Avionne Flanagan (Baltimore, Md.) and Ignasi Lupon Fores (Barcelona, Spain).
Billhardt, who officially netted his first goal of the season, tonight against the Panthers, did so on a pretty set piece from 19 yards out where he chipped the ball over the FIU wall and just over and out of the reach of FIU goalkeeper Daniel Gagliardi.
As much as USF had control of the match, FIU kept pressing and finally broke through when Andoni Garrogerricaechebarria scored in the 77th minute, and then Nicholas O’Callaghan got the equalizer 89 seconds later.
In addition to USFs two scores, the Bulls had opportunities to convert on open nets, twice, however FIU defenders came in to clear the ball just as it was about to cross the goal line.
The Panthers, on the other hand had an opportunity to get on the board just a minute before the Garrogerricaechebarria goal, by way of a penalty kick, however Inigo Sagarduy put the ball off the left post as a diving Harrison Devenish-Meares (Sydney, Australia) got “just a fingertip on it.”
The Bulls finished the night outshooting the Panthers, 19-14, and held a slight 9-7 advantage in shots on goal.
Devenish-Meares returned to the pitch, in goal, after missing the last two games due to illness. He finished the night with five saves.
Quotable
“Well, we were unfortunate. That was a game that we had full control of and we never should have lost it. We could have been up by three or four in the first half, and maybe the second half. We played another very good game and I think that you have to give FIU a little bit of credit; they kind of fought their way back a little bit. But I was pretty happy with our guys and the way they played.” – USF head coach Bob Butehorn on USFs 2-2 draw to No. 11 FIU.
Scoring Summary
USF – Victor Claudel (Avionne Flanagan, Ignasi, 28:23)
USF – Adrian Billhardt (Unassisted, 62:10)
FIU – Andoni Garrogerricaechebarria (Inigo Sagarduy, 77:31)
FIU – Nicholas O’Callaghan (Inigo Sagarduy, 79:00)
1 2 OT1 OT2 F
USF 1 1 0 0 2
FIU 0 2 0 0 2
Shots: USF 19, FIU 14
Shots on Goal: USF 9, FIU 7
Saves: USF 5, FIU 7
Corner Kicks: USF 10, FIU 2
Key Stat
10-2 – USF certainly had its opportunities to convert goals, especially with the two missed open net opportunities, however the Bulls also had 10 opportunities on corner kicks during the 110-minute affair. The Panthers only had two corner kick opportunities on the night.
Notable
- Tuesday’s match was USF’s first overtime affair since a 3-2 double-overtime loss at FIU last season on Oct 23, 364 days ago.
- USF was involved in its first penalty kick situation this season when FIUs Inigo Sargarduy had an opportunity in the 76th minute, however he put it off the left post.
Up Next
USF returns home to Corbett Stadium for the second match of its three match homestand when they take on No. 8/6 UCF on Oct. 26 and then face Cincinnati on Nov. 1 to close out the regular season home schedule. All home matches are at 7 p.m.
* USF’s overall and American Athletic Conference records include a 2-1 win over Tulsa that counts towards AAC standings but is not recognized by the NCAA. Click here for details.
To purchase tickets for USF men’s soccer, or to purchase an Olympic Gold Pass which provides entry to all men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball home contests in 2019, visit USFBullsTix.com or call 1-800-GO-BULLS.
– #GoBulls –
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF Men’s Soccer news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
