LJ b soccer: Reboot

Senior Davor Ivanov scored the

Vikings' first goal two minutes

into the game.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Before La Jolla's 2-2 draw at St. Augustine Feb. 10--a moral victory after a Saints player missed a penalty kick later in the second half that would have given the hosts Saints a 3-1 lead--Viking coach Marcos Gonzales assessed his "new energy" team of late.

"The boys have been playing well," said the reserved Gonzales. "Hopefully, we can go off this base of playing well and playing well together."

Asked what had contributed to La Jolla's better play of late, the coach ticked off three things: "A lot more energy--we brought up someone from the JV--possession, and finishing."

The "someone from the JV" was Evan Lewis, who was active in the game that ensued.

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Salvatore Furlanis, father of Viking player Marco, brings an experienced eye to his son's soccer matches at La Jolla.

The elder Furlanis was born near Taranto, in the heel of the boot of Italy. When Salvatore turned seven, his family moved to a suburb of Zurich, Switzerland, where he learned Swiss German.

Both locations are soccer hotbeds.

Further providing Marco with soccer genes, Salvatore met his future wife, who is from Brazil, here in San Diego.

A visitor, taking a look at the suave European wearing sunglasses in the glaring heat on St. Augustine's field, asked him if he was "Ivanov or Furlanis?" At first, Salvatore didn't understand. So the visitor repeated the question: "Are you Ivanov or Furlanis?", at which point he got it, replied "Furlanis" in his elegant accent, and a conversation ensued.

The visitor later said, "I still like you as Ivanov. You ought to be in the Jason Bourne movies." Furlanis laughed.