Beto’s Overtime Goal Gives Lazers a 3-2 Victory

The packaging and marketing of the Major Indoor Soccer League simply does not include low-scoring games, so the first three quarters of the Los Angeles Lazers’ 3-2 overtime win over Kansas City Friday night were a promoter’s nightmare.

Sure, there were enough wild bounces off the boards and shots sent deep into the stands to satisfy indoor fans and drive soccer purists batty.

But it took a brilliant goal by Beto, the Brazilian midfielder, with 6:41 left in overtime to really turn on the 3,584 fans at the Forum.

Beto took the ball deep in the Lazers’ end, then caught the Kansas City defenders flatfooted. He moved into an open area 30 yards in front of the Comet goal, took three or four steps to his right and unloaded a hard, rising shot that went over goalie Enzo DiPede’s left shoulder and into the net.

This game was far different from the last time the Lazers and Comets meet. On Dec. 30, they accounted for 12 goals.

Beto scored the only goal of the first three quarters one minute into Friday night’s game.

Finally, in the fourth quarter, the action picked up as the teams scored three goals in a two-minute span. With the Lazers (10-14) leading, 1-0, Keith Furphy scored for Kansas City (10-15) to tie it with 14:20 left.

Lazer midfielder Greg Ion scored on a low shot to make it 2-1 with 12:41 remaining. Then, Johan Neeskens scored just four seconds later to tie it and set the stage for overtime.