Bantams Opens Season With Road Shutouts
The USC Union Bantams have opened the 2026 soccer season with two impressive road victories, outscoring their opponents 6–0 in their first two matches.
USC Union opened the season Aug. 20 with a 2–0 victory over Erskine in Due West before returning to Spartanburg on Aug. 28 to defeat USC Upstate Development 4–0.
The Bantams have been strong on both ends of the field, combining timely scoring with solid defensive play to post consecutive shutouts.
Bantams Defeat Erskine in Season Opener
USC Union opened the 2026 season Aug. 20 with a 2–0 road victory over Erskine in Due West.
The Bantams broke through in the 30th minute when a team goal, assisted by Henry Poole, gave USC Union a 1–0 advantage.
Union carried the lead into halftime before adding an insurance goal in the 70th minute. Defender Sam Carbannier found the back of the net off an assist from Nico Deiringer to give the Bantams a 2–0 lead.
The USC Union defense took care of the rest, keeping Erskine off the scoreboard for the remainder of the match.
The Bantams also split time in goal, with Salim Janna playing the opening 45 minutes and Pau Manso taking over for the second half.
The victory gave USC Union a strong start to the season and a clean sheet on the road.
Bantams Roll Past USC Upstate Development
USC Union continued its strong start Aug. 28 with a convincing 4–0 victory over USC Upstate Development in Spartanburg.
The Bantams wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. Valerio Cuseina scored just two minutes into the match off an assist from Isael Antonio to give Union an early 1–0 lead.
USC Union doubled its advantage in the 24th minute when Nico Deiringer converted a scoring opportunity set up by Ethan Blake. The Bantams took a 2–0 lead into halftime.
The second half belonged to Union as well.
Massimo Rossi extended the lead to 3–0 in the 54th minute, with Antonio recording his second assist of the match.
Cuseina capped the scoring in the 66th minute, scoring his second goal of the afternoon on an assist from Henry Poole to give the Bantams the 4–0 victory.
Cuseina led the USC Union attack with two goals, while Antonio finished with two assists. Deiringer and Rossi each added a goal, while Blake and Poole contributed an assist apiece.
The Bantams also turned in another strong defensive performance, posting their second consecutive shutout.
Manso played the first 65 minutes in goal and recorded two saves before Khairi Richardson took over for the final 25 minutes and added a save of his own.
USC Union did receive three second-half cautions. Sam Carbonnier was cautioned in the 55th minute, Blake in the 63rd minute and Deiringer in the 72nd minute.
With two road victories and back-to-back shutouts, USC Union has made an early statement in the 2026 season.
The Bantams have received contributions throughout the lineup, with Cuseina, Deiringer and Rossi providing the scoring and Antonio, Blake, Poole and Deiringer helping create opportunities.
Just as important has been the play in goal and across the back line. USC Union has yet to allow a goal through its first two matches, giving the Bantams a 6–0 scoring advantage to begin the season.
The Bantams will look to carry that momentum into their upcoming schedule as they continue their 2026 campaign.
USC Union 1-1 Draw at Coker
USC Union opened its 2026 men’s soccer season Monday night, Aug. 31, with a 1-1 draw against Coker Dev. at Coker University.
The Bantams controlled much of the match and generated the majority of the offensive opportunities, but Coker Dev. rallied in the second half to earn a share of the result.
USC Union struck first in the 14th minute when Isael Antonio found the back of the net off an assist from Massimo Rossi, giving the Bantams an early 1-0 advantage.
USC Union carried the lead into halftime after producing nine shots in the opening 45 minutes. The Bantams continued to apply pressure following the break, adding five more shots in the second half.
Coker Dev. eventually evened the score in the 65th minute on a team-listed goal, with no individual scorer credited in the official box score.
The Bantams continued to push for the go-ahead goal, but despite sustained offensive pressure, USC Union was unable to find the decisive finish before the final whistle.
USC Union finished the night with 14 shots and five corner kicks, controlling the statistical attack throughout the contest. Valerio Cuseina led the Bantams with three shots.
In goal, Salim Janna played all 90 minutes and recorded one save.
USC Union picked up three yellow cards in the second half. Ethan Blake was cautioned in the 65th minute, followed by Juan Caicedo in the 79th minute and Kaiden Roberts in the 85th minute.
While the official box score contains an inconsistency regarding shots on goal, the overall statistics clearly reflected USC Union’s attacking presence. The Bantams recorded 14 total shots, compared with none for Coker Dev.
USC Union will look to build on its strong opening performance as the 2026 season continues.
The Bantam Blog 