Box Score Riverdale, NY — Manhattan went right at Canisius on Saturday afternoon at Gaelic Park, dismantling the Golden Griffins by a score of 3-0. The Jaspers used goals from John Bernardi in the 30th minute, Sebastiano Musu in the 37th minute, and Tony Yeboah in the 78th minute all while controlling the tempo of Saturday's action.
Manhattan came out of the gates hot, playing Canisius straight up and with the lion's share of the possession. The defense was rock solid led by the efforts of Nassim Akki, who stalked Canisius' center forward Ely Sidibe throughout the game.
John Bernardi delivered an instant highlight in the 30th with a free kick from beyond the 20-yard mark that Canisius goalie Jack Petrie had no chance on. The 1-0 cushion was all Manhattan needed to double down on their attack, using outside fullbacks Enseh Sanneh and Noah Boyce to keep the pressure on the Golden Griffins. The Manhattan midfield stayed in control throughout as well.
Additionally, Akki's control of the backline and ability to make long passes keyed a lot of Manhattan's activity. His beautiful pass from just past the half-line in Manhattan's territory found the head of Sebastiano Musu just inside the 18 and it was enough to beat Canisius goalkeeper Jack Petrie in the 37th minute.
Manhattan put the finishing touches on the physical and wet game when Yeboah ran on to a beautiful feed from Henry Hamilton and easily beat Petrie in the 78th minute.
Manhattan outshot Canisius 15-10 and held a 63%-37% advantage in possession.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
-John Bernardi's goal in the 30th minute was the first of his Manhattan career. Bernardi is a graduate transfer from SUNY Oneonta who has started in every game this season on defense.
-Sebastiano Musu added his third goal of the season. He passed Ziv Dahan for the team lead in points and now sits with 8.
-Ludvig Malberg recorded the second shutout of his Jaspers career. His first came in the 1-0 win over Columbia on 9/11.
-Felipe Arruda made the first start of his Manhattan career. A transfer from Monroe College, Arruda had 5 goals and 4 assists last season for the Mustangs and was teammates at Monroe with Thiago da Silva.
-Manhattan's success in MAAC opening days continues for the third straight season. Last season, the Jaspers rolled to a 4-0 opening win in conference play, and before that beat Rider 3-0 in 2022.
NEXT TIME OUT
-Manhattan will look to keep the momentum going when they host Mount St. Mary's (1-6-2, 1-0 MAAC) on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 12 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Follow Manhattan Men's Soccer on Instagram and X, @jasperssoccer.
