The Weston Fury 87/88 Premier Boys split their weekend matches, beating the state’s #7-ranked team from last season and losing to a newly formed team much like their own. Weston now stands at 2-1 in the South Florida United Youth Soccer Association early season, tied for second in the 11-team Premier League.

            The Fury beat the Miami Lakes Wave 2-1 Saturday at Vista Park in Weston, giving up a goal in the second of seven minutes of extra time. Weston lost to the Kendall Soccer Coalition Black 3-2 Sunday at Miller’s Pond Park in Miami, coming from behind twice and giving up the winning goal in the 83rd minute.

            Both matches were played in steamy, 90-degree-plus temperatures. Kendall Black is a new team, formed with players from last year’s West Kendall and Southern Soccer sides.

            Against Miami Lakes, Weston started Michael Anderson in goal, Juan (Papo) Lopez and Mario Figueroa at fullback, Andres Velez at central defender, Leo Caldeira at stopper, Matt Mobley and Jeremy Weber at outside midfield, Luis Alva and Jaime Villarreal in the central midfield and Jonathan (J.T.) Thiel and David Gordon at forward. Weston scored first against the Wave, but not until Miami Lakes failed to convert on three excellent scoring opportunities. Keeper Anderson made a save in the sixth minute and fullback Figueroa rescued Anderson on the follow-up attempt. Two minutes later, a superb Wave shot bounced off the juncture of the post and the crossbar.

            Just before the half, Fury forward Thiel put a beautiful free kick on goal. The keeper knocked it away, and forward Gordon was there to put the bounding ball back into the net. Thiel made it 2-0 eight minutes into the second half, one-timing a nice centering pass from central midfielder Iker Ibanez.

            Miami Lakes finally scored in the 83rd minute, but not until the Weston defense was forced to turn away three more Wave chances. Central defender Velez stopped a shot in the 60th minute and keeper Anderson saved the rebounded shot. Anderson saved yet another hard shot in the 89th minute.

            Weston took 15 shots in the match to Miami Lakes’ eight, putting eight on goal to the Wave’s nine

            Against Kendall, coach Osorio made two changes in the starting lineup: Villarreal at outside midfield in place of Weber and Ibanez slid into the midfield in Villarreal’s spot.

            Kendall started the scoring, beating the Weston defense right up the middle in the 16th minute. The Fury tied it up six minutes later when midfielder Mobley went in hard and won a 50-50 ball in the offensive third. Ibanez collected the ball and beat the keeper over the top from 25 yards straight out. Mobley suffered a shin bruise on the play and sat out the next 30 minutes of the match. Ibanez left the match in the 37th minute, not to return.

            Both teams had excellent scoring opportunities in the early going of the second half. Kendall missed a chance off a corner in the 48th minute and four minutes later let a free kick roll through the box untouched.

            Newcomer Rodrigo Paredes, substituting at forward, saw the Kendall keeper save his shot in the 65th minute. Kendall went back ahead on the counterattack when the stopper didn’t step up.

            Weston’s Anderson kept his side in the match by saving two more Kendall shots, in the 68th and 71st minutes. Then Paredes made good and tied the match in the 80th minute, putting away a well-placed through ball from fullback Lopez.

            The Fury, however, failed to hold the lead. Kendall managed to overmatch Weston’s right side with two second-half substitutions, putting excellent speed at forward and outside midfield. In the 83rd minute, these two players worked the ball into the box and the Weston keeper got chipped, trapped in no man’s land. Weston won three corner kicks in the final seven minutes, but couldn’t score the equalizer.

Weston took 12 shots in the match to Kendall’s 11, putting seven on goal to Kendall’s eight.

            Also playing for Weston were Chris Bent, Davide Bombonato and Manuel Sotelo in the midfield. Midfielder Eugenio Lascurain was unavailable due to injury.

            The Fury next takes the pitch against last year’s state champion, the Kendall Soccer Coalition White, at 9 a.m. Saturday at Kendall Soccer Park in Miami. On Sunday