HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS : Monroe Contains Guzman, Advances to Semifinal

It was the gazelle vs. the fireplug in the first half of Friday’s City Section quarterfinal soccer playoff between Monroe and Washington highs.

Rangy, loping Viking forward Nicolas Duran and 5-foot-3, scrappy General striker Elio Guzman dominated the first 40 minutes of play, creating numerous scoring opportunities.

But Guzman couldn’t convert, and Duran scored two goals to give the Vikings a 2-0 victory at home. Third-seeded Monroe (11-1) advanced to Tuesday’s semifinal against San Pedro.

“(Guzman), that short guy, he’s an excellent player,” Viking Coach Elias Andrade said. “He was the big threat. In the first half, he had the shots.”

But not the goals.

Guzman, who scored four times against Palisades in the Generals’ first-round victory, darted, pushed and hustled his way through Monroe’s defense in the first half, but was shut out. Monroe goalkeeper Misael Viramontes was robbed early in the half, deflecting a Guzman shot from point-blank range barely over the crossbar. Viramontes had nine saves.

Guzman also had a goal called back on an offsides violation midway through the half.

His counterpart, Duran, a smooth ball-handler, had no such trouble. He blasted a 20-yard shot into the net in the 23rd minute, and 10 minutes later, he took a perfect cross from striker Danny Rospond and calmly hit a low shot into the wide-open left corner.

“We failed to score, and that second goal took the wind out of us,” Washington Coach Mike Asfall said.

In the second half, Monroe pulled back its defenders, concentrating on keeping Guzman under wraps.

“The second half we were a little bunched up,” Andrade said. “All we were trying to do was contain the 2-0 led. I kept yelling ‘siete, siete’ (Guzman’s uniform number, seven), trying to get the sweeper and the fullback to move along with him and help defend him.”

Fullback Jason Terena marked Guzman closely in the second half, and the forward never threatened.

The victory marked the second time in three seasons that Monroe has reached the semifinal round.

Washington, in only its second playoff appearance, finished at 7-3.

In girls’ playoff semifinals:

Chatsworth 3, Palisades 1--Senior forward Mary Oades scored all three goals for the top-seeded Chancellors (9-0), who advanced to the City Section championship game against Grant at 2 p.m. Friday at Birmingham High. Chatsworth has won four consecutive City championships.

Oades has scored eight goals in Chatsworth’s two playoff games, and has 22 goals this season. Her goals Friday were assisted by Heidi Strauss, Melinda George and Sherri McKnight.

Grant 5, San Pedro 0--The Lancers advanced to the championship match with a shutout of San Pedro at San Pedro.

Grant stopped Granada Hills, 2-0, in its first-round match.

Grant remained unbeaten at 14-0-1.