Led by their ‘shark,’ FIU soccer team is ‘hungry’ for more success this season

FIU forward Eduardo “Lalo” Mustre’s signature celebration after scoring a goal is to put his hands together, as if praying, above his head to simulate a shark fin.

“Lalo sees himself as a shark, hunting in the water,” FIU coach Kyle Russell said. “He’s always looking to eat.”

In the soccer context, “eat” is scoring a goal, something Mustre did 11 times in 19 matches last year.

That was the most goals by an FIU player since 2018, and it earned him first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors.

A native of Mexico, Mustre was second in the AAC in goals, and he also led the Panthers in points (24) and shots (58).

He powered FIU to its third straight double-digit-win season (10-5-4) and its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Panthers beat visiting Mercer 1-0 in the first round before falling to host Virginia 2-1 in overtime in the second round.

Still, the Panthers are one of just 10 men’s soccer teams in the nation with an active streak of three straight advancements to the NCAA’s second round or better.

This year, the Panthers – a bit surprisingly – are not ranked among the nation’s top-25 teams in any of the preseason polls.

And, despite leading the AAC’s preseason all-star team with four players making the squad, the Panthers are picked to finish just second, behind Charlotte.

Not that this bothers the Panthers, who will start their 2024 season on Thursday against visiting Seton Hall.

“We love it when we’re not picked first,” Russell said. “We do better when we’re the hunters instead of being hunted.”

Mustre, who is the AAC’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, is flanked up front by Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro on the left and Michael Appiah on the right.

Dos Santos Monteiro, who is from Portugal, is a fourth-year starter. He had seven goals as a true freshman in 2021, and he added six in each of the past two seasons.

“He has modeled his game after (Portugal superstar) Cristiano Ronaldo,” Russell said.

Appiah, who is from Ghana, scored nine goals at an Arizona junior college in 2021, and he added 17 goals at an Oregon NAIA school the next year. Last season, he was injured and played just three games for FIU.

“’Mikey’ is grabbing a lot of attention this fall because of his speed,” Russell said. “He was an All-American at his two previous levels.”

In the midfield, Russell said he can’t stop smiling when talking about Nicolas Villalobos, a Miamian who played two years at Barry University, earning honors as the Sunshine State Conference’s Freshman of the Year in 2022.

“He is a blue-collar diamond in the rough,” Russell said. “He’s not afraid to do the dirty work as an attacking midfielder.”

Of the four FIU players who made the AAC’s preseason first team, two are on offense (Mustre and Dos Santos Monteiro). The other two are on defense – Joao Domingues of Portugal and Owen Travis of Georgia.

Travis led FIU in minutes played last year.

“He’s a rock for us,” Russell said. “He’s one of the most special athletes I’ve ever coached. I think he could’ve played a variety of sports in college, and I believe he will get drafted by the MLS after this season.”

Domingues, a left-footed left back, scored FIU’s lone goal against Virginia in last year’s NCAA Tournament.

“He plays like he has three lungs,” Russell said. “He can run for days, and he is majoring in Engineering … very smart. I think he’s the best left back in our league.”

FIU has 13 newcomers on the roster, including the aforementioned Villalobos as well as Nigel Van Haveren, a 6-foot-7 goalie from Holland.

Van Haveren is so good that his stint at FIU may only last two years before he turns pro.

Russell said he’s never coached anyone as tall as Van Haveren.

“He has to duck when he comes into my office, and that’s a good sign,” Russell said. “Nigel is also highly athletic.”

When told that Van Haveren is built like an NFL wide receiver or tight end, Russell joked:

“I have to make sure to keep him away from ‘Mac’ (FIU football coach Mike MacIntyre).”

As for the overall outlook of the Panthers, consider that this is Russell’s fifth season at FIU, and he has recruited every player on this roster.

That continuity shows with the Panthers’ success on the field and in recruiting.

“We no longer have to persuade anybody to come here,” Russell said. “They know what they’re getting into, and our standards are higher than ever before.”