HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER / CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS : Monroe Upsets San Pedro on Viramontes’ Penalty Kick

After Monroe goalkeeper Misael Viramontes made the final penalty kick to give the underdog Vikings a 1-0 victory over host San Pedro on Tuesday in a City Section soccer semifinal match, he was asked if he ever had taken such a kick.

“Two other times,” he said. “I made them both.”

His coach, Elias Andrade, smiled.

“Actually, he missed one against Van Nuys earlier this season,” Andrade said.

Andrade was certain, but except for his memory, everything about Viramontes against San Pedro was flawless.

He had 17 saves through 120 grueling minutes of play, including two 15-minute overtimes and two five-minute sudden-death overtimes. He stopped a penalty shot. And with the penalty kick score tied, 3-3, with only himself remaining to shoot, Viramontes drilled a low shot into the right corner of the net, advancing the Vikings (12-1) to the championship.

Monroe will face Fremont Friday at Birmingham High.

“Absolutely, it was his best game ever,” Monroe Coach Elias Andrade said of Viramontes, “because that was the toughest team we’ve played.’

That was evident as the second-seeded Pirates (11-2) outshot Monroe by a wide margin and the Vikings found themselves in the unfamiliar position of scrapping and clawing to stay in the match.

Viramontes made several diving stops and close-range deflections to send the match to overtime, and was similarly perfect in the extra period. He also saved San Pedro’s second penalty shot, by Michael DiMassa.

Jose Pineda, Nicholas Duran and Eduardo Silva each made penalty shots to set up Viramontes’ clutch kick.,

There was no doubt that Viramontes would take the last penalty shot, according to his coach.

“He places the ball very well,” Andrade said. “He came through for us.”

Viramontes deposited the ball neatly into the right corner of the net, then ran to his jubilant teammates and was carried off the field on the shoulders of cheering Monroe fans.