Boys’ 2-A Soccer Championship Game : Central Ends Laguna Beach’s Dream Season on Bitter Note, 3-2

Laguna Beach High School’s dream soccer season came to a bitter end Saturday night. The boys’ team lost the 2-A championship to Central, 3-2, in overtime at Gahr High School.

Sergio Ramirez’s successful penalty kick after a disputed referee’s call decided the tense game and earned Central its 23rd consecutive victory.

The Artists, the Pacific Coast League champions and the third-seeded team going into the playoffs, finished 21-4-3. Central, of El Centro, the top-seeded team in the division, finished 24-1.

Laguna Beach took a 1-0 lead at the 19-minute mark of the first half when forward Jeff Poe, taking a throw-in from fullback Mike Davis, headed the ball into the net.

Davis also had a hand in the Artists’ second goal, which was scored four minutes into the second half. His throw-in bounced off the head of Central defender Juan Cortez and into the Central goal.

But Laguna Beach’s momentum was short-lived. Eighteen minutes into the second half, sophomore forward Tsuneya Imeda scored for Central, which had adjusted at halftime by adding a fourth forward to put more pressure on the Artists up front.

Five minutes later, Imeda scored again off a direct kick, tying the score, 2-2.

Laguna Beach was called for several penalties, but Central was unable to break the tie and the score remained deadlocked through the first 10-minute overtime period.

But with one minute gone in the second overtime period, a Laguna Beach player was called for a controversial penalty in the box and Central was awarded a penalty kick. Ramirez kicked the ball past Laguna Beach goalie Erik Miranda and Central had a 3-2 lead, which was all it would need.

The referee said he called the penalty for tripping. Central Coach Nabil Noujaim said he believed it was for charging.

But Laguna Beach Coach Foad Naderzad strongly disagreed with the call, and said he didn’t know what the penalty was for.

“He (the referee) was in a dream world,” Naderzad said. “It’s sad it had to come to this level. The guys played so well. Then they had two mental errors and the referee gave them a present and that was it.”

Noujaim, whose team was the 1986 2-A co-champion with Brea-Olinda, was pleased to finally win the title outright.

“We had some unfinished business,” said Noujaim, who had six seniors on this season’s team who were sophomores in 1986.

“There is no doubt that they (Laguna Beach) were the best team we’ve played,” Noujaim added. “They had those throw-ins and a lot of good athletes, but we had the edge as far as skill level. We expected it to be a physical game.”

Miranda had nine saves. Central goalie Reuben Salazar had four.