‘It can’t be any more intense.’ UK and U of L set to face off in men’s soccer.
When the University of Kentucky men’s soccer team hosts Louisville at the Bell Soccer Complex in Lexington on Monday, it won’t be merely yet another battle between athletics programs at two rival schools. There’s a very real chance the matchup could represent the only meeting between the Kentucky and Louisville programs during this academic year.
The coronavirus pandemic has already cost players and fans a number of rivalry games between the Wildcats and Cardinals. Kentucky and Louisville will not play in football this season, as the Southeastern Conference has limited its teams to a league-only schedule. Matchups between the schools in women’s soccer and volleyball have also been canceled.
While no decisions have been declared about whether the Cats and Cards will face off in men’s and women’s basketball or spring sports such as baseball and softball, those meetings appear to be very much in jeopardy.
The one thing we do know: The Kentucky-Louisville rivalry will be renewed on the soccer pitch and UK Coach Johan Cedergren, who’s in his ninth year at the helm, said the Wildcats need no extra incentive to motivate themselves for the matchup.
“As soon as you step across the line and you put the UK uniform on you understand the rivalry. Even the freshman learn quickly how much of a big deal this game is,” Cedergren told the Herald-Leader in a phone interview. “They beat us 3-0 last year, we beat them 3-0 the year before. They’re incredibly competitive games. We’re very fortunate to have two such good men’s soccer programs in the state, so every time it’s one of the games that you really look forward to.”
Asked if Monday’s match carried extra weight for his players because it could turn out to be the only meeting between UK and U of L programs this year, Cedergren said, “No, I don’t think it can really get any more heightened.
“Two years ago when we beat them here I’m sure as soon as that game finished one of the things they talked about was, ‘We can’t let that happen again.’ Last year when they beat us at their place, that was one of the low-lights of my career so far here at Kentucky. We want to make sure we do better.”
After Monday’s match, the Wildcats will have completed nearly half of their unusual seven-game fall schedule. Conference USA, of which UK is part in men’s soccer, has postponed league play until spring of 2021. Cedergren said UK’s fall slate, and the match with Louisville in particular, will play a pivotal role in the team’s push to position itself for the NCAA Tournament, which has also been moved back to spring.
The NCAA has reduced the number of at-large bids for the tournament from 24 to 12, adding more importance to non-conference matchups. Cedergren hopes the Wildcats can continue padding their résumé with a victory against the Cardinals.
“It’s going to be a very competitive game and both teams want desperately to win because it’s going to be used (to determine) an at-large selection (to the NCAA Tournament) potentially in the spring and also used in recruiting,” Cedergren said. “So it’s a very important game on many levels. It can’t be any more intense.”
The Wildcats enter the matchup with a 1-1 record. They dropped the first match of the season at Notre Dame 1-0 before bouncing back with a 4-2 victory over Duke in last week’s home opener.
“Usually you play two scrimmages before you play a game that counts. Not having any scrimmages, I think you could tell that we were a little rusty against Notre Dame,” Cedergren said. “But I think we learned a lot of lessons in that game and we did much better against Duke.”
Though the Cats got a taste of what it’s like to play a big game in an empty stadium during those first two tilts, Cedergren said it will be especially unusual to face the Cardinals in an environment void of fans.
“It’s definitely going to be strange to play Louisville with no fans. It’s always a fun environment,” Cedergren said. “But I’d rather play in front of no fans than not play them at all.”
Kentucky brings some heavy hitters into Monday’s match, including reigning Conference USA Player of the Year Aimé Mabika and first-team all-conference honoree Kalil ElMedkhar. Daniel Evans, Marcel Meinzer and goalkeeper Enrique Facusse are coming off seasons in which they earned second-team all-conference honors.
Kentucky had its best season under Cedergren in 2018 when the Wildcats went 19-2-1 and made a run to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Cedergren said this year’s Cats compare favorably to that squad.
“We have a really, really good team,” Cedergran said. “2018 was the best year we’ve had since I’ve been here and I think this is a team that could match them.”
Louisville enters the match off a season-opening 3-1 loss at home to 2019 national semifinalist Wake Forest. The Cardinals were predicted to finish fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference North Region by the league’s coaches. The program faced a bit of upheaval in early August when three players were dismissed from the team over their roles in hosting an off-campus party that led to a COVID-19 outbreak among the school’s athletics programs.
Monday
Louisville at Kentucky
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Bell Complex (no spectators)
Streaming: ESPN3
