Monroe Disqualified From Final : Soccer: Bell to meet Kennedy for City title after two Viking players are ruled ineligible.

The Monroe High boys’ soccer team on Friday was disqualified from today’s City Section championship match for using two ineligible players and will be replaced in the final by Bell.

Bell will meet Kennedy today at 2:30 p.m. at Birmingham High. Monroe, a wild-card entry in the playoffs from the Valley Pac-8 Conference, defeated Bell, 2-0, in overtime in the semifinals Tuesday.

The City Section declared Monroe players Oscar Rios and William Leal ineligible because they participated on a club team during the high school season, a violation of a City Section rule that went into effect this season. Between Nov. 15 and Feb. 15, a player can participate on a club team or a school team, but not both, according to the City rule.

“Supposedly, Bell complained that two Monroe players played in an outside league,” Kennedy Coach Fred Singer said. “The downtown athletic office found out about it and made the decision.”

Monroe first-year Coach Elias Andrade declined to comment.

A similar incident resulted in the disqualification of Palisades from last year’s championship match, won by San Pedro, 4-3, over Belmont. Palisades, which had defeated San Pedro in the semifinals, was forced to forfeit the win after it was discovered a Dolphin player participated on a club team during the high school season.

In the girls’ final today at noon at Birmingham, Chatsworth, which won the inaugural girls’ soccer title last season, will attempt to repeat.

Chatsworth (14-1-1) will meet Palisades, which finished second behind San Pedro in the Central League and has enjoyed a magical ride through the playoffs with victories over El Camino Real and top-seeded Grant.

Second-seeded Chatsworth will attempt to pull the rug out from under Palisades with a prolific offense and miserly defense.

Junior forward Kris Bassler leads Chatsworth with 24 goals and 30 assists. Sophomore forward Laura Horn added 26 goals and 23 assists for a Chatsworth offense that averaged nearly five goals a match. Center halfback Heather Gorman scored 10 goals and added 21 assists.

Defender Kim Constantino and goalie Maggie Sherman keyed a defense that allowed only one goal in a 9-0-1 league campaign.

“I think they’re a strong defensive team,” Chatsworth co-Coach Bob Horn said of Palisades. “I don’t think they score a lot of goals but they don’t give up many goals.”

Chatsworth has no seniors.

Staff writer Brendan Healey contributed to this notebook.