OMAHA, Neb. – FIU men's soccer closes out its season-opening road trip Sunday evening, taking on the Omaha Mavericks at 8 p.m. at Caniglia Field.

Sunday, Aug. 23 at Omaha (1-0)

• Time / Site: 8 p.m. ET at Caniglia Field
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• Presented by Baptist Health, The Official Sports Medicine Provider of FIU Athletics

The Panthers (0-1) return to the pitch after dropping their season opener Thursday, Aug. 20, to the Creighton Bluejays, 6-2.

FIU will close out its Omaha road trip Sunday before returning home Thursday, Aug. 27, for a pivotal home-opening clash against No. 2 NC State, the 2025 NCAA Championship runner-up.

Game Preview
Sunday marks the first time since 2021 that the Panthers have opened a season with their first two matches on the road. FIU opened the 2021 campaign with road contests against UCF and FGCU.

In Thursday's contest, forwards Santi Possu and Pasquale Capriati netted the lone goals for the Panthers. Possu recorded FIU's first goal of the season in the 71st minute off a cross from Johan Helan, with Benjamin Watt also credited with an assist. Capriati added his first goal of the season in the closing minutes, tapping in a Jad Benjelloun assist from inside the box.

For Capriati, the goal marked his second consecutive season scoring in the opener. He also found the back of the net in FIU's 4-1 victory over Omaha on Aug. 21 to open the 2025 campaign.

The Panthers recorded 11 shots as a team in the contest, while goalkeeper Nigel Van Haveren made three saves to begin his third season with FIU. Mats Vogel and Michele Ballanti each played the full 90 minutes on the backline.

Scouting the Mavericks
Omaha enters Sunday's contest with a 1-0 record following a 4-2 victory over Eastern Illinois on Thursday, Aug. 20.

The Mavericks trailed 2-0 before scoring four unanswered goals to stage the comeback in their season-opening victory. Four different Mavericks found the back of the net, including Amari Fowlkes, who recorded a goal and an assist. Goalkeeper Kamy Ndione made two saves in the victory.

Omaha welcomes 19 newcomers to the program after finishing the 2025 season with a 3-9-4 record. In the Summit League preseason poll, the Mavericks were selected to finish fifth in the standings, while Simon Guardiero and Brett Perkins were named to the league's Players to Watch list.

Match Notes
Sunday's match marks the third meeting between FIU and Omaha, with the Panthers holding a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams last met in August 2025, when FIU earned a 4-1 victory at home. After conceding an early goal to Omaha, the Panthers responded with four unanswered goals, including a tally from Pasquale Capriati.

FIU and Omaha previously met in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament, where the Panthers earned a 2-0 victory. Sunday's contest will mark the first time FIU faces Omaha on the Mavericks' home field.

Up Next
FIU returns to Miami for the home opener on Thursday, Aug. 27 facing off with No. 2 ranked NC State at 7 PM from Leyva Family Field. It will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Baptist Health
The 2026 FIU men's soccer season is presented by Baptist Health, The Official Sports Medicine Provider of FIU Athletics

Social Media
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Instagram (@FIUMSoccer), Twitter (@FIUMensSoccer), and Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUMensSoccer) for all the latest Men's Soccer news
 
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