Sudwerk Caps Season with a Victory
By Andre Gilbert
AP Soccer Writer
DAVIS, Calif., March 13 -- FC Sudwerk ended a disappointing season on a positive note by defeating Big Pern'sPosse 4-1 on Tuesday night to snap a seven-game losing streak.
The victory, posted in the red-and-black's final game of the playoff tournament, lifted Sudwerk's overallrecord for the winter season to 3-10 and offered some encouragement for a club that saw its lofty expectations crash and burn over the last two months.
"This team showed some real heart," said Ramal Werdna, FC Sudwerk's president and CEO. "Almost everything imaginable went wrong this season, but this club fought right up to the end. To see this teamcome out and play its last game with such tenacity and courage makes me exceptionally proud."
Sudwerk's undoing in the round-robin playoff tournament, in which it went 1-3, mimicked its misfortune during the regular season.
In the first game, Davis United carved up the red-and-black's defense with its speed and precision. United scored quickly and coasted to a 4-0 victory.
In the second game, Sudwerk dominated the play against Julie's Coeds, controlling the ball and keeping it in Coeds' zone. But Julie's Coeds countered with a deadly counterattacking offense that capitalized on the skills of its star striker and made good on its limited goal-scoring opportunities to win 2-0.
In the third game, the red-and-black battled back against Woodland and scored with five minutes remaining to narrow the margin to 2-1. Woodland, though, rallied to score two late goals and seal the
victory 4-1.
In the final game of the evening, Sudwerk's luck finally began to change and the club rippled the back of the net after seeing many shots miss their mark during the first three games.
Goals came from Bruce Berry and Andreas Agocs, among others, and the team held off Posse with solid defense. Central defender Patrick Chandler had an especially strong game, shutting down Posse's counterattacks.
The vaunted California super-club's season went awry after many of its stars suffered injuries and others, such as first-string goalie Chris Lief, got called away frequently for national team duties. By midseason, Sudwerk was forced to field as many as four reserves each game, and the club had trouble finding a playing style and clicking as team.
The club also endured a string of bad luck, losing two games on last-minute goals.
On Tuesday night, Sudwerk was without Lief, midfielder Armando Murrieta and defenders Dave Raybould and Andrew LaMar.
"There's only one place to go, and that's up," Werdna said. "We look forward to the spring outdoor season and bidding adieu once and for all to DISC's Godforsaken Atak sport-court surface."
Sudwerk will join the Davis Adult Recreational Soccer League (DARSL), which begins the spring season the first week of April. Games will be scheduled for Thursday or Friday nights.
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