Leal Scores Twice to Help Zodiac Win
The Zodiac, which vowed to be more offensive minded this season, scored three times in the first 26 minutes and went on to defeat the San Francisco Bay Seals, 4-2, Saturday night at Santa Ana Stadium in front of a disappointing crowd of about 450.
The Zodiac, which lost in a shootout on Thursday to U.S. Pro-40, evened its record at 2-2 and stayed in contention for a U.S. Open Cup berth. The Open Cup includes MLS, A-League and Division 3 teams. A-League teams are selected after six games.
Gustavo Leal, making his first start, broke a 1-1 tie with two goals in a five-minute span midway through the first half.
“We were hoping Gustavo would find his rhythm and he did,” Zodiac Coach Erik Kirsch said. “We gave him his chance and he showed us. He showed today he wants to be one of the top forwards.”
Steve Patterson, who started at forward with Leal and Jose Vasquez, scored the Zodiac’s first goal and assisted on Leal’s first goal. The odd man out was Eddie Soto, who was the team’s second leading scorer last year.
San Francisco closed to 3-2 in the 52nd minute on a goal by defender Geoff Huber, who volleyed a deflected shot past Zodiac goalkeeper Dan Abdalla from eight yards away. Minutes earlier, Abdalla was shaken up after saving a point-blank shot with his face. The next two saves might have been the most crucial of the night and neither were made by Abdalla. Two point-blanks shots were cleared by defender Kenny Hesse after Abdalla had come out of goal.
After rotating goalkeepers for the first four games, Kirsch said he is ready to name a full-time keeper. He didn’t exactly give Abdalla a ringing endorsement.
“He played a good game against a fair team,” Kirsch said.
Rivers Guthrie, who played with Charleston last year, scored the Zodiac’s final goal in the 74th minute when he hammered a centering pass past J.J. Wozniak from 12 yards out.
Leal gave the Zodiac a 2-1 lead in the 21st minute when he took a Patterson pass and skipped a bullet off the right hand of Seals’ goalkeeper J.J. Wozniak. Leal’s second goal from the top of the circle was impressive. On the dead run, he volleyed a looping pass from defender Paul McDonnell over the head of Wozniak at the top of the circle.
