The winner of the Bulls and 49ers match will face SMU in the AAC semifinals on Thursday at 4 p.m. in Miami.
TAMPA (Nov. 5, 2022) – The No. 3-seeded University of South Florida men’s soccer team returns to the Corbett Stadium pitch on Sunday night to face sixth-seeded Charlotte in the first round of the American Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. and the match can be seen live on ESPN+.
The winner of the Bulls and 49ers matchup will face No. 2-seeded SMU on Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. in the AAC semifinals at the FIU Soccer Stadium in Miami.
South Florida, who eliminated Central Florida from AAC Tournament contention on Wednesday night in Orlando, 2-1, has won three-straight matches and is unbeaten on nine of the last 11 contests (6-2-3), making them one of the hottest teams in collegiate soccer.
The Green and Gold is 8-5 all-time in the AAC Tournament and has played in the semifinals five times (2019, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013) and played in the title match three times (2016, 2014, 2013). The Bulls lifted the inaugural American Athletic Conference Tournament trophy in 2013 as a five-seed defeating second-seeded UConn on penalty kicks (6-5).
Oscar Resano (4g) and Ajmeer Spengler (3g, 2a) lead the team in points with eight each. They are followed by Alfred Perez (2g, 1a), (Brian Schaefer (2g, 1a), Marcus Victorio (1g, 3a) and Shion Soga (1g, 3a) who are all tied for third in scoring with five points apiece.
MATCH 16 | SUN. NOV. 6, 2022 | 6 P.M. | CORBETT STADIUM, TAMPA, FLA.
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USF BULLS | 6-5-4
Last Game: Nov. 2 at UCF, W, 2-1
Next Game: vs. No. 2-Seed SMU, Nov. 10, 7 p.m. (if nec.)
Head Coach: Bob Butehorn
Career Record: 170-137-41 (20th season)
At USF: 40-39-13 (Sixth season)
Charlotte 49ers | 9-4-2
Last Game: Nov. 2 vs. Temple, W, 5-1
Next Game: vs. No. 2-Seed SMU, Nov. 10, 7 p.m. (if nec.)
Head Coach: Kevin Langan
Career Record: 123-52-28 (11th season)
At Charlotte: Same
THE SERIES VS. CHARLOTTE
– South Florida and Charlotte meet for the second time this season after an 18-year hiatus …The Bulls lead the all-time series 15-10-2 and are 8-3-1 in matches played in Tampa.
– The last match against Charlotte was on Oct. 25 when the Bulls scored the winning goal in the 89’ to upset the No. 22/14-ranked 49ers.
A LOOK AT THE 49ERS
– The 49ers paved their way to the conference tournament with a 5-1 win over Temple on Nov. 2 and won the tiebreaker against Florida Atlantic by way of goal differential.
– Kameron Lacey leads the 49ers with 24 points (9g,6a) … Filip Jauk (6g, 2a) and Alex Willis (5g, 4a) each have 14 points.
LAST TIME OUT
– The Bulls extended their win streak to three matches with a 2-1 at Central Florida on Wednesday night … This was the final American Athletic Conference edition of the War on I-4.
– Keeping the trend with the past two wins, scoring did not happen till after the first 60 minutes of the match … After a shot that sailed past the crossbar, Julio Plata scored his first career goal in the 59’.
– Gabrielle Privitera got the game-winner in the 70’ off a turnover that would put the Bulls up, 2-0 … The Knights converted a penalty kick in the 84’ but fell short of their comeback.
A LOOK AHEAD
– The winner of the South Florida-Charlotte match will meet second-seeded SMU in the AAC semifinals on Nov. 10 at FIU in Miami … Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. (ESPN+).
CATCH THE BULLS ON BULLS UNLIMITED
– All of USF’s home regular-season matches will be streamed live on the ESPN+ platform … The American Athletic Conference and ESPN began a new 12-year television rights agreement which started in 2020-21 … Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app are $6.99 monthly or $69.99 annually and can be packaged with Hulu and Disney+ streaming services.
– In addition, all home matches this season will be broadcast live on USF Bulls Unlimited, with Darek Sharp on the call. Bulls Unlimited is available via the free Tune In app (search “Bulls Unlimited’’) and provides static-free quality whether you’re listening on your streaming device, laptop or desktop.
Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls or at Ticketmaster.
All home matches this season will be broadcast live on USF Bulls Unlimited, with Darek Sharp on the call. Bulls Unlimited is available via the free Tune In app (search “Bulls Unlimited”) and provides static-free quality whether you’re listening on your streaming device, laptop or desktop.
In addition to Bulls Unlimited, all of South Florida’s home regular season matches will be streamed live on the ESPN+ platform. Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app are $6.99 monthly or $69.99 annually and can be packaged with Hulu and Disney+ streaming services. A step-by-step guide for subscribing to ESPN+ is located here.
About USF Men’s Soccer
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF Men’s Soccer news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
USF Men’s Soccer competed in the school’s first ever intercollegiate athletic contest on Sept. 25, 1965, beating Florida Southern 4-3. Since then, the oldest program on campus has built a winning tradition, claiming 14 conference championships and making 21 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 3 trips to the elite eight.
The program also has a strong reputation within the professional game and boasts 29 MLS draft picks. Notable alumni include two-time MLS Golden Boot winner Jeff Cunningham, USA 1994 World Cup star Roy Wegerle, and 2013 MLS Cup winner Dom Dwyer.
The Bulls have advanced to the postseason in 18 of the past 20 years, including 12 NCAA Tournament appearances during that period.
The University of South Florida men’s soccer team was well represented on the AAC postseason All-Conference Team in 2021 with four players earning honors. Highlighting the Bulls’ honorees was the American Athletic Conference Co-Goalkeeper of the Year, Kazuna Takase, along with first-team selection Shion Soga. In addition, Takase was also selected to the All-Conference Second Team along with Salvatore Mazzaferro, and Josh Gomina was named to the AAC All-Rookie Team.
–#GoBulls –
