Salsa Continues to Get By, Remains Undefeated : Soccer: Team misses star forward Paulinho but still beats Ft. Lauderdale, 3-2, in a shootout to take sole possession of first.

For the second consecutive game, the Salsa played without its high-scoring forward, Paulinho, and for the second consecutive game, the Salsa needed a shootout to remain unbeaten in the American Professional Soccer League.

Friday night in front of approximately 5,000 spectators at Titan Stadium, the Salsa defeated the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, 3-2, topping the Strikers, 3-1, in a shootout after playing to a 2-2 tie in 90 minutes of regulation and 15 minutes of overtime.

Last Friday, the Salsa beat the Montreal Impact, 3-2, by winning the shootout, 1-0.

The Salsa improved to 4-0 and took sole of first place in the APSL. The Colorado Foxes lost to Vancouver, 2-0, Friday to fall to 3-1.

The Salsa will be without Paulinho, who suffered a dislocated elbow during a scrimmage against the U.S. National team last week, for three weeks. Paulinho had three goals and one assist in the first two victories.

“We need Paulinho to solidify the middle for us,” Salsa forward Paul Wright said. “We’re just barely getting by without him.”

The Salsa’s 6-foot-6 goalie, Ian Feuer, played a big role Friday, stopping three of four players in the shootout, including Ft. Lauderdale’s Zico Doe, who entered the game as the league’s leading goal scorer with four.

Wright, who earlier had scored his fourth goal of the season, and Arut Karapetyan scored the Salsa’s first two goals in the shootout.

Waldir Guerra, the Salsa’s fourth of five players in the shootout, clinched it by chipping the ball over Ft. Lauderdale goalie Jorge Valenzuela.

The Salsa looked as if it would win in regulation after Arturo Velazco’s goal off a rebound made it 2-1 in the game’s 72nd minute. But Kenny Santos scored for Ft. Lauderdale (1-3) on a header into an open net 10 minutes later to force overtime.

Ft. Lauderdale scored first 20 minutes into the first half on forward Eric Eichmann’s second goal of the season.

Doe chipped a perfect pass to Eichmann at the top of the penalty area, and Eichmann easily beat Feuer with a shot to the lower left corner.

Three minutes later, the Salsa drew even, 1-1, after Wright was fouled, then scored on the following direct free kick.

Wright kicked his 20-yard shot low, around the Strikers’ five-man wall, bouncing it off the left goal post and past a diving Valenzuela.

Wright, who also has two assists this season, passed Doe for the league’s individual scoring lead. Doe has four goals and an assist.

Salsa Notes

Sunday, the Salsa will play a 4:30 p.m. exhibition against Chivas of Guadalajara at Cal State Fullerton. The game will precede a 6:30 p.m. exhibition featuring the U.S. and Bolivian national teams. Tickets are $15. . . . Midfielder Javier Aguirre, the Salsa’s recent acquisition, played with Chivas during exhibition against the Toronto Blizzard, which followed the Salsa-Ft. Lauderdale game late Friday. Aguirre, who will split time with his coaching duties for the Mexican National team, is scheduled to play his first game with the Salsa Sunday.