IRVING, Texas – Florida Atlantic and Memphis won their first-round matches on Sunday, Nov. 5 to advance to the semifinals of the 2023 American Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Championship.
No. 6 Florida Atlantic defeated No. 3 FIU 1-0 in Miami, while fourth-seeded Memphis used a come-from-behind victory to defeat No. 5 South Florida, 3-2. Florida Atlantic will take on No. 2 Charlotte (10-3-1) in the first semifinal on Thursday, Nov. 9 at 4:30 p.m. ET. The Tigers will face host and No. 1 seed SMU (12-1-2) in the second semifinal on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.
The Panthers and Owls (6-7-3) had a defensive battle for the full 90 minutes. The Panthers had just two shots on goal, both thwarted by Florida Atlantic goalkeeper Rotem Fadida. The Owls did not have a shot on goal until four seconds left in the match, when Noah Kvifte sent a cross into the box, finding Arthur Widiez for the game-winning goal.
In Memphis, the Bulls took a 2-1 lead into halftime, using goals from Fedro Faife (12’) and Max Wilkins (37’). The Tigers (10-4-2) used a goal from Alberto Cruz in the 15th minute for their first goal of the match. The Bulls held the one-goal lead until the 85th minute, when Jose Maria Ojeda scored the game-tying goal. With a minute left in the match, Logan Longo took a corner from Hayden Anderson, heading it in for the game-winning goal.
JD Gunn earned the win in the goal for the Tigers, finishing with a pair of saves in the win.
2023 American Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Championship Schedule
First round at campus sites
Semifinals and final at home site of the No. 1 seed SMU
(all times Eastern)
First Round – Sunday, November 5
Game 1 – No. 6 Florida Atlantic 1, No. 3 FIU 0
Game 2 – No. 4 Memphis 3, No. 5 South Florida 2
Semifinals – Thursday, November 9
Game 3 – No. 6 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 2 Charlotte | 4:30 P.M. ET | ESPN+
Game 4 – No. 4 Memphis at No. 1 SMU | 8 P.M. ET | ESPN+
Championship Final – Sunday, November 12
Game 5 – Semifinal Winners | 2 P.M. ET | ESPN+
