MIAMI (Nov. 14, 2019) - The No. 23 ranked FIU men's soccer team advances to the semifinal round of the Conference USA Men's Soccer Tournament and will face No. 17 Charlotte on Friday, Nov. 15.
The No. 3 seeded Panthers are scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff against the No. 2 seeded 49ers at Old Dominion Soccer Complex in Norfolk, Virginia. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Click here for 2019 C-USA Men's Soccer Championship bracket.
Click here for 2019 C-USA Men's Soccer Championship central.
CHARLOTTE PREVIEW
Charlotte has posted a 10-2-4 record in the 2019 campaign, including a 4-0-3 record in Conference USA. The 49ers started the season undefeated through the first 11 games and have been ranked as high as No. 5 nationally in the United Soccer Coaches poll this year. Charlotte has yet to lose in conference play and earned the No. 2 seed in the C-USA Tournament after finishing with 14 points in the conference standings. The 49ers have not played a match since Nov. 2 and are enjoying 13 days of rest after receiving a bye in the C-USA Tournament's opening round.
INSIDE THE SERIES
FIU trails Charlotte 5-7-2 in the all-time series dating back to the 1986 season, but the Panthers hold a 2-1 all-time record against the 49ers at neutral sites. Last time that FIU and Charlotte met in the C-USA Tournament resulted in a 3-1 loss for the Panthers back on Nov. 10, 2017, with that match also being a C-USA semifinals contest in Norfolk. FIU and Charlotte are looking to settle unfinished business after playing to a scoreless draw earlier this season on Oct. 18 in Miami.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
FIU enters the matchup ranking top-10 in multiple offensive categories. The Panthers are fifth overall in the country in total assists (43) and sixth in assists-per-game (2.53), while also ranking seventh overall in total points (125) and points-per-game (7.35). Additionally, the Panthers are ranked tenth nationally in total goals (41) and goals-per-game (2.41).
C-USA STANDOUTS
FIU leads C-USA in several offensive categories this season including points, points-per-game, goals-per-game, total assists, assists-per-game, shot attempts (244) and shots-per-game (14.35). The Panthers also rank second in the conference in total goals.
DEEP PANTHER PACK
FIU has displayed unselfish play throughout the roster in the 2019 campaign, as seventeen different Panthers have logged either a goal or an assist this season. Fifteen Panthers have logged a goal thus far, while 14 players have contributed an assist. An impressive total of 12 Panthers have logged both a goal and an assist. Those players include returning veterans
Alessandro Campoy,
Andrew Booth,
Nick O'Callaghan,
Inigo Sagarduy,
Matias Barraza,
Owen Green,
Xavi Olmos Ferris,
Mohamed Conde, and newcomers
Stephen Afrifa,
Alban Rousselet,
David Garcia, and
Ronaldo Marshall.
FOLLOW LIVE
A live stream for the match can be found
here. Live stats for the match can be found
here.
UP NEXT
The winner of the match between FIU and Charlotte will advance to the Conference USA Tournament Finals and face the winner of the second semifinals match between No. 1 seed Marshall and No. 4 seed Kentucky. Kickoff for the final round is slated for 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 17.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Twitter (@FIUMensSoccer) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUMensSoccer) for all the latest Men's Soccer news. Follow all of FIU's18 athletic teams on Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUAthletics).
