Weston lost 1-0 to last season’s state champion, playing at Kendall Soccer Park, and won 2-1 against the league’s cellar dweller, playing at Vista Park in Weston. Both matches were contested in sweltering humidity and wilting heat. A scout from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, attended the Kendall match. Xavier was in town to play Florida International University, a match F.I.U. won 3-0.

            Weston now has three wins and two losses, both to Kendall Soccer Coalition teams, good enough for a first-place tie with Kendall White and Team Boca White in the 11-team league. Weston, however, has played two more matches than both Kendall teams and Miami Strike Force.

            The Fury played the Wildcats straight up in the first half, but couldn’t keep up in the second. Only brilliant play by Weston goalkeeper Michael Anderson – four superb saves, three in the second 45 minutes – kept the Fury in the match.

            Weston needed another four saves from Anderson, and a fifth from central defender Andres Velez, to hold off last-place Jupiter. The Fury scored first, in the 12^th minute, and last, in the 85^th minute. Forward Jonathan (J.T.) Thiel scored both goals, the first a header assisted by fullback Juan (Papo) Lopez off a short corner from outside midfielder Chris Bent, and the second on a quick strike off a through ball from central midfielder Luis Alva.

            Against Kendall, assistant coach Rene Osorio started Anderson in goal, Velez at central defense, Lopez and Mario Figueroa at fullback, Leo Caldeira at stopper, co-captain Matt Mobley and Jaime Villarreal at outside midfield, Alva and co-captain Eugenio Lascurain at outside midfield and Thiel and Rodrigo Paredes at forward.

            Against Jupiter, head coach Alvin James, unavailable for the Kendall match, made some changes, starting Bent in place of Mobley, out due to a foot injury in the Kendall match, and Iker Ibanez at the outside midfield spots; moving Villarreal to central midfield; and putting David Gordon at forward in place of Paredes, who was unavailable.

            Other who played for Weston: Davide Bombonato at forward and central midfield, Jeremy Weber at outside midfield and fullback and Manuel Sotelo at outside midfield.  Jose Pablo Ruiz was unavailable, due to a knee injury.

            Weston and Kendall played to nil-nil in the first half, both getting off five shots, one apiece on frame. Only the Weston keeper, however, had to come up with a save, coming in the 24^th minute. The Wildcats came on strong in the second half, forcing Anderson to make big stops in the 55^th, 59^th and 61^st minutes of the 90-minute match.

Kendall broke through in the 65^th minute when a Weston attempt to clear failed and Kendall picked up a ball loose too long in the six-yard box. The keeper’s vision was obstructed on the successful follow-up shot. Weston finally forced the Kendall keeper to make a save, when Paredes blasted a shot in the 76^th minute. The Fury, however, never mounted another attack, in part because of two offside situations.

Weston took eight shots in the match, three of them on goal. Kendall totaled 13 shots, with twice as many on goal.

Weston upped the tempo against Jupiter, getting off 19 shots, seven of them on goal. The Sting had fewer shots, 12, but just as many on goal. With his team lading by only a goal, Weston keeper Anderson was the difference maker. He combined with Velez to prevent an own goal in the 12^th minute and saved a point-blank Jupiter shot just before halftime. Anderson came up with the play of the match in the 64^th minute. With his team still clinging to but a one-goal lead, he knocked a shot away diving to his left, and then kick saved the follow-up shot.

Eugenio Lascurain is the Weston manager.

The Fury is scheduled to next play the Wellington Wave at noon on Sept. 25 at Village Park in Wellington. The Wave will be looking to avenge at 3-2 loss to Weston in a pouring rain at the Disney Showcase Labor Day weekend. 

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