South Florida Men’s Soccer Earns First Win Under Head Coach George Kiefer in New Tenure

Sunday, August 23

Tampa, FL

8:00 p.m.

University of South Florida

1-1-0, 0-0-0

West Florida

0-2-0, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
West Florida	0	1	1
South Fla.	2	1	3

Photo by: Emmy McCarthy / University of South Florida Athletics

South Florida Men’s Soccer Earns First Win Under Head Coach George Kiefer in New Tenure

August 23, 2026 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Bulls defeated West Florida 3-1 in the first-ever matchup between the two squads in program history

By: Clark Stanton

TAMPA, Fla. (August 23, 2026) – The University of South Florida men's soccer team earned its first victory under Head Coach George Kiefer since his return to Tampa, following his previous tenure from 2002-16. The Bulls (1-1-0) defeated the West Florida Argonauts (0-2-0) in the first-ever matchup between the two squads, 3-1.

Scoring started for South Florida in the 10th minute of the match, when Dominic Wilson struck the ball with his right foot into the back of the net for his first goal of the year. Wilson was assisted by Tyler Richardson for Richardson's second assist of the season. He leads the team through the first two matches.

The second goal for the Bulls came in the 33rd minute, when Pedro Faife slotted the ball to the bottom right of the goal with his right foot. Faife was assisted by Gianluca Vecchiarelli for the first assist of his collegiate career and the year.

South Florida took a three-goal lead in the 45th minute, starting off the second half of the match. Matheo Becerra recorded his first collegiate goal, and first of the season, to the bottom left of the net. Becerra was assisted by Jakob Auby and Giovanni Cadore for both of their first assists of the year.

West Florida recorded its only goal of the match in the 65th minute, scored by Jip Van Den Essen, his first of the year. Miller Thorsen assisted Essen for his first of the year for the Argonauts.

Alexis Martin played all 90 minutes in goal for South Florida, making six saves. Micah Harris, Luka Zujovic, and Pedro Faife were the only remaining players to play the full 90 minutes.

Note-A-Bulls:

This is the first South Florida victory under George Kiefer since his last tenure from 2002-2016.
Tyler Richardson earned his second assist of the season and leads the team.
Matheo Becerra scored his first collegiate goal.
Dominic Wilson and Pedro Faife earned their first goals of the year.
Gianluca Vecchiarelli and Giovanni Cadore recorded their first collegiate assists.
Jakob Auby earned his first assist of the season.
Alexis Martin played all 90 minutes in goal, making six saves.
South Florida now leads the all-time series 1-0.

UP NEXT
The Bulls head on the road for the first time of the 2026 season, and head to Orlando to face UCF in the War on I-4. The match is scheduled for Friday, August 28th, with first kick at 7:00 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

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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.