Memphis to Host AAC Championship Semifinal Against FIU

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis men's soccer plays host to a familiar foe in FIU for the second semifinal match of the AAC Championships on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Tigers most recently faced the Panthers in their regular season finale.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

Memphis (7-6-3, 4-1-2 American) previously secured a first-round bye by winning the AAC regular season title, meaning that the Tigers have not played since Nov. 1, when they played to a 2-2 draw against FIU in Miami, Fla. A victory against FIU would place Memphis in its first conference championship match since joining the American.

In that most recent bout with FIU, the Panthers struck first with Eduardo Mustre finding the back of the net in the 27^th minute. That lead would last for about 13 minutes before Adam Yousfi and Gabriel Christensen would score in succession to first tie the match before taking a lead going into the half. Prince Ngeleka of FIU would bring the score level in the 66^th minute after gliding past the Memphis defense. Filip Sabatti and the Tiger back line prevented multiple scoring attempts between the 84^th and 86^th minutes to keep the match at a draw and secure at least a share of the conference title.

Since securing the regular season title, the AAC announced the yearly awards prior to the first-round matches starting, with multiple Memphis Tigers garnering recognition. Lleyton Imparato was named as one of two Midfielder of the Year award recipients, while also being an All-AAC First Team selection. Filip Sabatti joined Imparato on the first team while securing Goalkeeper of the Year honors. Jackson Kim was named Defender of the Year and was one of only two unanimous All-AAC First Team selections, along with Charlotte's Ian Pilcher.

In addition, Luciano Galizzi and Logan Longo were named All-AAC Second Team selections, with the pair being two of three Tigers to have started every match in the 2024 campaign, with the third being Kim. Ryan Ruguaru also was named to the All-Freshman team after slotting into a starting role in the latter half of the season.

Imparato still leads the Tigers in contributions with ten (five goals, five assists). Longo and Kim have played nearly every minute this season, with Longo registering 1440 minutes played and Kim having played 1438 minutes out of a possible 1440. Sabatti leads Memphis in net with four shutouts and a 1.14 goals-against-average on 44 saves.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS

FIU (5-5-6, 2-2-3 American) comes into Wednesday night after defeating fellow Miami school Florida Atlantic by a score of 1-0 in the first round of the AAC Championship. A lone goal from Eduardo Mustre in the 10th minute was enough to propel FIU into the semifinal round. The Panthers were the Tigers' most recent opponent, having played in Miami for Memphis' final match of the regular season.

The Panthers continue to be aided by consistency, with six players starting at least 14 of their 16 total matches. 10 players have found the back of the net for FIU, but it is a four-way tie for the team lead as Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro, Nicolas Villalobos, Michael Appiah and Eduardo Mustre all have three goals each. The Panthers have been hindered by dangerous play this season, as they currently rank third nationally in red cards with six and seventh in yellow cards with 50, with both marks being at the top of the AAC. FIU was assessed five yellow cards during its recent match with Florida Atlantic, with all cards coming in the final 38 minutes of play.

One factor that will be different from Memphis' previous contest with FIU will be goalkeeper Nigel Van Haveren in net. Van Haveren missed the Nov. 1 match against the Tigers with a lower body injury but made his return in FIU's first-round match against the Owls. He registered a full 90 minutes and recorded two saves. Currently, Van Haveren holds a 1.15 goals-against-average with 57 saves.

Memphis is 5-6-1 against FIU and in each team's regular season finale, Memphis and FIU played to a 2-2 draw on Nov. 1, which secured the top seed in the AAC Championship for the Tigers.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS

For complete information on Memphis Tigers Soccer, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Memphis to Host AAC Championship Semifinal Against FIU

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Players Mentioned

Gabriel Christensen

Luciano Galizzi

Lleyton Imparato

Jackson Kim

Logan Longo

Ryan Ruguaru

Filip Sabatti

Adam Yousfi

University of Memphis Athletics