Thursday, August 20
San Diego, Calif.
10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT
Liberty University
1-0-0, 0-0-0
2
at
1
San Diego State
0-1-0, 0-0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| San Diego St. | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Liberty Downs San Diego State 2-1 in Season Opener
8/21/2026 1:36:00 AM | Men's Soccer
SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – The Liberty Flames scored two goals less than four minutes to defeat the San Diego State Aztecs 2-1 at the SDSU Sports Desk Thursday evening.
After a scoreless first half, Samson Kpardeh and Pablo Matavele netted goals 3:51 apart early in the second half, and then used a solid defensive effort to secure the victory.
The win moves the Flames to 1-0 and marks Head Coach Scott Wells' first win at Liberty. San Diego State drops to 0-1.
Scoring Summary
52' – LIBERTY – Samson Kpardeh (Assisted by Hugo Kopke and Finn van den Berg)
56' – LIBERTY – Pablo Matavele (Assisted by Javan Ochieng and Ronnie Gorman)
77' – SDSU - Jonah Kawamura (Penalty Kick)
Key Stats & Notes
Liberty will finish its San Diego, Calif., trip with a match against the No. 18 San Diego Toreros on Sunday. Kickoff at Toreros Stadium is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST.
After a scoreless first half, Samson Kpardeh and Pablo Matavele netted goals 3:51 apart early in the second half, and then used a solid defensive effort to secure the victory.
The win moves the Flames to 1-0 and marks Head Coach Scott Wells' first win at Liberty. San Diego State drops to 0-1.
Scoring Summary
52' – LIBERTY – Samson Kpardeh (Assisted by Hugo Kopke and Finn van den Berg)
56' – LIBERTY – Pablo Matavele (Assisted by Javan Ochieng and Ronnie Gorman)
77' – SDSU - Jonah Kawamura (Penalty Kick)
Key Stats & Notes
- Liberty doubled San Diego State in shots, 14-7. The Flames held a 6-5 edge in shots on goal over the Aztecs.
- San Diego State held a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks.
- The Flames outshot the Aztecs, 5-3, in the first half. However, host SDSU had three shots on goal, all stopped by Liberty goalkeeper Dan Rose, while Liberty did not have a shot on target.
- Kpardeh, who scored eight goals last season at Gardner-Webb, and Matavele, a freshman, each netted their first goal as a Flame.
- Hugo Kopke, Finn van den Berg, Javan Ochieng and Ronnie Gorman all drew assists in the contest.
- Rose, making his first start at Liberty, recorded four saves. Rose made three saves earlier in the first half to keep the game scoreless. SDSU goalkeeper Nic Diana recorded four saves.
- The Flames and Aztecs met for the first time in their program histories this evening. Liberty's victory is its first on the pitch in California.
- Flames head coach Scott Wells records his first victory in his first match leading Liberty.
Liberty will finish its San Diego, Calif., trip with a match against the No. 18 San Diego Toreros on Sunday. Kickoff at Toreros Stadium is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST.
Samson Kpardeh gives the Flames the lead! pic.twitter.com/9ZhKZm0Bmw
— Liberty Men's Soccer (@LibertyMSoccer) August 21, 2026
Pablo Matavele strikes less than 4 minutes later!
— Liberty Men's Soccer (@LibertyMSoccer) August 21, 2026
Upon review, ups lead to 2-0. pic.twitter.com/ebTXN1hBCK
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Soccer
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/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
MF
/ Men's Soccer
MF
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's Soccer
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/ Men's SoccerTeam Stats
LIB
SDSU
Goals
2
1
Shots
14
7
Shots on Goal
6
5
Saves
4
4
Corners
2
5
Fouls
15
22
Scoring Plays
Samson Kpardeh (1)
Assisted By: Hugo Kopke , Finn Van den Berg
GOAL by LIB Kpardeh, Samson Assist by Kopke, Hugo and Van den Berg, Finn.
51:36
Pablo Matavele (1)
Assisted By: Javan Ochieng , Ronnie Gorman
GOAL by LIB Matavele, Pablo Assist by Ochieng, Javan and Gorman, Ronnie.
55:27
Jonah Kawamura
SDSU Jonah Kawamura PENALTY KICK GOAL.
76:56
Game Leaders
Shots
5
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
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