AC Allstars maintain winning record

The Angel City Football Club suffered its second loss of the season, Saturday during 7s action at the Santa Monica Airport Fields, but followed with two convincing wins on the day.

Angel City FC dropped its first points of the season losing 8-1 to the BH Allstars after trailing 2-0 at the half, and now sports a record of three wins and a loss. David Woirhaye notched the lone goal seconds after the half-time whistle, but the squad seemed to lose steam and never mounted a comeback. The team was missing its Norwegian contingent -- Marius Sandvik and David Siraj, as well as lead goal-scorer Dan Sapienza.

ACFC brought its record up to three wins and a loss as well with a convincing 11-3 victory over the Slutty Buffalos 2. Sergei Baranov, Dan Klein, David Woirhaye and Craig Nichols each picked up a brace while Drew Dylan, Michael Gemballa and Rahoul Ghose rounded out the scoring.

In the 11:30 match the AC Allstars moved to 4-0 with a hard-fought 6-1 win over Del Rey United. Jonny Ibanez, fresh off a hard week of bar exams, collected a pair to top the team, while Matt Onheiber, Craig Nichols and Dan Klein added singles. The final tally was an own goal off a shot by Ricardo LeDoux.

The AC Allstars, ACFC and Angel City FC return to play next Saturday with games at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 AM. Times and fields will be announced this week.

GAME SCORES AND STATS

AC Allstars (6) vs Del Rey United (1)

Goals: Jonny Ibanez (2), Matt Onheiber, Craig Nichols, Dan Klein, OG
Assists: Santiago Gomez-Ribeiro, Dan Klein, Matt Onheiber,
Ricardo LeDoux, Craig Nichols, Volkert Besseling

ACFC (11) vs Slutty Buffalos 2 (3)

Goals: Sergei Baranov (2), Dan Klein (2), David Woirhaye (2),
Craig Nichols (2), Michael Gemballa, Rahoul Ghose, Dylan Drew
Assists: Peter Wasek, Dylan Drew, David Woirhaye

Angel City FC (1) vs BH Allstars (8)

Goal: David Woirhaye

Angel City takes sixth win

Angel City captured its sixth successive win Tuesday night at Griffith Park, knocking off a strong Zig Zag Jaro side 2-1 in a tightly contested often chippy game.

After a confusing first 10 minutes, when neither team could gain control on the field, Zig Zag Jaro -- last year's Division C winners -- appeared to take the lead off a free kick about 35 yards out on the right side. The ball sailed over the pitch and keeper Dave Styles' hands into the top lefthand corner. But, much to Styles and the ACFC defence's relief, the goal was called back as the infraction had been awarded as an indirect free kick.

The majority of ball play seemed restricted to center field, but at the 27-minute mark, Dan Sapienza took a ball from about 45 yards out and ran it in for a goal even as he was being trailed and fouled by three Zig Zag Jaro defenders. The goal lifted ACFC who took control of the remainder of the half but couldn't score.

The second half saw Zig Zag Jaro push up into the ACFC end where they earned several corner kicks and free kicks, some questionnable (Flip Flop Jaro). The ZZJ squad's strength appears to be in set plays and at the 59th minute Zig Zag Jaro converted a corner with a strong header tying the game at one.

Both squads fought hard for the winner but ACFC, which has also been practicing set plays heavily, struck back on similar play, with eventual MVP Peter Wasek heading home a David Woirhaye corner kick.

ACFC finished on a strong note with several more chances on goal and with the defence and midfield shutting down the offensive attack.

Angel City's next game will be a rematch against FC Perya, Tuesday, March 3 at John Ferraro #6 with a 6:30 PM kickoff. ACFC took the first encounter 5-1.

ACFC's biggest test to date is still up in the air -- a replay of last week's postponed match against the Blue Eagles -- who have also posted an impressive win streak this season. ACFC sits atop the table with six wins and 18 points ... 28 goals for and four against. The Blue Eagles, who suffered their first points loss this season with a 2-2 tie against Silverlake Feb. 25, have five wins and a tie for 16 points with 21 goals for and four against. Other results this week included:

Sentinels (1) - Dinamo Lokomotiv (3)
Silverlagos (3) - FC Perya (4)

GAME STATS

Goals: Dan Sapienza, Peter Wasek
Assists: David Woirhaye
ACFC MVP: Peter Wasek
Shots: ACFC (6), Zig Zag Jaro (3)
Corners: ACFC (5), Zig Zag Jaro (5)
Yellow Cards: ACFC (1), Zig Zag Jaro(2)

Collected balls: (15) Bryan Moore

Angel City Team Updates and Notices

Note: for those players playing in the Santa Monica Adult 7s league there is one important rule to remember at the field.

NO food or drink is allowed in the field area EXCEPT PLAIN WATER. If you are caught with either on the field by league officials, you will be banned from playing for the day. This rule is set down by the City of Santa Monica, not the league. And infractions could result in the league losing its permit. One ACFC player today was nearly banned, and a second WAS banned from playing this past weekend. So they are serious.

In other news, the team's next three practices will be Thursdays from 8:30 to 10 PM at Stoner Park (1835 Stoner Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90025). But players are asked to arrive by 7:45 PM for warm-up.

And schedules for next weekend's 7s games will be up as soon as they are posted on the league website. The 11s make-up match against the Blue Eagles may also be played this week, possibly Friday night (stay tuned for an announcement).

Four days of soccer in a week ... who could ask for more.

Angel City takes two of three 7s matches

Angel City dropped its first loss of the season, but came back with two strong efforts in 7s action Saturday at the Santa Monica Airport Fields.

ACFC met its hardest challenge to date in the first game of the day -- against the Swamp Donkeys -- losing a close match 6-3. The AC Allstars put the club back to winning ways in the second match against Santa Monica One Touch, knocking off an older, glow-in-the-dark squad 7-2 with both Ben O'Meara and Craig Nichols earning a brace. And Angel City FC capped off the morning with a devastating 11-1 win over the Pommey Bs, including a five-goal effort from Matthew McCallum and four goals from Norwegian import Marius Sandvik.

In the absence of Billy Alarcon, club manager Ben Kull took over coaching duties, with an injured, but fast-recovering Bryan Moore helping out with the managing for the three games.

The AC Allstars, ACFC and Angel City FC return to play next Saturday with games at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 AM. Times and fields will be announced this week.

GAME SCORES AND STATS

AC Allstars (7) vs Santa Monica One Touch (2)

Goals: Ben O'Meara (2), Craig Nichols (2), Ricardo LeDoux, Jonny Ibanez, Matt Onheiber
Assists: Volkert Besseling, Sergei Baranov, Dan Klein, Ricardo LeDoux

ACFC (3) vs Swamp Donkeys (6)

Goals: Mike Sharp (2), Dan Klein
Assists: Rahoul Ghose

Angel City FC (11) vs Pommey Bs (1)

Goals: Matthew McCallum (5), Marius Sandvik (4), David Alarcon, OG
Assists: Marius Sandvik (2), Matthew McCallum, David Alarcon, Ivan O'Neil, David Siraj

Angel City 7s post three more wins

Angel City's three 7s squads earned another trio of wins in the Santa Monica Adult League Saturday, closely mirroring results from the previous week despite several absences due to injury and work.

The AC Allstars kicked off the morning with a 9-1 drubbing of Double Impact, with Jonny Ibanez, Marius Sandvik and Matt Onheiber each earning a brace. Angel City FC continued its winning streak with a hard-fought 6-3 come-from-behind victory against JP Morgan with David Woirhaye racking up a hat trick. And ACFC dominated a younger Featherless Bipeds side 8-0, with Sergei Baranov and Mike Sharp each posting a hat trick and keeper Peter Marlenga recording the shutout.

The AC Allstars, ACFC and Angel City FC return to play next Saturday with games at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 AM.

GAME SCORES AND STATS

AC Allstars (9) vs Double Impact (1)

Goals: Jonny Ibanez (2), Marius Sandvik (2), Matt Onheiber (2), Brad Colwell, Ricardo LeDoux, David Siraj
Assists: Volkert Besseling, Santiago Gomez-Ribeiro, Ricardo LeDoux, Matt Onheiber


ACFC (8) vs Featherless Bipeds (0)

Goals: Sergei Baranov (3), Mike Sharp (3), Mike Gemballa, Dylan Drew
Assists: Dan Klein (3)
Shutout: Peter Marlenga

Angel City FC (6) vs JP Morgan (3)

Goals: David Woirhaye (3), Marius Sandvik, Volkert Besseling, Matthew McCallum
Assists: Marius Sandvik, Matthew McCallum, Volkert Besseling, Craig Nichols

ACFC notches fifth victory in tough Silverlake match

Angel City showed true grit Tuesday night, coming back from a 1-0 first half deficit to take its fifth straight win with a hard fought 4-1 victory over cross-town rivals Silverlake FC.

In what was one of ACFC's toughest challenges to date, the Teal Warriors were initially knocked off their game by a physically aggressive Silverlake side. And while there were good scoring opportunities at both ends of the field, it was Silverlake who struck first at the 30-minute mark, with a first-time shot off a well taken corner kick. ACFC pushed forward for the equalizer but couldn't quite finish before the half-time whistle. One effort in particular saw the Silverlake goalie save a shot from behind the goal line, but the referee was obstructed by several players and called for a goal kick.

Game flow was constantly interrupted by the Silverlake decision to make several subs at every opportunity, a strategy which eventually even got on the game officials' nerves.

In the second half, Angel City stepped up its game with more aggressive tackles in the midfield and a fast counterattacking game. In an inspired run, Dan Sapienza -- voted ACFC MVP of the game -- chested a ball forward at the midway mark of the field, and then took the ball past at least four players. Then, with a defender breathing down his back, Sapienza knocked the ball past the Silverlake keeper from a near impossible angle to tie the tally at the 50-minute mark of the game. The individual effort lifted the squad to an even higher gear, and 10 minutes later Russ Muratov -- currently ACFC's lead scorer with eight goals thus far this season -- slid into the Silverlake goalmouth to convert a Ben O'Meara pass.

Strong defence from Kirby Adams, Dan Stafford and Leo Wallach, as well as solid midfield performances from Matt Onheiber and David 'Puma' Alarcon, kept the ball in Silverlake territory, allowing at least three incredible goalmouth opportunities which were turned aside by some acrobatic goalkeeping.

Muratov finally added to the scoreline with about five minutes to go, converting a Ben O'Meara corner kick. And Sapienza also earned a brace with a final strike at the 87-minute mark. By this point the game had gotten a bit rough. ACFC were handed out three yellows, while Silverlake received four ... two issued against the team's tall sweeper, who was ejected for a pushing incident against Sapienza.

"Last night we were up against the wall and we fought back and rallied together as a team," ACFC coach Billy Alarcon said following the match. "We kept our cool against a sloppy, physical team. We out-hustled them in the second half and most importantly, we didn't panic being down a goal at the half. We are a strong, confident but not cocky team. And we showed a lot of heart."

Angel City's biggest test to date comes Feb. 17 against the Blue Eagles -- who have also posted an impressive win streak this season. Kickoff is at 8:25 PM at John Ferraro #6.


GAME STATS

Goals: Russ Muratov (2), Dan Sapienza (2)
Assists: Ben O'Meara (2)
ACFC MVP: Dan Sapienza
Shots: ACFC (10), Dinamo Lokomotiv (6)
Corners: ACFC (11), Dinamo Lokomotiv (5)
Yellow Cards: ACFC (3), Dinamo Lokomotiv (4)
Red Cards: ACFC (0), Dinamo Lokomotiv (1)

Angel City racks up a trio of 7s wins

Angel City's three 7s squads kicked off the Santa Monica Adult League Saturday with a trio of impressive wins.

Led by four goal efforts from Jonny Ibanez, David Woirhaye and Dan Sapienza the squads outscored their opponents 23-5 on the day (see results and stats below).

The day also saw the return of Peter Marlenga between the Angel City posts. Marlenga, who had been in training for a marathon, played two of the three games, making several impressive and acrobatic saves. The AC Allstars, ACFC and Angel City FC return to play next Saturday with games at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 AM.

GAME SCORES AND STATS

AC Allstars (8) vs That's What She Said (1)

Goals: Jonny Ibanez (4). Marius Sandvik (2), Santiago Gomez-Ribeiro (2)
Assists: Ben O'Meara, Marius Sandvik, Brad Colwell, Matt Onheiber, Russ Muratov


ACFC (9) vs McDermott (1)

Goals: David Woirhaye (4), Mike Gemballa (2), Craig Nichols, Mike Sharp, OG
Assists: Mike Sharp, Sergei Baranov, David Woirhaye, Craig Nichols


Angel City FC (6) vs Matador FC (3)

Goals: Dan Sapienza (4), MariusSandvik, Dan Klein
Assists: David Alarcon, David Woirhaye

Kull coaches team to first half Silverlagos shutout

Manager Ben Kull donned the coach's stopwatch and clipboard Tuesday night to lead Angel City FC to a 1-0 first half lead against a scrappy Silverlagos squad. ACFC went on to win 5-1 upon Coach Alarcon's second half return.

Following the game, Kull commented, "I was going to use the headline 'ACFC polishes the Silverlagos,' which I thought was pretty clever, but it didn't really highlight my own personal achievement, which is what I really care about."

ACFC came out strong, dominating possession in the opening minutes, leading to a ninth minute Brandon Cole goal. Not much else happened for the rest of the first half.

Well, actually, the ACFC defense, led by game MVP Justin "Kirby" Adams (aka "The Kirb") held the Silverlagos to only one shot on goal for the half. So that was good.

As halftime arrived, there was a general feeling of unease among the squad members as some wondered to themselves whether they would regret missing the half dozen shots they missed in the first half. The team looked to Kull for a rousing Gene Hackman style pep talk. A pep talk that would never come. Instead the rookie coach muttered something about switching fields and prayed for a real coach to arrive.

His prayers, as well as those of the entire team were answered with the half time arrival of Head Coach Billy Alarcon.

Alarcon was overheard saying, "I got here as fast as I could. How much damage did he do?"

As the second half began, ACFC struggled to maintain possession on the dust carpet of John Ferraro #6. And in the 54th minute, they paid the price as a tenacious Silverlagos squad won and converted a direct free kick, just outside the box.

For the first time this season ACFC had their backs against the wall. Facing an advancing Silverlagos threat and the real possibility of dropping points, Coach Alarcon and his team stared into the abyss and asked themselves what kind of men they truly be.

The answer came in the 65th minute as Dan Sapienza blasted a shot into the back of the opponent's net. And with it went all hopes for a Silverlagos upset.

In characteristic ACFC fashion, the Teals scored three goals in the final 20 minutes of the game, thanks to strikes from Brandon Cole and Dan Sapienza, both notching braces on the night, as well as a last minute header by Oleksyi "Russ" Kovalevsy from a David Woirhaye cross. A potent combination, as Russ leads the team in goals with six on the season and Dave is tops in assists with six.

The Silverlagos responded to the flurry of goals with a frustrated elbow to the head of midfield general David "Puma" Alarcon, earning a straight red card.

Angel City players Dan Sapienza and David Woirhaye received yellow cards on the night. And Coach Alarcon put his final stamp on an impressive victory with a late game yellow card of his own for defending his players, which as Manager Kull would note, is what real coaches do.

*Most of the facts in this piece are true. Some quotes gave been manufactured to serve the agenda of the author.

GAME STATS

Goals: Brandon Cole (2), Dan Sapienza (2), Russ Muratov
Assists: Russ Muratov, Tom Bry, David Woirhaye
ACFC MVP: Kirby Adams
Shots: ACFC (12), Silverlagos (3)
Corners: ACFC (6), Silverlagos (3)