| Sudwerk Suffers Second-Half Breakdown By Joseph Hunter Andre Press Soccer Writer DAVIS, Calif., May 18 -- FC Sudwerk gave up a record eight goals in the second half on Friday on the way to losing 9-4 to the Davis Football Club. The defeat dropped Sudwerk to 0-4 in the spring DARSL season and proved especially discouraging, as the club held the lead 2-1 after the first half but saw several of its stars fall victim to injury in the second half. Goal-scoring threat Bruce Berry suffered a smashed toe, sweeper Patrick Chandler pulled a hamstring and star midfield playmaker Armando Murrieta banged up a right knee already reeling from a torn ACL. Berry and Chandler are expected back in the lineup Tuesday, but Murrieta is out for the season and likely finished playing for the club, team officials said. "Armando has had a brilliant run and an incredible impact on this club," said Ramal Werdna, the president and CEO of FC Sudwerk. "He'll be impossible to replace, and we'll miss him." Murrieta, 19, is scheduled to have knee surgery in August. The talented midfielder has attracted international attention and has expressed a desire to play in Southern California after his contract with Sudwerk expires this summer. In addition to losing key personnel, Sudwerk was afflicted by windy conditions, which wreaked havoc on its defenders and goalie Chris Lief, who played facing into the stiff, swirling breeze in the second half. Davis FC opened the scoring in the 5th minute. Sudwerk, though, equalized on a beautiful goal from Berry, who curved a left-footed shot from the top of the box into the left side of the goal in the 15th minute. Berry nearly got another on a well-take corner kick in the 27th minute from Murrieta. He hit Berry at the six-hard line, where Davis FC's keeper made a spectacular save to prevent Berry's header from going in. A minute later, Sudwerk striker Kevin Khalaf used a back-heel to slip the ball into the net after a mad scramble in front of Davis FC's goal. While the red-and-black gave up goals in the 48th and 51st minutes, it pulled even again in the 62nd minute when Khalaf out-huscled the Davic FC left fullback to the ball and launched a right-footed strike from 20 yards out to beat an out-of-position keeper. With the two goals on Friday, Khalaf has tallied an incredible seven goals in just three games for the red-and-black. His performance has exceeded even the lofty expectations of Sudwerk's front office, which reportedly payed Ajax Amsterdam a seven-figure transfer fee for Khalaf. Sudwerk saw the game quickly slip away after that, however, with Davis FC scoring a string of unanswered goals aided by the wind. Andreas Agocs recorded the red-and-black's final goal on a nicely curving, left-footed shot from the 18-yard line late in the game. "We've shown we can play very well and dominate games for an entire half," Werdna said. "We need to stay positive and build on that." Sudwerk's next game is 8 p.m. Tuesday against Arsenal. ## |