FIU Men’s Soccer Are One Win Away From A Second Title In As Many Weeks

Ricky Dagand | Staff Writer 

The FIU men’s soccer team took on the Memphis Tigers on Nov. 10 in a conference semi-final match for a spot in the AAC Championship game on the line. 

Thursday’s game was a chess match between two high-powered offenses, ultimately ending 1-0 in favor of the Panthers.

Both teams tested their opponent’s keeper within the game’s first ten minutes. The Panthers continued to press forward and push the Tigers back to defend for most of the first half. 

FIU outshot Memphis 10-1 but went into halftime with the score still 0-0.

The second half started where FIU ended in the first, pushing forward with relentless pressure.

In the 52nd minute, Stephen Afrifa finally put the Panthers on the board. The Memphis keeper thought he had enough time to get rid of the ball, but the speedy Afrifa pickpocketed the ball and slotted it into the back of the net for his 10th goal of the season. 

The goal forced Memphis to put more players forward to try to tie the game and keep their tournament hopes alive. 

The Panthers would have more shots on goal, including four headed attempts by Carlos Scheckermann and another shot by Afrifa that would hit the post.

Things would get dicey for FIU in the last ten minutes of the game. The Panthers conceded two corners and were saved by Joao Domingues thanks to his goal-line clearance. 

Nevertheless, the Panthers held on to secure their spot in the championship game. 

“I’m proud of the guys, we’re committed to one game at a time,” Coach Kyle Russell said postgame. “The American Championship Conference is one of the top three conferences in the country, so what we did tonight, what we did this season, is so much harder than it actually appears.”

FIU will face USF in the American Championship Tournament final on Sunday, Nov. 13, at 1:00 pm. 

The Bulls enter the match on the back of five straight wins, taking down SMU in the semifinals. 

USF won their game by the same scoreline as FIU did, beating the Mustangs 1-0. The Bulls frustrated the SMU attack and hit them on the counterattack very effectively, something for the Panthers to be aware of come Sunday’s final. 

FIU and USF played in the regular season, ending in a thrilling three-all draw. The Panthers were the dominant team for long stretches in the regular season matchup and will look to do the same Sunday. 

“It feels like a local game even though it’s it’s four hours apart,” Russell said about Sunday’s game. “We’re playing two hot teams, it’ll be a fun, fun atmosphere.”