Burbank Wins Shootout in 3-A Soccer Quarterfinal

The goalie on the Diamond Bar soccer team wears a jersey that has a giant question mark running down the back.

None of the Diamond Bar fans who came to watch Friday’s 3-A quarterfinal game between Burbank and Diamond Bar seemed to know what the question mark stood for.

But when Burbank won the game, 4-3, in a sudden-death penalty shootout after two overtimes, the Diamond Bar team and its supporters were asking the question--Who was that Burbank goalie?

The answer: Sal Velasco.

Velasco, a senior, blocked three Diamond Bar shots in the five-shot shootout. His teammates converted three shots for the win. Burbank will play Millikan--a 1-0 winner over Dana Hills--in the semifinals on Tuesday.

“I wanted it to come down to a penalty-shot situation,” said Velasco, who lost his bid for a record-tying 19th shutout when Diamond Bar scored in the first half. “I know our team can make those shots. They do it against me everyday at practice and they make me look like a fool.”

Which is what Burbank would have felt like had it not come back after blowing a 3-1 halftime lead.

The Bulldogs (23-1) had built their lead on two goals by Cesar Zepeda and one by Pony Meir.

Burbank Coach Dave Kemp told his team not to let up during the second half.

“We’ve got 40 more minutes to get to the final four,” Kemp said.

When Diamond Bar tied the game at three, while playing at a two-man disadvantage because of red card violations, it looked like the Bulldogs were looking at their final game rather than a trip to the final four.

After two scoreless overtimes, the teams lined up for the shootout.

Diamond Bar’s Craig Turley, who had scored all of the Brahmas’ goals, was the first man to go one-on-one against Velasco.

Turley, who has scored 100 goals in the last two seasons, tried to put the ball in the left corner of the net, but Velasco dove and blocked the shot.