No. 2 and No. 4 Face-off for the Red Banner on Monday
COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ga. – [Final Site Schedule] [Bracket] The third day of play was full of upsets, excitement, and a fight to advance to the 2020 NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship match on Monday. Match one of the day resulted in a No. 1, back-to-back champion, Central Methodist (Mo.) upset which advanced No. 4 Missouri Valley to the final round. This will be the third time in four years the Vikings have advanced to the championship match. No. 2 Oklahoma Wesleyan was the second team of the day to move forward to battle for the Red Banner. The Eagles defeated Columbia (Mo.), 3-0 to advance to the championship round for the first time in history.
GAME NOTES/HIGHLIGHTS
No. 4 Missouri Valley def. No. 1 Central Methodist (Mo.), 4-2
- Miroslav Markovic scored the first goal of the match, assisted by Kainan DosSantos, quickly in the 6thminute.
- Ruben Jimenez then doubled the score with a goal in the 13th minute, assisted by DosSantos and Aleksander Trujic.
- Trujic then put the score to 3-0 in the 16th minute.
- This is the first semifinals game since Mid-America Nazarene (Kan.) and Bethel (Tenn.) in 2008 that has entered halftime with a 3-0 score.
- Victor Luengo, assisted by Hunter Gilliam, scored in the 74th minute to put Central Methodist (Mo.) on the board.
- In the 81st minute, Paulo Alves assisted by DosSantos and Luka Gluscevic added another goal for Missouri Valley.
- Carlos Scheckermann scored unassisted in the 83rd minute.
- This matchup was a rematch of the 2018 championship game which was won by Central Methodist (Mo.) by PK’s.
- Missouri Valley advances to the championship for the third time in four years.
- First time since 2019 Central Methodist (Mo.) has lost an NAIA match, breaks streak of 40-0 in the NAIA.
- Central Methodist (Mo.) has not given up four goals since the 2015 national quarterfinals.
No. 2 Oklahoma Wesleyan def. No. 3 Columbia (Mo.), 3-0
- In the 8th minute, Pol Mur scored the first goal of the match assisted by Stefan Lukic and Amadou Gadio.
- Lukic then scored his own unassisted goal in the 15th minute.
- Lukic was the 2019 NAIA Men’s Soccer Player of the Year.
- Luka Lukic scored the third goal of the match late in the 80th minute unassisted.
- This is the first appearance for Columbia (Mo.) in the semifinal round of competition.
- Oklahoma Wesleyan will see championship play for the first time in history.
- First three-goal victory in a semifinals match since Davenport (Mich.) def. Marymount (Calif.) 3-0 in 2014
Finals Schedule | Monday, May 10, 2021
6:00 p.m. CT – No. 2 Oklahoma Wesleyan vs. No. 4 Missouri Valley