SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (September 26, 2026) -- The University of South Florida men's soccer team was defeated by No. 9 Missouri State, 3-2, in an American Conference match on Saturday night at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium. The Bulls, now at 1-7-1 overall and 0-2-1 in conference play, managed to get within one goal twice in the second half but were unable to secure a comeback against the unbeaten Bears, who improved to 7-0-1 and 3-0-0 in the conference.

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The first half ended scoreless, but Missouri State took the lead early in the second half with two goals in just under four minutes. Fionn Mooney scored in the 56th minute, firing a shot to the top right corner assisted by Adrian Esteban, and then doubled the lead with another goal in the 60th minute from Ben Furlong's setup.

South Florida responded in the 72nd minute when Tyler Richardson, returning as a substitute, scored after picking up a loose ball, making it 2-1. Missouri State extended its lead again in the 80th minute with a goal from Hugo Jinkinson, assisted by Daniel Souza. However, Serigne Diallo brought the Bulls back within one goal with his first of the season in the 85th minute, redirecting a pass from Richardson into the bottom left corner. Despite their efforts, South Florida couldn't find an equalizer before the match concluded.

Goalkeeper Alexis Martin recorded four saves for the Bulls, who faced 11 shots against their four, yet managed to score on both of their shots on goal.

Notes:

- Tyler Richardson contributed a goal and an assist after coming off the bench in the second half.

- Serigne Diallo scored his first goal of the season with an assist from Richardson.

- The Bulls received five yellow cards during the match, including two cautions in the final minutes for Richardson and Diego Sanchez.

Next, South Florida will host FIU at Corbett Stadium on Friday, October 2, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.