Fountain Valley, Edison Battle to Scoreless Tie

Edison freshman Brian Gaeta could have fibbed or at least exaggerated the truth, but he never flinched when asked if his overtime goal should have counted.

“Honest truth, I thought it was a good call,” Gaeta said. “I didn’t push, but I had my hands on his back. So I guess maybe it was a push.”

Wednesday’s Edison-Fountain Valley boys’ soccer game also turned out to be a push. After 100 minutes of bumping and bruising play on a slippery Fountain Valley field, the Sunset League contest ended in a 0-0 tie.

Gaeta also was involved in another nullified goal, but he wasn’t as agreeable with that call. With 20 minutes left in regulation, Gaeta headed a rebound past Fountain Valley goalkeeper Peter Fatzaun, but an offsides call erased the goal.

“I didn’t understand that one,” Gaeta said. “I think he called offsides, but I never saw myself offsides.”

Eight minutes later, ninth-ranked Edison (9-4-4, 2-0-2) nearly scored again, but Fatzaun made a miraculous save of Jason Clifford’s header. Clifford appeared to be in the clear, but Fatzaun smothered the ball at the last instant. Fatzaun finished with five saves as he recorded his 11th shutout of the season.

Seventh-ranked Fountain Valley is 12-4-3, 1-2-1.