The 10th-ranked University of Louisville men’s soccer team opens up ACC play on Saturday evening with a visit from seventh-ranked Duke. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium and will be televised on ACC Network Extra.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
Louisville suffered its first defeat of the season on Tuesday night, dropping a 3-2 decision at fifth-ranked Kentucky. Josh Jones netted his first goal of the season in the 11th minute, while Damien Barker John tallied his first collegiate goal in the second half.
The Cardinals are 5-1-2 in ACC openers since joining the league in 2014. Louisville secured a 3-0 victory over No. 25 Wake Forest in the 2021 ACC opener.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville and Duke will meet for the ninth time on Friday night with the Cardinals holding a 5-2-1 all-time advantage. UofL had its four-match winning streak over the Blue Devils snapped last season in a 3-1 loss in Durham.
Saturday night will mark the fourth consecutive meeting in which both teams are ranked in the top 15. No. 4 Duke beat No. 14 Louisville last season, while No. 7 Louisville downed No. 2 Duke 3-0 in 2018, and No. 8 Louisville defeated 12th-ranked Duke 1-0 in Durham in 2017.
LOUISVILLE SPREADING THE WEALTH OFFENSIVELY
The Cardinals have found the net 10 times through the first four matches and the offensive output has come from a multitude of players.
Through four matches, eight different Cardinals have scored and 12 have recorded either a goal or an assist.
Seventeen different Cardinals registered at least one point during the 2021 season.
ROED WORKING AS SET PIECE SPECIALIST FOR CARDS
Sophomore Sander Roed made an immediate impact when he stepped on campus last year for the Cardinals. The midfielder started 16 of 18 matches and was the first Louisville freshman to earn All-Conference honors since 2014.
Since arriving, Roed has made one of his largest impacts as the set piece taker for the Cards. Roed tallied five assists during his freshman season, three of which came off set pieces (two free kicks, one corner). He has already added two more here in 2022, connecting with Brandon McManus on a corner kick for the second tally against Bellarmine and again with Josh Jones for the first goal at Kentucky.
Four of Louisville’s 10 goals this season have come off corner kicks.
LOUISVILLE FRESHMEN MAKING EARLY IMPACT IN 2022
John Michael Hayden and the Louisville coaching staff added another top 25 recruiting class this summer. The group included eight freshmen, several of which have already seen extensive playing time through three matches.
Quinton Elliot and Filip Fredhall have started each of the first four matches at outside back, while Damien Barker John and Konstantinos Georgallides have started two matches apiece on the right wing.
Barker John is tied for the team lead with 10 shots taken, while Georgallides is second with four points. Georgallides scored the tying goal against Seattle and later assisted on the game-winner.
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| STEPHEN WILLIAMS |