Florida International Strikes Early, Tops Central Arkansas 3-1

CONWAY, Ark. – It’s not easy to score a goal in the first 20 seconds of a soccer match, but Central Arkansas saw it happen on their own pitch.

Florida International’s Michael Appiah took the opening kickoff straight to the Bears’ goal and scored with just 16 seconds ticked off the clock. It was the first of three goals in the first 10 minutes of Sunday night’s match that saw the Panthers leave Arkansas with a 3-1 win.

UCA’s Sohma Ichikawa got the Bears on the scoreboard with a goal in the 9^th minute. Charles-Emile Brunet lobbed a corner kick into FIU’s box and Elijah Bishop redirected the ball towards Ichikawa who put the ball past FIU’s keeper and tied the game 1-1.

But the level score didn’t last long.

The Panthers drew a penalty kick just 33 seconds after UCA’s goal and Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro took advantage to give FIU a 2-1.

As the two sides settled into the match, the goal-scoring slowed. Each side still managed to take shots. FIU out-shot UCA 8-7 in the match with six of their shots being on goal (UCA had just 2). The Bears had nine corner kicks in the match, including seven in the first half alone.

The Panthers (2-3-1) sealed the victory in the 72^nd minute with a goal by Ron Arie on a long cross from David Boccuzzo. UCA had some scoring chances late, but couldn’t get any shots into the goal and suffered a second-straight loss.

UCA (3-3) will hit the road for its first ASUN match of season at Bellarmine at 6 p.m. Saturday.

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