tool name

Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

Merced, Golden Valley gear up for Division I soccer playoffs

On paper, the battle for Sac-Joaquin Section soccer supremacy begins Friday.

The Merced boys soccer team plays host to Downey in the first round of the Division I playoffs, while Golden Valley heads north to the University of the Pacific to face Stagg of Stockton.

Truthfully, though, these two clubs have been fighting separate battles since Central California Conference play came to an exciting close last week.

Merced clinched its second straight title on the season's final afternoon, beating Pitman in the howling wind to edge Golden Valley in the league points table, 30-28.

Bart McAfee's boys are the reigning Division I champs and 20-1-3 in conference play in the past two seasons, and yet Merced saunters into the postseason with a scowl.

For nearly two weeks, Merced has been battling perception, McAfee said earlier this week.

"We've got a chip on our shoulder because people don't seem to think we're as good as we were last year," McAfee said. "We're just as good."

Merced (17-3-4) will get a chance to prove it at home against Downey (12-3-6).

The Modesto Metro Conference runnerup squeaked into the playoffs with a 3-1 victory over Beyer last Thursday, surviving a neck-and-neck race with Johansen.

Merced and Downey met last season in the second round. Cristian Alvarez had a goal and Octavio Murillo an assist in a 3-0 win.

"We know they're physical. We're going to play the way we play," McAfee said. "However it works out, it works out. We can play any style."

Golden Valley's been contending with a different issue: the flu.

Coach Lee Shaw said several starters were forced out of practice last week with flu-like symptoms.

Golden Valley (16-2-2) finally practiced at full strength on Monday -- a full week after its last league game.

"Hopefully, we don't get anymore of it," Shaw said.

Golden Valley will need to be in top condition against Stagg, the two-time defending Tri-City Athletic League champion.

Stagg (10-5-4) hasn't lost in more than a month, going 5-0-3 in its last eight games. It outscored its opponents 18-4 during that span.

"They're like us, they haven't lost in a long time," Shaw said. "They've been winning and doing well. They'll be in top form."

Both games kickoff at 3 p.m. The Golden Valley-Stagg game may be moved to the football stadium at UOP.

James Burns is sports editor of the Sun-Star. He can be reached at jburns@mercedsun-star.com.