FIU defeats Missouri State, Advance to Semifinals

MIAMI, FL – FIU Men’s Soccer defeated the Missouri State Bears 1-0 last night, advancing to the American Conference semifinals.

1st Half Defense Locked In

For both the Bears and Panthers, their defenses controlled the tempo of the match. Each team was barely able to attack the opponents’ goaltenders, with the ball spending most of its time in the middle of the pitch. They had an event split in the shots department with three apiece. The only difference was that one of them was on goal for Missouri State.

Alfonso Gilleard-Soriano Breaks the Tie

After halftime, the scoring chances for both squads picked up. Missouri State recorded five shots, two of which were on goal, and FIU posted four shots and two on goal.

In the 65th minute after a corner kick, there was a battle for the ball in the box until Alfonso Gilleard-Soriano found possession. He wasted no time, kicking the ball in the perfect spot to achieve his first-career goal. It was a crucial one, being the game-winner.

A look at Alfonso Gilleard-Soriano’s goal at the 65th minute mark of this contest.

The Panthers wasted no time after the corner kick and Gilleard-Soriano was able to find the back of the net.#FIU | #Panthers | #PawsUp pic.twitter.com/z0Tm4MSW2y

— Ricardo Urrusuno (@RickScores) November 8, 2025

Notable Players

Nigel Van Haveren made some solid saves at the net. He had three saves and earned his fourth clean sheet of the season.

Eduardo Mustre, who leads the team in shots, had three shots during the night. Tibo Gobet had a shot attempt, and Pasquale Capriati had himself a shot on goal.

A great win to celebrate tonight. FIU prevented Missouri State from scoring, had some key saves in net, and made it count with the lone goal of the match.#FIU | #Panthers | #PawsUp pic.twitter.com/1Dzwreq08g

— Ricardo Urrusuno (@RickScores) November 8, 2025

What’s Next

The FIU Panthers will now face off against the one-seeded Charlotte at their home turf in the semifinals of the American Conference tournament. Two weeks ago, the Panthers upset No. 24 Charlotte 1-0 on senior night.

OFF TO THE SEMIS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sfFa4esBI3

— FIU Men's Soccer (@FIUMensSoccer) November 8, 2025

This is the second consecutive season in which FIU has reached the semifinals. Last season, they beat Florida Atlantic 1-0 in the opening round, and Memphis 3-1 in the semifinals, but ultimately fell short in the championship to Charlotte 2-1 in overtime.

About Post Author

Ricardo Urrusuno

He’s a diehard 305 native who roots for his hometown teams in the good, the bad, and the ugly. Recently, he graduated from FIU with an MBA, but now he’s a Lemonhead covering UM basketball. Known to be anywhere and everywhere, you may catch him at a Miami sporting event.

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