IRVING, Texas – Defending men’s soccer tournament champion SMU was selected as the league favorite in the 2020 American Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll that was released on Monday. The preseason rankings were voted on by the conference’s six head coaches.
The Mustangs earned all five possible votes as the favorite to win the 2020 American Men’s Soccer Championship, earning all 25 possible points. SMU junior midfielder Gabriel Costa was named the unanimous preseason American Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Year.
UCF, the 2019 regular-season co-champion alongside SMU, received the remaining first-point vote and 21 points to place second in the preseason poll. UCF senior goalkeeper Yannik Oettl was the unanimous preseason American Men’s Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year. USF placed third in the poll with 17 points, Memphis and Temple tied for fourth with 10 points and Tulsa rounded out the poll sixth with seven points. Temple senior defender Pierre Cayet received the most votes as the preseason American Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Year.
The 2020 American Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Championship will be held on April 15-17 on-campus at the tournament’s top-seeded team. The top-four finishers in the conference’s regular-season standings qualify for the American tournament.
SMU secured its third-straight American Men’s Soccer Championship crown by downing top-seeded UCF 1-0 in the 2019 tournament final. The Mustangs ultimately reached an NCAA Quarterfinal against No. 1 seed Virginia after topping UCF once more 2-1 in overtime in the third round. Costa was a co-American Midfielder of the Year alongside UCF’s Yoni Sorokin, with Oettl the American Goalkeeper of the Year and UCF forward Gino Vivi named American Rookie of the Year.
UCF led all American teams with five selections on the preseason all-conference squad; defender Yanis Leerman, Oettl, midfielder Louis Perez, Sorokin and Vivi represented the Knights. SMU, Memphis and Temple each had two players named to the preseason list; forwards Peter Chang and Gurman Sangha from Memphis, Costa and fellow midfielder Knut Ahlander from SMU, and Cayet and midfielder Sean Karani from Temple were selected as preseason all-conference. USF defender Avionne Flanagan and Tulsa defender Mitchell Cashion rounded out the preseason all-conference performers.
2020 American Athletic Conference
Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll
| Team |
First Place Votes |
Points |
| 1. SMU |
5 |
25 |
| 2. UCF |
1 |
21 |
| 3. USF |
|
17 |
| 4. Memphis |
|
10 |
| Temple |
|
10 |
| 6. Tulsa |
|
7 |
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Gabriel Costa, Jr., M, SMU
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Pierre Cayet, Sr., D, Temple
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Yannik Oettl, Sr., UCF*
Preseason All-Conference Team
Yanis Leerman, Jr., D, UCF*
Yannik Oettl, Sr., GK, UCF*
Louis Perez, Sr., M, UCF*
Yoni Sorokin, Sr., M, UCF*
Gino Vivi, So., F, UCF*
Peter Chang, R-So., F, Memphis
Gurman Sangha, Jr., F, Memphis
Gabriel Costa, Jr., M, SMU*
Knut Ahlander, Jr., M, SMU*
Avionne Flanagan, Sr., D, USF*
Pierre Cayet, Sr., D, Temple
Sean Karani, So., F, Temple
Mitchell Cashion, Jr., D, Tulsa*
*denotes unanimous selection