MIAMI, FL – In the first half, the Omaha Mavericks were in full control, denying the Panthers any opportunities on the offensive side of the ball. Just like that, FIU Men’s Soccer flips the script in the second half on Omaha, scoring four unanswered goals, led by Eduardo “Lalo” Mustre to open the season with a 4-1 win.
Starting Off The Season Right
Thursday’s win marked FIU’s first season-opening victory since Aug. 24, 2023, when the Panthers defeated (RV) Oregon State, 2-1. It also marked the most amount of goals FIU has scored in a season-opening game since 2021, when they defeated UCF by a final score of 4-0.
time to sing the song 🎶 pic.twitter.com/XPVhcoPCX3
— FIU Men's Soccer (@FIUMensSoccer) August 22, 2025
“We had three or four chances inside in an 18-yard box that went over the bar and wide. We could’ve been up 3-0 in the first half,” said head coach Kyle Russell following the match. “Omaha’s a good team and they’re gonna make us earn it, so a lot of respect for the coaches in the program.”
“Our guys were also really excited to play and I think we allowed that excitement to get the best of us and then we had that error that led to a PK, which led to a goal. It affected us emotionally and we had to regroup at halftime. We got the boys locked in, made a couple of personnel and tactical adjustments and the guys came out flying.”
First Half of Struggles
FIU had seven shots in the first half of action, but it wasn’t enough as they were shut out by Omaha. In the 23rd minute of action, Omaha drew a PK.
Bradley Takamo scored the goal on the bottom left end of the net, giving the Mavericks a 1-0 lead. After that, FIU wasn’t able to get much going and in reality, it was the same case with Omaha. Going into the half, FIU trailed, 1-0.
A Healthy Lalo Mustre is a Good Thing
Eduardo Mustre (#9), who only played in ten games last season, is now fully healthy and it certainly showed. On Thursday night, he led the Panthers with seven shots.
After FIU tied the game with a goal from Pasquale Capriati in the 60th minute, Mustre in the 69th minute was assisted by Scott Neli and Nicholas Villalobos for a header in top right of goal, giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead. Just a minute later, Mustre had his second goal of the game, on the bottom center of the goal. It marked Mustre’s fourth career multi-goal effort, giving FIU a commanding 3-1 lead.
just finsanity rn https://t.co/bOqPWzbhtx pic.twitter.com/rS5SjhyDek
— FIU Men's Soccer (@FIUMensSoccer) August 22, 2025
“A healthy Lalo is massive,” said head coach Kyle Russell following the game. “He’s a leader, high character, a workhorse, rides challenges, beats guys in behind, beats them on both feet and Lalo Mustre should be playing at the next level. Any blog, draft board or Instagram post that he’s not on is clueless.”
Welcome Back Owen Travis
After missing the entire 2024 season due to injury, graduate student Owen Travis returned to action and was the only player to log a full 90 minutes on Thursday night. “He was fantastic,” Russell said. “He’s another captain of ours. He’s an absolute beast, warrior, the heartbeat of our backline.”
In the second half, Travis and that backline limited Omaha to just two shots and shut them out, while FIU put the pressure on the Mavericks, going out for 12 shots in the second half of action.
What’s Next?
FIU will remain home as they welcome Creighton on Sunday, August 24th at 7:00 pm. This will mark the first matchup in program history between these two programs.
About Post Author
More Stories
Liberty Defeats Panthers After Being Down to Its Last Strike
Liberty Defeats Panthers in Series Opener
FIU and UM Players to Participate in Portsmouth Invitational