By Matt Bradshaw —

Ninth-ranked men’s soccer defeated Georgia State 1-0 in their second game of the regular season.

The Cardinals (2-0-0) scored the only goal five minutes into the match and maintained their lead for the rest of the night. The Panthers (0-2-0) were kept on lockdown by the Louisville defense, finishing with only two shots.

Cherif Dieye netted the lone goal with fellow junior Kino Ryosuke assisting.

First half

Louisville got their offense going quickly, scoring five minutes after the first whistle. Ryosuke juked a defender on the wing and crossed to Dieye in the center of the box for a tap-in

The Cards had several shots and corners shortly afterwards but no close opportunities. Georgia State remained on their side of the field for most of the half, feeding their forwards with through balls to counter Louisville’s possession.

The Panthers had their closest chance of the game with a free kick near the close of the half. From 25 yards out, Georgia State curved a shot around the Cardinal wall and keeper Will Meyer made the save.

With five minutes left in the half, Louisville had several opportunities that nearly led to a second goal. Sophomore Izaiah Jennings got a shot off but aimed straight at the keeper.

Second half

Much like the majority of the first half, the Cardinals controlled possession and the Panthers struggled to keep up. Senior Geoffrey Dee launched a rocket from beyond the box at the 57 minute mark that was saved by the Georgia State keeper.

Tensions ran high in the final 30 minutes of the game. A string of fouls escalated until senior defender Cody Cochran got in a near shoving-match with a Panther forward. The referee quickly intervened and play resumed without problems.

Georgia State had a couple of close chances in the final seconds but Louisville’s defense was able to hold for the victory. The Cards finished with 14 shots to two from the Panthers.

Louisville rests for two days then hosts Saint Louis on Friday, Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m.

You can follow the Louisville Cardinal on Twitter @thecardsports.

Photos by Taris Smith / The Louisville Cardinal