Liga de Gulag, a young team that had been riding high in the 7-on-7 men’s soccer league, whose games are played Tuesday evenings in East Hampton’s Herrick Park, experienced its first loss of the season on Aug. 19, falling 3-2 to F.C. Tuxpan, a team battling with East Hampton Soccer Club for the fourth spot in the playoffs that are to begin Sept. 17.
Neither Liga nor Tuxpan was ready to play at the 6:30 start time, Leslie Czeladko, the league’s overseer, reported. Thus the first half lasted 20 minutes rather than the customary 30. With Liga missing its starting goalie, Michael Montesdeoca stepped in, and was quickly victimized as Christian Compuzano, Tuxpan’s top scorer, tapped by him a shot aimed toward the far post by Roberto Meza.
Compuzano scored again early in the second half, off a throw-in, occasioning another goalie switch on Liga’s part, Montesdeoca yielding to Gustavo Gutama. Meanwhile, David Ayala got the league leaders on the scoreboard, putting back the rebound of George Naula’s hard shot that had bounced off the hands of Tuxpan’s keeper, Jorge Lopez.
Thereafter, said Czeladko, Liga de Gulag came up empty on several occasions when only Lopez stood between its shooters and the nets, Lopez coming up with point-blank saves each time. Lizandro Carreto made it 3-1 Tuxpan immediately following Ayala’s score, netting a 40-yarder, and as the clock was running out Jonny Bautista got one back for Liga de Gulag, which, if it had taken the time to move the ball more when facing down Lopez on the close-in attacks, would have won, Czeladko said.
In the night’s second game, Tortorella Pools played the defending champion, Maidstone Market, even in the first half, which ended at 1-1, but with a goalie change in the second frame Tortorella, the runner-up to Maidstone in last fall’s final, fell apart. In that second half, Maidstone put seven shots by Romulo Tubatan, who had switched to goalie from his customary position as a defender because of a pulled muscle.
Those with multiple goals for the Market that night were Mateo Garcia, with three, and Alberto Zambrano and Maicol Parra with two each. Adolfo Perdomo, who scored in the first half, had the other. Leo Moran, with two, and Kevin Verdugo — off a corner throw-in by Tubatan — scored for Tortorella, treating Tortorella to an early 1-0 lead.
Sag Harbor United won Aug. 19’s finale, trouncing the East Hampton Soccer Club, which was missing its starting goalkeeper, 6-1. Sag Harbor led 3-1 at the half, thanks to goals by Donald Martinez (two) and Gustavo Morastitla, and followed up with three more in the second, by Donald Martinez (giving him a hat trick), Marvin Martinez, and Nelson Moran.
Going into this week’s games, Liga de Gulag topped the standings, at 6-1-0, followed by Maidstone Market (4-1-2), Sag Harbor United (3-2-2), East Hampton Soccer Club (2-5-0), F.C. Tuxpan (1-3-3), and Tortorella Pools (0-4-3).
Wood Bat League
Turning to softball, Rich Schneider said in an email over the weekend that the playoffs are on in Montauk’s wood bat league, with Gig Shack and Nero up 1-0 in semifinal series — versus The Point in Gig Shack’s case and versus Liars in Nero’s. The second games of those semis were to have been played this week.
The East Hampton Town men’s slow-pitch league, whose games are played at the Terry King ball field in Amagansett, has three weeks remaining in its regular season, Schneider said, with First Light leading the way at 9-1, followed by the Corner Bar (6-2), Pond View (6-3), McGuire (4-5), Wainscott (4-5), Montauk (4-6), Uihlein’s (3-5), Sand & Sea (2-5), and Avg. Pros (2-8). The playoffs are to begin Sept. 15.
