Recap: Pirates Take Down FIU 1-0 in Men's Soccer Season Opener

Published: Friday, August 23, 2024

by CJ Weipz

MIAMI — Seton Hall (1-0-0) secured a 1-0 victory over Florida International (0-1-0) in their season opener on the road. Agustin Resch scored the lone goal off a corner kick from Virgil Dall’Agnol in the 59th minute, propelling the Pirates to a win.

The match began with Seton Hall on the defensive, as Florida International's preseason AAC Offensive Player of the Year, Eduardo Mustre, an aggressive attack. The Panthers suffocated the Pirate defense early on, not allowing the ball to cross into their own defensive half. Mustre, along with wingers Nicolas Villalobos and Michael Appiah, frequently challenged the Pirates' defense, creating numerous scoring opportunities.

Early in the match, Seton Hall struggled with their discipline, committing five fouls and earning a yellow card for Jared Smith just six minutes in. Despite these miscues, the excellent defensive efforts of Liam Guske and Rikard Cederberg kept the Panthers off the board. 

After a rocky start, Andreas Lindberg’s squad began to settle in and assert themselves, creating more offensive chances. The Pirates created numbers on the sidelines, playing quick combinations that covered a lot of ground at a time. Tim Strobeck and Mans Saebbo played key roles in generating attacks, making the Seton Hall offense more dynamic and dangerous.

The first half ended without any goals but featured some late fireworks, as late yellow cards were called for Cederberg and Jack Kossoudji in the final 10 minutes. Florida International's Nigel Van Havernen was instrumental in the net as he smothered the Pirates’ scoring opportunities. The sophomore goalkeeper made incredible saves against a header from Jared Smith and a powerful shot from Strobeck. 

After the halftime break, the Pirates took control. They dictated the pace and put immense pressure on the Panthers, which led to many scoring chances. It didn’t take long for their patience and persistence to pay off. They finally found the net in the 59th minute, when Dall’Agnol curled a corner kick to Agustin Resch, who headed the ball into the nylon for the match’s only goal. It was Resch’s second goal in his Pirates career, with his first occurring in last season’s match against Villanova.

From there, the Pirates' defense was in the driver’s seat. For the remainder of the match, they wore down the Panthers, who used few substitutes, even with the sweltering Miami heat playing a role in the match. Matias Molina recorded three saves for the Pirates, while the team ended the night with 12 shots, including nine on goal.

Under coach Andreas Lindberg, Seton Hall remains undefeated in season openers, now holding a 5-0-2 record over the past seven years. The Pirates will host UAlbany in their home opener on Thursday, Aug. 29 at Owen T. Carroll Field in South Orange, N.J. 

CJ Weipz can be reached at christopher.weipz@student.shu.edu 

 

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