BOYS'SOCCER: HEATED WIN FOR SYLMAR SYLMAR 5, SAN FERNANDO 4.

Byline: Matthew Kredell Staff Writer

Playoff intensity was added to the mix Tuesday for what already was one of the most heated boys' soccer rivalries in the area, as Sylmar and San Fernando met in the postseason for the first time.

Predictably, both teams showed heart in battling back from deficits. As rivalries go, the game came down to the final plays. And it nearly ended in a brawl.

Adrian Lopez had two second-half goals and two assists to help No. 2 Sylmar rebound from a one-goal halftime deficit to beat No. 18 San Fernando 5-4 in the City Section second round at Sylmar.

It was Sylmar's third victory of the season over its Valley Mission League foe.

``Down at the half, we knew we would come back,'' Lopez said. ``If we didn't, our league championship wouldn't really matter.''

Sylmar will play host to defending City champion Locke, a 2-1 overtime winner over Fremont, in the quarterfinals Thursday.

Lopez and San Fernando team captain Cesar Alvarez were heated and ready for a fight after the game. The coaches tried but failed to have the two shake hands. A Sylmar assistant tried to break them up and Alvarez, who thought the Sylmar assistant hit him, started to charge but was held back by teammates.

The coaches discussed the incident briefly but San Fernando coach Francis Melendez stormed away angrily. The feelings between Lopez and Alvarez apparently carried over from two weeks ago, when Alvarez got a red card for what Lopez called a ``sucker punch.''

Alvarez gave San Fernando a 2-1 halftime lead by scoring both goals, one that went off a defender's foot and looped over the goalkeeper and another on a penalty kick. Sylmar took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Julian Lopez.

Sylmar tied it in the first 10 minutes of the second half on a goal by Nelson Sandoval with an assist from Lopez. Lopez then broke through a seam in the middle and lined one in the upper right corner of the net for a 3-2 lead in the 65th minute. Five minutes later, Lopez headed in a throw-in from Julian Ponce.

San Fernando struck back with a goal by Daniel Torres, but Sylmar responded less than a minute later with a goal from Miguel Madrigal. Rudy Maravilla got San Fernando back within one on a free kick, then San Fernando had two scoring opportunities in the final minutes.

``There was no question who was the better team on the field because I knew that,'' Sylmar coach Emmanuel Martins said. ``It was a matter of if we could stay mentally tough in the playoffs against our rivals. We passed the test, and that should prepare us for future rounds.''

Matthew Kredell, [phone]

matthew.kredell(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Sylmar's Julian Ponce misses a penalty kick during a testy game Tuesday.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer