GREENVILLE, S.C. – The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) announced its 2021 Division I Men's Soccer All-Americans on Wednesday as five from the Mid-America Christian men's soccer team were represented, headlined by Rodrigo Albuquerque who was selected as the nation's Player of the Year.
Along with Albuquerque, senior forward Cesar Ramirez, senior defender Dejue Johnson, senior midfielder Mateus Pasquantonio and junior defender Fabian Forisch were represented for the Evangels on the All-America Team.
The five honorees match the 2019 team for the most All-Americans that the Evangels have ever placed while the three First Team All-Americans are the most the program has ever recorded on the top team.
Being named the NCCAA Division I Player of the Year, Albuquerque led the MACU offensive efforts during the 2021 campaign with 15 goals, five of which were game-winners to go with nine assists for 39 points on the year. The Recife, Brazil product ranked fifth in the NCCAA in goals scored and ninth in assists to finish with the third-most points in the nation.
In his three seasons with the MACU men's soccer program, Albuquerque holds every offensive record, including: goals (47), assists (23), points (117), shots (292), shots on-goal (146) and game-winning goals (19).
Albuquerque is the second Evangels player to garner the NCCAA's highest honor after Stephen Nganga was selected as the 2019 NCCAA Division I Player of the Year.
Earning his first All-American honor, Ramirez led the team with 12 assists to go with four goals for 20 points. The El Salvadorian ranked third in the NCCAA in dimes while three of his four scores on the season resulted in game-winners. Ramirez came away with back-to-back game-winners in a 3-2 win over Texas Wesleyan on Oct. 16 before pushing across the winner in a 2-1 victory at Wayland Baptist.
In being selected to the NCCAA All-America First Team for the second year in a row, Johnson was the leader of the Evangels defense in his third season with the program. The three-time Sooner Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year spearheaded a backfield that allowed just 1.05 goals on 7.9 shots per game, which only 3.1 of those attempts landed on-goal.
Another defender that is garnering his second NCCAA Second Team All-America honor, Forisch was another key piece of that defense on the wing. Not only was Forisch a pivotal defender for the Evangels, he also was a big producer for the offense as he notched three goals, including two game-winners. The Erlangen, Germany product scored a pair of goals in a 4-1 victory at Oklahoma City on Sept. 28 before booting in the winner in a 1-0 victory at Southwestern Christian on Oct. 5.
Rounding out the honorees, Pasquantonio was placed on the Second Team after his phenomenal play in the midfield. While the Sao Paulo, Brazil native recorded just two goals and an assist, Pasquantonio was considered the heart of the MACU midfield in the center-mid position. Pasquantonio was not only a great ball-handler but a tenacious defender that frequently dispossessed the opposing teams.
Despite falling in the NAIA Opening Round, Mid-America Christian wrapped up its most successful year in program history with a 19-1-1 overall record and an unblemished 8-0-1 record in Sooner Athletic Conference play. The men's soccer program became the first at MACU to win both its regular season and tournament crown with a 2-0 victory over Southwestern Christian in the championship game on Nov. 11.
