Missouri State University
8-0-1, 3-0-0
Central Arkansas
5-3-2, 2-0-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Ark. | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Missouri St. | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Men’s Soccer Remains Undefeated, Topples Central Arkansas 2-0
September 29, 2026 | Men's Soccer
SPRINGFIELD - No. 7 Missouri State men's soccer (8-0-1, 3-0-0) beat Central Arkansas (5-3-2, 2-0-1), with a dominant 2-0 scoreline on Tuesday night. Fifth-year forward Diego Real scored his sixth and seventh goals of the season with a brace at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium.
The Bears extend their unbeaten streak to nine games, their longest since a 13-match run in 2024.
"The guys were just locked in," said head coach Michael Seabolt. "They knew Central Arkansas is having a good season and that this was a great non-conference opportunity, and they were just ready to go. We did start really well and I'm certainly proud of the guys, but I'm also just as proud about the clean sheet and that we got a shutout tonight."
The Bears flew out of the gates, ensuring total dominance offensively and not letting Central Arkansas have any scoring opportunities in the first half.
In just the third minute senior Daniel Souza and freshman Ben Furlong set up Real for a stunning header to give the Bears the lead on the scoreboard.
In the 32nd minute, the Bears seized a chance, and Real once again led the way to extend the lead to 2-0 lead from a penalty.
"We have obviously high expectations and high goals because we know what we can achieve but with that being said our mentality is next game, day by day," stated Real.
The second half presented opportunities for both teams to score, but steady defense and goalkeeping kept any chances of getting the back of the net at bay. Mo State had seven more shots, four of which were on goal, in the second half but were unable to capitalize on the opportunities. Central Arkansas had five shots of their own, three of which required saving by Mo State junior Fernando Alves Schmelz.
Alves Schmelz has now kept a clean sheet across 90 minutes of play in three matches this season (vs. Chicago State, at Temple and vs. Central Arkansas).
Missouri State ended the night with 18 shots with 10 on goal, while Central Arkansas ended with seven shots, of which three were on goal. The Bears tallied four corner kicks, to Central Arkansas' two. Mo State made seven saves while Central Arkansas made one.
"We just think about the next game," said Seabolt. "We've got Memphis ahead of us and we are locked in. We know it's going to be a tough conference matchup, they're a great team and they're going to compete with us for this league and they're really doing well nationally so it's a tremendous opportunity."
The Bears are back on the road for their next American Conference matchup on Saturday, at 7 p.m. at Memphis. The game will air on ESPN+.
#GoBears
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
Diego Real (6)
Assisted By: Daniel Souza , Ben Furlong
GOAL by MSU Real, Diego Assist by Souza, Daniel and Furlong, Ben.
02:16
Diego Real (6)
MSU Diego Real PENALTY KICK GOAL.
31:05
