TAMPA, Fla- The FIU men's soccer program dropped its conference opener Friday night, losing to AAC foe South Florida in a 1-0 contest.
 
Both teams battled in the 90 minutes of action, yet South Florida delievered the game-winner with just mere seconds left in the first half on a header inside the box off a set piece to earn the victory to begin American Athletic Conference play.
 
FIU mounted pressure in the second half, registering three shots, but was unable to find the equalizer on the road in Tampa, suffering their fourth loss of the season.
 
In a match marked by defensive efforts, both teams combined for 15 shots, with FIU accounting for five. Midfielder Diego Castillo led FIU's attack with three shots, including two on target, while senior Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro added two more attempts.
 
Goalkeeper Nigel Van Haveren posted two saves - bringing his season total to 36, the highest in the American Athletic Conference.
 
UP NEXT
FIU will close out the road trip taking on the SMU Mustangs for non-conference action on Wednesday, Sept. 25. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET and can be streamed on ACC Network Extra.

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