The California men's soccer team hosts 19th-ranked Duke in its ACC home opener Sunday at 2 p.m. PT at Edwards Stadium. The game is a rematch of last season's ACC Championship quarterfinal, in which the Golden Bears stunned the then-No. 2 Blue Devils 2-0 to advance to the semifinal round.
 
Vs. No. 19 Duke (2-0-2, 0-0-0 ACC)
When: Sunday, Sept. 14, 2 p.m. PT
Where: Edwards Stadium, Berkeley, Calif.
Watch: ACCNX
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Admission: Free
 
Cal Splits In Massachusetts
Cal is back in Berkeley after posting a 1-1 record in its trip to the Boston area.
 
Against Boston College last Sunday, Malcolm Zalayet scored for the second straight game and Luka Lukic added his team-leading fourth goal of the season to give Cal a 2-0 win in both teams' ACC opener in Newton, Massachusetts.
 
In the 17th minute, a Kieran Bracken Serra corner kick found Zalayet in the BC box, and the Cal forward headed the ball into the back of the net for the eventual game-winning goal. A short corner kick led to the second goal, with Noe Morales eventually redirecting a cross into the Eagles' box to Lukic, who tapped the ball into the net from close range to make the score 2-0.
 
Lukic scored his team-leading fifth goal of the season and Cal dominated much of the game on Wednesday night at Harvard, but the Bears fell 3-1 to the Crimson in their first road loss of the year.
 
Trailing 3-0, Cal earned a free kick at 82:40. Alfredo Ortiz took the set piece from the left flank and found Wisdom Onuoma to the right of the Harvard box. The defender headed the ball into the penalty area to Lukic, who was deep in the six-yard box. The striker chested the ball down to himself and slammed the ball into the net.
 
The Bears took four more shots, but the final whistle blew with the score 3-1.
 
Scouting the Bears

• Newcomer Luka Lukic – a graduate transfer from UC Riverside – was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week for the first week of the season after the forward scored three goals in his first two games as a Golden Bear, including the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory at UCLA on Aug. 24 and a brace in a 3-2 win at Saint Mary's in the Aug. 21 season opener
• The Belgrade, Serbia, native leads Cal in goals (5), points (10) and shots (17) and is tied with Cam Wilkerson (who scored the winner at Saint Mary's) and sophomore forward Malcolm Zalayet (who netted the winner at BC) for the lead in game-winning goals (1)
• Zalayet ranks second in goals (2) and points (4)
• Midfielder Kieran Bracken Serra paces the Bears in assists (3) and is tied with midfielder Cam Wilkerson (1 goal, 1 assist) for third in points (3 apiece)
• Goalkeeper Connor Lambe, who has started every game this year and played the full 90 at Harvard, has compiled a 1.38 goals-against average
• Sophomore goalie Zack Andoh has notched a 1.26 GAA after starting the second halves of five matches
• Senior defender Alfredo Ortiz was one of 15 players named to the ACC Preseason Watch List this summer, after ranking fourth in goals (3) and points (7) for the Bears in 2024; he has one goal and two points so far this season
• Ortiz also contributed one of Cal's biggest goals of the season in the ACC Championship opener last November in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, converting Cal's lone penalty kick of the season to give the Bears a 2-1 win over the host Tar Heels
• Leonard Griffin – who won the NCAA championship as a UCLA player in 2002 – was named the 2023 Pac-12 Coach of the Year last season and is in his fourth year as head coach of the Golden Bears
• A former professional player who was drafted No. 11 overall by the Chicago Fire in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft, Griffin made MLS stops in Portland, Oregon, in Columbus, Ohio, and in Los Angeles with the Galaxy
• The Cal staff includes assistant coaches Ricardo Gutierrez – who worked with Griffin in the latter's previous stops at Grand Canyon and USF – and Jacob Wilson, a Cal men's soccer alumnus
• Henry Foulk – another Golden Bear alum and assistant coach – is in his 25th year of mentoring the goalkeepers at his alma mater
• Foulk and Cal have produced several talented goalies who have matriculated to the professional ranks, including current pros Stefan Frei (Seattle Sounders FC, MLS), Drake Callender (Charlotte FC, MLS), David Bingham (Charlotte FC, MLS) and Jonathan Klinsmann (Cesena FC, Italy Serie B)

Scouting the Blue Devils

• In its four games this season, Duke beat No. 10 San Diego 2-1 in its season opener and edged UC San Diego 1-0 at home and then tied Furman 1-1 and tied Georgetown 2-2 on the road
• Midfielder Leonardo D'Ambrosio – who scored the game-winning goal vs. UCSD – is tied with midfielder Kenan Hot for the team lead in goals (2) and points (5)
• Trailing 2-0 at Georgetown, Hot and then D'Ambrosio scored in the 85th minute to lead Duke to its 2-2 tie with the Hoyas
• Eryk Dymora has posted a 1.00 GAA after playing every minute in goal through four games
• John Kerr is in his 18th year as Duke's head coach

A Look Back At Cal-Duke In 2024
Cal continued its late-season surge and success in the state of North Carolina on Nov. 10 by upsetting second-ranked Duke 2-0 in Durham. The Bears got two first-half goals – a Duke own goal and an Arik Duncan strike – and five saves from Marco Brougher in the victory.
 
At the 1:58 mark, Cal forward Nonso Adimabua earned a free kick when he was fouled in midfield trying to corral Brougher's long goal kick. Alfredo Ortiz served the free kick into the Duke box, Cal defender Kevin Carmichael headed the ball across the face of the goal and Duke midfielder Kenan Hot – trying to clear the ball while defending Cal's Wyatt Meyer – headed the ball into his own net.
 
The Bears continued to attack and, at 16:37, midfielder Kieran Bracken Serra sent a perfect ball to the top of the six-yard box, and the onrushing Duncan volleyed the ball into the back of the net.
 
Klinsmann Named To USMNT Roster
Cal alum Jonathan Klinsmann was named to the U.S. Men's National Team roster ahead of recent friendlies against South Korea and Japan, but did not play in the 2-0 loss to South Korea on Sept. 6 nor in the 2-0 win over Japan on Sept. 9. The son of former USMNT head coach and Germany star Juergen Klinsmann – who also previously coached South Korea – the 28-year-old Jonathan Klinsmann played 22 games for Cal from 2015-16. Formerly a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Klinsmann now plays for Cesena FC in the Italian Serie B.
 
Next Time
Cal continues its ACC schedule when it plays at No. 2 Clemson on Sept. 19. In the teams' last meeting, the Bears fell to Clemson in a hard-fought, 3-2 match in the 2024 ACC Championship semifinals that ultimately ended their season.
 
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