DAILY PILOT HIGH SCHOOL MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:Duarte’s cool a need for Eagles

Eric Duarte never saw himself on the bench.

When the Estancia High junior received a yellow card and was subsequently forced out of the boys’ soccer game, his thoughts remained in the game, focused on the hard foul that led to his anger which drew the yellow card.

Teammates and coaches talked to him about maintaining his composure in order to stay in the game, the Eagles’ starting forward’s unique skills critical to their success.

But Duarte never saw himself out of the game, so Eagles Coach Gannon Burks showed him what it was like to be on the sidelines, benching him for a portion of the second Orange Coast League match of the season against Laguna Beach Jan. 17.

Duarte responded. Last week, the 5-foot-8, 130-pounder scored two goals against Laguna Beach, to lead the Eagles to a 4-1 victory. Two days later, he scored the game-winning goal against cross-town rival Costa Mesa, improving Estancia to 3-0 and earning Daily Pilot Male Athlete of the Week honors.

“I sat him down and talked about it,” Burks said. “He gets fouled a lot because he is so good. He gets upset because he is a smaller player, but he’s more damaging on the field than off.”

Fellow forward Edgar Rodriguez, a senior who leads the Eagles with seven goals, can relate to being fouled on a regular basis. Rodriguez, who is Duarte’s cousin, said he remains calm during games because of his even-tempered nature.

Duarte is the same, Rodriguez added, except on the soccer field where he is an intense competitor.

“He gets fouled a lot because the other team knows he’s good,” Rodriguez said. “He’s been doing good. He hasn’t been screaming at the refs. We tell him, ‘Hey dude, we need you. You’re one of our star players. If you are out, the team goes down.’ He’s been good. I’ve never seen him like this since we’ve been on varsity.”

Duarte said when he is fouled now he thinks of his team, of staying on the field and the opponents’ reasoning for fouling him, and staying calm is slowly starting to become easier.

“I just get mad. I like playing soccer and I don’t like when I get taken out,” Duarte said. “I would start talking back. Now I just keep playing. I know they’re trying to get me out of my game. It’s worth it at the end. I’m doing a lot better now. I just keep telling myself, ‘If I get up, the opponent’s going to get mad.’ ”

Part of Duarte’s intensity stems from his passion for soccer and some from his family. His brother Pedro, who was a senior last season, was named Golden West League Offensive Player of the Year and led the Eagles to a playoff victory.

“There’s a little more pressure for me,” Eric Duarte said. “I’m just trying to do better than him.”

There is a place where the soccer demands do not follow Duarte, in the video game world. Regularly, Duarte and Rodriguez go back and forth in a duel for FIFA ’07 supremacy. They sometime invite friends to compete in a larger tournament.

“He has his games and I have mine,” said Rodriguez, adding that the wins and losses even out. “When we have a FIFA competition it’s always him and me in the finals.”

While Rodriguez selects British Premier League’s Manchester United, Duarte goes for FC Barcelona of the Spanish League and not for one of the best players in the world in Ronaldinho, but for Argentinean newcomer Lionel Mesi.

At 5-6, 147 pounds and 19 years of age Mesi is a soccer professional Duarte can relate to.

“He’s not a big known player,” Duarte said. “I like the way he plays. He’s got a good shot outside the box.”

Duarte himself is most deadly from long range.

The ability to bend shots is honed by many days spent with himself, the ball, the goal and silence.

Now Duarte is bringing a little of that silence to his game.

ERIC DUARTE

Hometown: Costa Mesa

Born: July 8, 1990

Height: 5-foot-8

Weight: 130 pounds

Sport: Soccer

Position: Forward

Coach: Gannon Burks

Favorite food: Pizza

Favorite movie: “Casino Royale”

Favorite athletic moment: Scoring the game-winner for a club title.

Week in review: Scored two goals in a 4-1 win over Laguna Beach and one in a 1-0 win over Costa Mesa.