Can Comets Upset Sockers? No Chance, Says Katakalidis : Team Has Reason to Sound Cocky Entering Playoffs

Soccer players and coaches don’t make a habit of talking in cliches and giving compliments to the other team.

And the Sockers didn’t hesitate when they talked about their best-of-five playoff series with Kansas City, which begins at 7:35 tonight in the Sports Arena.

“I don’t think there is any chance they will beat us,” defender George Katakalidis said. “And I never say that. But we are just loaded. We might play below par and lose one game. I don’t think there’s any way we can lose three games.”

Added Coach Ron Newman: “If we play our best and they play their best, we’ll win. If we play our worst and they play their worst, we’ll win. If we play our worst and they play their best, they’ll win.”

If the Sockers sound cocky or arrogant, it’s because they have reason to be.

The Sockers have won three consecutive indoor championships. They won 37 games this season, an all-time Major Indoor Soccer League record. And they finished the regular season by winning 12 of their last 14 games, 19 of 23 and 23 of 28.

In addition, the Sockers swept four regular-season games with Kansas City.

“I can understand them saying it will be easy to beat us,” Kansas City Coach Rick Benben said. “They beat us handily the first three times they played us. I’m sure they haven’t kept track of us since then. If they had, they would have to admit that we are improved.”

The Comets have improved since losing to the Sockers, 8-4 on Nov. 30, 7-2 on Dec. 8 and 6-1 on Jan. 5. The fourth time Kansas City played San Diego, the Sockers won in overtime, 4-3.

Kansas City, as its pattern against the Sockers suggests, has played much better as the season progressed. The Comets won only 3 of their first 13 games, and Coach Pat McBride was fired. Benben had a 19-16 regular-season record after being promoted from assistant coach, then his team swept two games from St. Louis in last week’s wild-card playoffs. Kansas City has won 8 of its last 11 games and 14 of 21.

Why the turnaround?

Benben cited two factors: (a) the Comets had a tough schedule at the season’s outset and (b) they “made mistakes” in putting the team together.

Those mistakes were rectified when Kansas City traded for Laurie Abrahams of the Cosmos, then signed Angelo DiBernardo when the Cosmos folded. Abrahams had 23 goals and 16 assists in 24 games for Kansas City. DiBernardo had eight goals in seven regular-season games for the Comets.

“There is no aggravation from the coach here like there was in New York,” Abrahams said. “There are certain times when you perform better because you get in a situation that suits you better. Maybe the chemistry is right here.”

Even if the chemistry is right in Kansas City, the Comets must still find a formula for stopping San Diego’s offense. The Sockers tied a league record by scoring 302 goals, and Steve Zungul won his third triple crown (goals, assists and total points).

“I still think we have a chance against them,” said Abrahams, who played outdoors for the 1984 Sockers. “If the score starts getting to six or seven goals for one team, our chances will diminish. Only one or two teams are capable of outscoring the Sockers. We aren’t one of them.”