MIAMI – The FIU men's soccer team looks to build on its hot start to the season when it hosts Creighton on Sunday at Leyva Family Field at FIU Soccer Stadium.
Sunday Aug. 24 vs Creighton (0-1)
- Time / Site: 7 p.m. ET at Leyva Family Field at FIU Soccer Stadium
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- Presented by Baptist Health, The Official Sports Medicine Provider of FIU Athletics
The Panthers (1-0-0) opened the 2025 campaign in emphatic fashion Thursday night, rallying for four unanswered goals in the second half to secure a 4-1 victory over Omaha. Senior
Eduardo Mustre led the charge with his fourth career multi-goal performance, including the game-winner — the sixth of his career.
The win marked FIU's first season-opening victory since Aug. 24, 2023, when Mustre also delivered a brace in a 2-1 win over (RV) Oregon State.
FIU has now gone unbeaten in its last 25 matches when scoring two or more goals, a streak dating back to Aug. 25, 2022.
The four-goal outburst also marked the program's most goals in a half since Sept. 21, 2021 (5) vs Jacksonville, and the most in a second half since Oct. 14, 2023, in a 5-1 win over Saint Mary', tallying four goals .
Newcomer
Pasquale Capriati tallied the equalizer in the win, while senior
Enrique Mutsoli capped the scoring with a late strike. Barry transfer
Scott Neil impressed in his Panther debut, dishing out three assists, including both on Mustre's goals. It marks the most assists in a single game since Sept. 23, 2022 vs SMU when Julian Hodek added with three.
Redshirt freshman
Diego Sanchez and senior
Nicolas Villalobos also added helpers.
Graduate captain
Owen Travis, returning from injury, anchored the defense with a full 90-minute effort, while goalkeeper
Nigel Van Haveren recorded two saves.
Following the match, FIU will venture for a pivotal two-game road swing, beginning on Friday, Aug. 29 vs No. 14 NC State in Raleigh, N.C. before facing South Carolina on Tuesday, Sept. 2 on the road.
WHAT'S BACK
Head Coach
Kyle Russell, in his sixth season at the helm, leads a veteran squad anchored by Preseason All-Conference honorees João Domingues, Mustre, and Travis. Mustre finished 2024 with five goals — four in the final four matches — and looks primed for a breakout year. Travis, who logged a team-high 1,698 minutes in 2023 before missing last season due to injury, brings leadership and stability to the backline.
Additional experience comes from Belgian defender
Emmanuel Gore Bi, German senior
Jesse Addae Osei, and transfer midfielder
Damian McGregor-Wickham (Presbyterian). Swiss freshman
Emilio Maldonado Frei brings over 2,000 academy minutes of midfield experience, while defenders
Dohyun Koh (Pima CC),
Alfonso Gilleard Soriano (Harford CC), sophomore
Leonardo Consoloni (American International), and freshman
Lukas Pareja add depth. Junior goalkeeper
Florian Grollmann (Academy of Arts) rounds out the group.
HISTORY WITH CREIGHTON
Sunday marks the fourth all-time meeting between FIU and Creighton, and the second in Miami. The Panthers earned a 4-1 win on Sept. 28, 1991, while the Bluejays took matchups in 1992 and 1998.
SCOUTING THE BLUE JAYS
Creighton (0-1-0) dropped its season opener Thursday night, falling 3-0 to Florida Atlantic. The Bluejays finished 2024 with a 9-6-3 record, including a 4-3-1 mark in Big East play. This year's squad features a heavy dose of youth, with 12 freshmen.
Picked to finish second in the Big East's Midwest Division, Creighton is led by junior Miguel Arilla, who tallied four goals and seven assists last season. Goalkeeper Matthew Hudson made one save while playing the full 90 minutes in the opener.
UP NEXT
FIU heads to Raleigh, N.C. to take on No. 14 NC State on Friday, Aug. 29. It will bw streamed live on ACC Network Extra at 6 p.m.
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BAPTIST HEALTH
The 2025 season is presented by Baptist Health, The Official Sports Medicine Provider of FIU Athletics
SOCIAL MEDIA
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