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In a 4A South Region quarterfinal match slowed by sloppy field conditions, the Eleanor Roosevelt High School boys' soccer team edged Laurel, 2-0, Tuesday afternoon in Greenbelt.
Roosevelt coach George Kallas said his team barely overcame a muddy turf, nagging injuries and sluggish play to move on to the regional semifinals, where the Raiders will visit second-seeded High Point (11-2). The time and location of the game had not been determined as of press time.
Third-seeded Roosevelt (12-3) went ahead 16 minutes into the first half, as senior midfielder Michael Beard headed in a corner kick past Laurel goalie Denys Rivera. Eight minutes into the second half, the ball bounced off the back of a Laurel defender's head and into the Spartans' net for an own goal, putting Roosevelt ahead, 2-0.
Laurel coach Eric Ferguson said "it was just one of those freaky-type goals." Ferguson said an adjustment from a 4-1-4 to a 3-5-2 formation allowed his team to generate more scoring chances in the second half, but the Spartans failed to capitalize. Laurel (9-5-1) exceeded Ferguson's expectations in 2009.
"I was telling them [Tuesday] that I got more than I expected from them," he said. "Coming into the end of the season they stepped their game up and played very, very well. I think the younger players were playing like veterans."
Roosevelt moves on to face a High Point team fresh off a 9-0 win over Henry A. Wise on Tuesday. Senior forward Eric Medrano scored four times, Siwapun Phumiphuk added two goals and Edwin Claros, Chris Vargas and Daniel Bonilla each had one goal in the win.
High Point beat Roosevelt, 2-0, during the regular season, but Eagles' coach Michael Holt said he knows the rematch won't be easy.
"It's the playoffs, it's a new ballgame, you can't take anything for granted and go in overconfident," Holt said. "Roosevelt is not a pushover. They're a tough team."
