DALLAS – Marshall, the defending 2020 National Champion and Conference USA Men's Soccer Champion, has been selected as the 2021 preseason favorite by the league's nine head coaches. Marshall senior forward
Vitor Dias was picked as the C-USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Marshall senior defender
Nathan Dossantos was tabbed as the league's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Last season, the Herd won both the league’s regular season championship as Marshall held off Charlotte by one point for the title. The Herd then won its first men’s soccer national title through a tournament gauntlet of No. 1 national seed Clemson, No. 8 seed and defending national champion Georgetown, North Carolina and No. 3 seed Indiana in the final four games to lift the trophy. The Herd became the first team in Conference USA history to win a NCAA national title. Marshall finished 13-2-3 and was No. 1 in the final United Soccer Coaches poll.
Marshall was one of three C-USA schools to participate in the NCAA tournament as Charlotte (6-3-2 overall) and Kentucky (12-5-2 overall) each received at-large bids. Kentucky, which advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament, finished No. 16 in the final USC poll, while Charlotte was ranked No. 20.
Coastal Carolina joins Conference USA as an affiliate member starting this season. The Chanticleers were 9-5-2 overall last season, won the Sun Belt title and received the SBC’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Chanticleers were No. 24 in the final USC poll.
In the 2021 preseason USC poll, Marshall begins the season as the No. 1 team, while Kentucky (No. 14), Charlotte (No. 18) and Coastal Carolina (No. 25) are also ranked.
The nine-team league will return to playing a postseason conference tournament this season, as the 2021 C-USA Men’s Soccer Championship will be held November 10-14 in Charlotte, N.C. The top six teams on points will qualify for the C-USA Championship field.
As a junior last season, Dias collected several honors as he was a member of the 2020 NCAA All-Tournament Team, a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, a first team All-America selection by the United Soccer Coaches, the C-USA Player of the Year, Offensive MVP and Co-Midfielder of the Year and the 2020-21 Conference USA Michael L. Slive Co-Male Athlete of the Year Award winner. Dias led the Herd in scoring with six goals, seven assists (ninth in the nation) and 19 points. He made the winning penalty kick against No. 1 Clemson in the NCAA third round to advance the Herd 7-6 on PKs to the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time in team history. Dias then had the winning assists in the Herd’s victories over Georgetown in the quarterfinals, North Carolina in the College Cup semifinals and Indiana in overtime in the NCAA College Cup final.
As a junior last season, Dossantos was a member of the 2020 NCAA All-Tournament Team, a first team All-Conference USA selection and a three-time C-USA Defensive Player of the Week selection. A transfer from Duquesne, Dossantos became an immediate contributor and star at center back and helped lead a strong Marshall defense to the national title. The Herd defense allowed just eight goals, 34 shots on goal and recorded a team-record 11 shutouts during the season. On offense, he contributed one goal, two assists and four points for the Herd. He was also a second team United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American.
Conference USA’s 2021 season kicks off Thursday, August 26.
2021 C-USA Men's Soccer Preseason Team
Joe Brito, Charlotte, R-Sr., MF
Preston Popp, Charlotte, Sr., F
Alex Willis, Charlotte, Sr., F
Alonso Coello Camarero, Florida Atlantic, Sr., MF
Ivan Mykhailenko, Florida Atlantic, Sr., F
Marcel Meinzer, Kentucky, Sr., MF
Robert Screen, Kentucky, Sr., D
Vitor Dias, Marshall, Sr., MF
Nathan Dossantos, Marshall, Sr., D
Max Schneider, Marshall, Jr., MF
Oliver Semmle, Marshall, Sr., GK
Milo Yosef, Marshall, R-Jr., F
Josh Thacker, Old Dominion, Fr., D
Brian Banahan, South Carolina, Jr., F
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Vitor Dias, Marshall, Sr., MF
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Nathan Dossantos, Marshall, Sr., D
2021 C-USA Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Marshall (9)
2. Charlotte
3. Kentucky
4. Coastal Carolina
5. FIU
6. Florida Atlantic
7. South Carolina
8. Old Dominion
9. UAB
(first-place votes in parenthesis)