HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER PLAYOFFS : Mission Bay Beats Madison but Loses Player Because of Brawl

Mission Bay and Madison, two schools which had not played each other in boys’ soccer for at least three years, got together Tuesday afternoon in the San Diego Section Division III quarterfinals and acted like fierce rivals.

No. 1-seeded Mission Bay prevailed, 3-1, but not intact. Because of a near-brawl that broke out with only seconds remaining in the contest, Mission Bay (12-4-2) will be without its center midfielder for its semifinal Friday against Coronado.

Mission Bay Coach Bruce Cochrane will have to alter his lineup in the absence of Socrates Scatolini, who received a red card ejection for his part in the fight that occurred in front of the Madison bench. According to Section rules, players issued red cards must sit out the next game.

Also ejected for violent misconduct were Madison’s Ryan McClintock and Tye Gloria.

Players from both teams (but none from either bench) entered the fray and yellow cards were issued to Mission Bay’s Coitelli Scatolini and to Madison’s Juan Castro-Escudero and Ford Do Phuong for ungentlemanly conduct.

Cochrane also received an automatic yellow card for running onto the field, though referees acknowledged it was Cochrane alone who managed to separate the players and restore order.

Losing Socrates Scatolini might not adversely affect Mission Bay’s attack, which consists mainly of left-footed striker Aaron Susi.

Susi scored Mission Bay’s first two goals Tuesday and took the corner kick that led to its third. His first came off a direct free kick from some 30 yards out. The free kick was awarded after Susi dribbled through three defenders and was tripped from behind as he got by a fourth and final defender.

That came with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. With some five minutes gone in the second half, Susi took a pass in the midfield, again weaved his way through three Madison fullbacks and into the clear 20 yards from the net before he put a shot just inside the left post.