South Florida Men’s Soccer Falls to Winthrop in Opening Match of 2026 Season

Thursday, August 20

Tampa, FL

7:00 PM

University of South Florida

0-1-0, 0-0-0

Winthrop

1-0-0, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Winthrop	0	2	2
South Fla.	0	1	1

Photo by: Emmy McCarthy / University of South Florida Athletics

South Florida Men’s Soccer Falls to Winthrop in Opening Match of 2026 Season

August 20, 2026 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Bulls lose 2-1, with a late goal from Jakob Auby assisted by Tyler Richardson

By: Clark Stanton

TAMPA, Fla. (August 20, 2026) – The University of South Florida men's soccer team was defeated in its first match of the season against Winthrop. The Bulls (0-1-0) fell to the Eagles (1-0-0) 2-1 in full time.

After a scoreless first half, Winthrop got on the board first with a goal by Jorge Perez, assisted by Teo Jelaca, in the 62nd minute of the match. The Eagles extended their lead in the 81st minute with a goal from Shion Hayashi on a penalty kick, after he was fouled by Jakob Auby.

Auby scored the Bulls' goal in the 86th minute, assisted by Tyler Richardson. He struck a header into the top right of the net. Despite South Florida's 11 shots and four shots on goal, the score would remain 2-1 in favor of the Eagles for the remainder of the match.

There was a total of eight yellow cards in full time. Five were charged to Winthrop, three to South Florida. The all-time series is now tied 1-1, with both teams winning on the road. The Bulls defeated the Eagles 3-1 in 1980 in Rock Hill, S.C., for the first win of the series.

Alexis Martin played all 90 minutes in goal for South Florida, making two saves. Micah Harris, Pedro Faife, and Tyler Richardson were the only other Bulls to play full time.

Note-A-Bulls:

Jakob Auby scored the first goal for the Bulls in the 2026 season.
Tyler Richardson earned the first assist for the Bulls in 2026.
Alexis Martin played all 90 minutes in goal, making two saves.
The all-time series is now tied 1-1, with both teams winning on the road.

UP NEXT
The Bulls stay at home for their second match of the season on Sunday, August 23, against West Florida. It will be the first meeting between the two squads. The match will begin after a women's soccer match that kicks off at 4:00 vs. UCF. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

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Call 1-800-GO-BULLS (1-800-462-8557) or email BullsTickets@usf.edu to claim your season or single-game tickets. You can also download the South Florida Bulls app on the Android or Apple stores to purchase tickets and parking. Visit USFBullsTix.com for more information.

About South Florida Men's Soccer
The oldest varsity athletic program at South Florida, men's soccer competed in the school's first-ever intercollegiate athletic contest on Sept. 25, 1965, beating Florida Southern 4-3.

The Bulls have claimed 14 conference championships and made 22 NCAA Tournament appearances, including three trips to the Elite Eight. The program boasts 31 MLS draft picks, including two-time MLS Golden Boot winner Jeff Cunningham, 1994 World Cup Team USA star Roy Wegerle, and 2013 MLS Cup winner Dom Dwyer. Three men's soccer alumni and one coach have been inducted into the South Florida Athletics Hall of Fame: Fergus Hopper, Jeff Attinella, Jeff Cunningham & Dan Holcomb.

On Dec. 10, 2025, head coach George Kiefer was hired for his second tenure at South Florida. Kiefer previously led the Bulls from 2002-16, compiling one of the most successful stretches in program history as the Bulls went 162-86-51 (.627), earned four conference championships, and made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. Under Kiefer, South Florida advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2008 and 2011. His six NCAA Tournament victories remain the most in program history, and his win total ranks second all-time among South Florida head coaches.