For Louisville, there was a brief moment where an upset seemed possible. Nico Diaz floated a ball into the box, which Konstantinos Georgallides dutifully placed past Duke goalkeeper Eliot Hamill. The celebrations were dramatic — befitting of grabbing the opening goal against one of the best teams in the country.
As the game wore on, Duke pressed, pushed and pried for an equalizer. It came in the 54th minute, with Jai Bean putting the finishing touch on a lovely flowing move. Then, 30 minutes later, Shakur Mohamed provided the winner, a curled shot into the bottom corner. It was a second half where Duke looked every bit a top 10 team in the country, one capable of grinding out a result. The Blue Devils are one of a handful of preseason College Cup contenders who have lived up to the hype. And as conference play kicks off in earnest, they will look to state their credentials amidst a grueling ACC slate.
But they aren’t the only team to keep an eye on as conference play starts. Here’s a look at where things stand before conference play kicks off — and what might happen from here.
