SOCCER ROUNDUP : An Aggressive Garfield Blanks Roosevelt, 2-0
In an aggressive game from beginning to end, the Garfield High boys’ soccer team shut out rival Roosevelt 2-0 Wednesday in a Southeastern Conference match.
The win puts the Bulldogs in first place in the Eastern League, with an overall record of 6-1-1 and 4-1-1 in league. Roosevelt’s record fell to 4-2-2 overall, 2-1-2 in league.
Bulldog forward Hector Villareal scored in the 23rd minute of the first half off a rebound shot by midfielder Ricardo Salcedo. Five minutes later, left wing Miguel Gomez hammered the ball into the net from short range on a pass by Salcedo.
Roughrider goalie Marcos Cabrera made several spectacular saves, including a catlike leap to the upper right corner of the goal to capture a ball booted by Salcedo from outside the penalty box.
Roosevelt’s best chances to score came early in the second half on two direct kicks from about 25 yards. One shot taken by Franco Perez deflected off a five-man wall to set up a corner kick.
The Bulldogs received three yellow cards for rough plays and one red card during the game. Mario Garcia was ejected in the 76th minute.
In other matches Wednesday:
* Belmont 1, Washington 0--Roberto Reyes scored a goal with 20 seconds remaining in the match as Belmont handed Washington a heartbreaking loss in a nonconference game.
The Sentinels, who improved to 7-0-1, struck when the General goalkeeper Alfredo Hernandez came out of the penalty box and misplayed the ball, letting it roll behind him. Reyes then fielded the loose ball and punched it into the net.
The game was a battle between the goalies. Hernandez and Belmont’s Mario Orellana each made nine saves.
“It was not one our better games,” Belmont coach Nancy Swain said. “It was ugly (because) the players weren’t helping each other. We won, but I’m not happy. I don’t like winning by luck.”
The Generals (2-2-1) were eliminated from last season’s semifinals by Belmont in a 10-9 shootout.
“It would have meant a lot to get a win at Belmont,” Washington Coach Mike Asfall said. “The loss was a fluke. We were there the whole 80 minutes.”
* Jefferson 4, Jordan 2--Striker Alfredo Garcia scored two goals in the first half to give the Democrats (6-6-1) an early lead over host Jordan (0-5-2) in a Southeastern Conference match.
Jordan’s Miguel Fuentes and Jose Luis Savala each scored on second half corner kicks, but to no avail as the Bulldogs could not overcome the strong offensive performance by the Democrat forwards.
Alfredo Hernandez and Walter Martinez netted the ball for Jefferson in the second half to secure the win.
* Manual Arts 4, Los Angeles 1--Forward Pablo Puga scored two goals as the Toilers (6-2) beat the visiting Romans in a Metro League match.
Selvin Pineda and Juan Rivas also scored goals for Manual Arts, which had little trouble penetrating the weakened Los Angeles defense.
* Dorsey 2, Crenshaw 0--Nelson Funes received the ball inside the penalty box on a corner kick and smashed the ball into the net to give the Dons (3-1-4) all the scoring they needed in a Southern Pacific Conference win over the host Cougars (4-3-1). Anderson Melendez scored an insurance goal in 20th minute of the second half.
* Bell 4, South Gate 0--Eagle striker Juan Abarca scored one goal in each half to lead Bell (2-1-2) to a Southeastern Conference win over the Rams (3-5, 0-5).
The Rams were diminished by the absence of starting goalie Guillermo Delgado, who is out for the season with a head injury. The Eagles also scored on a header by sweeper Ron Daniels in the first half and a flying left-footed kick by second stringer Salvador Morales with about three minutes left.
South Gate (3-5) failed on its best scoring opportunity, a penalty kick in the first half.
* Lincoln 1, Marshall 1--Lincoln midfielder Melvin Hernandez tied the game after receiving a pass off a free kick from Jose Regalado with five minutes remaining. The Northern Conference tie brought Lincoln’s record to 2-1-4.
Girls’ Soccer
* Belmont 2, Venice 1--Maria Zavala scored both goals to lead Belmont (2-5-1) to a Central League win at Venice.
* San Pedro 3, Bell 0--Bell (3-1-4) couldn’t overcome a 1-0 deficit in the first half, surrendering two more goals in the second half that included one on a goalie error.
* Garfield 3, Jefferson 0--Noemi Ayala scored in the 10th minute on a rebound off of her own shot on goal, and Liz Oyarzabal scored on a corner kick 15 minutes later to give the Bulldogs (4-3) a 2-0 cushion into the second half. Diana Segoviano scored the third goal on a personal play.
