The Florida International University men’s soccer team stretched its unbeaten run to eight matches on Friday evening, edging Florida Atlantic 2-1 at Leyva Family Field at FIU Soccer Stadium to pick up its second American Conference win of the season.
FIU controlled the pace early on home turf, outshooting the Owls 9-3 in the opening period and sweeping all three first-half corner kicks. Freshman Sergio Perello broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute, collecting an assist from Miquel Gelabert to score his second goal of the campaign just days after earning American Conference Freshman of the Week honors.
Possu Reaches Double Digits as Panthers Protect Home Turf
The Panthers carried that 1-0 advantage out of the break before doubling their margin in the 78th minute. Forward Santi Possu connected on a feed from Raúl Carrasco to find the back of the net for the second consecutive match.
That strike marked Possu’s 10th goal of the 2026 season. The milestone makes him the first FIU player to hit double-digit goals in a single campaign since Eduardo Mustre accomplished the feat in 2023, joining an exclusive group that includes Stephen Afrifa in 2022 and Santiago Patino in 2017-18.
Florida Atlantic managed to claw a goal back late in regulation, but the Panthers weathered the pressure to seal the 2-1 result. Goalkeeper Nigel Van Haveren anchored the backline for all 90 minutes, matching a season high with five saves to preserve the advantage.
When the final whistle sounded, FIU held a 15-11 edge in total shots and a 7-6 advantage in shots on frame. Perello tallied three shots with two testing the goalkeeper, while Possu put both of his attempts on target. Gelabert chipped in an assist in two of his last three matches while also putting both of his shots on goal.
Preparing for the Regular Season Home Finale Against Tulsa
The victory extends FIU’s overall unbeaten sequence to eight matches while pushing their home unbeaten streak to nine consecutive contests dating back to 2025. The Panthers move to 7-3-4 overall and 2-1-3 in conference play with the result.
FIU now turns its attention to the regular season home finale. The Panthers return to Leyva Family Field on Wednesday, Oct. 28, to host Tulsa in a 7 p.m. kickoff that will stream live on ESPN+.
