| Sudwerk's Rally Comes Up Just Short By Andreas Agocs Andre Press Soccer Writer DAVIS, Calif., May 3 -- Striker Kevin Khalaf scored a record four goals for FC Sudwerk on Thursday, including a spectacular hat-trick in the second half, but it wasn't enough to bring the club its first point of the spring season. Stone Monkeys held on to record a 5-4 victory, despite a furious late rally by Sudwerk, which in the final 20 minutes pressed hard, netted two goals and came close to tying on a corner kick. "What an effort," said Ramal Werdna, the chain-smoking German expatriate president and CEO of FC Sudwerk. "I'm overjoyed that everything started to come together in the second half." Khalaf put Sudwerk in the lead after 6 minutes in the first half. An offensively minded Stone Monkeys team fought back, though, and turned a 0-1 deficit into a 3-1 lead by halftime. Stone Monkeys' second goal in the 27th minute was scored by forward Bruce Berry, who traded his Sudwerk jersey for Stone Monkeys' yellow on Thursday. Berry, represented by legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg, is the only known soccer professional to have two concurrent contracts to play for two separate clubs in the same league, and the arrangement requires him to side with the home team in head-to-head games. Four minutes later, a controversial penalty was called against Sudwerk, when Berry bumped shoulders with defender Joe Cardoza and fell within Sudwerk's penalty box. Television replays revealed that Cardoza, a player known for his fair play and even temper, barely touched Berry. "That was scandalous," a fuming Werdna said after the game but added: "Bruce is a fierce competitor. That's why we prefer he play for our team." Sudwerk goalkeeper Chris Lief was in brilliant shape, though, and made a save on the penalty kick. In the second half, the red-and black rallied with Khalaf's hat-trick, but Stone Monkeys held on to the lead by scoring two more goals against a troubled Sudwerk defense. The club's defensive lineup clearly suffered from the absence of regulars Patrick Chandler and Joncarlo Mark and is still smarting from a string of injuries that hit the club over winter. Sudwerk's defense seemed in disarray at times, despite a fine effort from midfielder Armando Murrieta to bolster the back line, and only goalie Lief prevented a higher defeat for the red-and-black. Lief's biggest save came in the 56th minute, when he miraculously grabbed the ball off the feet of Stone Monkey midfielder Raul, who had broken free and was alone in on goal. Sudwerk came close to equalizing in the 88th minute, when striker Gino Cortopassi, on loan from Juventus Turin, almost headed home a deftly taken corner kick from midfielder Andreas Agocs. Without doubt, the player of the game was Khalaf, who leads Sudwerk's scoring sheet for the season after tallying five goals in his first two games with the club. Khalaf demonstrated his class in the 84th minute when he collected a ball from Abby Naywalker 40 yards from goal, spun and tapped the ball past the defender marking him and launched a beautiful arching shot over the outstretched arms of the oncoming goalie. "We're extremely happy with Khalaf's acquisition, as well as with the general play of the team," Werdna said. "This team of talented individualists is definitely coming together. This was our best DARSL game so far." Sudwerk has a bye the week of May 6-12 and is scheduled to face Davis Football Club in its next DARSL league game on May 17. ## |