Sockers Get Hurt, Not Helped by This Import : Yugoslavia’s Dumbovic Stars for Strikers
The Sockers have come to expect Yugoslavian-born players to have great influence on their games. What they didn’t expect was the Yugoslavian, who had the most impact on Friday’s Major Indoor Soccer League semifinal game against Minnesota.
Instead of their players, Branko Segota or Steve Zungul, becoming the hero, the honors belonged to Minnesota’s Yugoslavian, Drago Dumbovic. He scored four goals as the Strikers won, 8-5.
So now, the Sockers have Dumbovic on their minds as they attempt to win the series in Game 4 at 5:35 tonight in the Met Center.
Drago Dumbovic?
He’s not exactly a household name in San Diego--or in Minnesota for that matter. But after Friday night, people will certainly begin paying attention to Dumbovic.
Minnesota obtained Dumbovic in a midseason trade with Wichita. Striker Coach Alan Merrick thinks it’s more than coincidence that his team won 10 of its last 15 games after acquiring Dumbovic.
“We started to evolve as a team after we got him,” Merrick said. “He gave us another offensive threat. Other teams had been keying on Jan Goossens (Minnesota’s leading scorer). Our second line had been scoring, but not as much as after we got Drago.”
Dumbovic said he felt out of his element in Wichita. He had a good preseason with the Wings, but he played sparingly in 12 regular-season games before his trade wish was granted. Wichita received defender Barry Wallace from Minnesota.
When Dumbovic arrived in Minnesota, he also was out of his element. As a 25-year-old Yugoslavian, he was in a minority of one with the Strikers.
“He had problems adjusting to the city because he didn’t have any friends here or countrymen on the team,” Merrick said. “But he has a bubbly personality and made friends on the team and in the community in a hurry. Obviously, it helped his play on the field.
“Two of his problems were his age difference and the fact he’s single. We have a lot of older players who are married. It’s always difficult for a young single guy moving into town. But he hasn’t had any problems lately.”
Dumbovic is a soft-spoken player who has not completely mastered the English language.
He admitted it was an adjustment at first in Minnesota. However, he was just happy to escape a difficult situation in Wichita.
“I don’t know what was happening there,” he said. “I wanted to be traded. I was unhappy because of so many things.”
Dumbovic said the happiest moment of his soccer career was when he scored the winning goal before 100,000 fans to lead his local team into the Yugoslavian National Cup.
Only 8,270 fans saw Dumbovic’s performance Friday night at the Met Center, but he considered his four goals the highlight of his two years of indoor soccer in the United States.
“When I came here, we were only getting like 3,000 people to the games,” he said. “I said there was nothing here to get the team up. The crowd has helped push us up the last couple of games. The more people we have, the better we all play.”
Dumbovic even emerged as a rallying team spokesman after Friday’s game.
“We are going to win two more games against San Diego and go to the final,” he said. “We are going to win the championship.”
Naturally, the Sockers disagree. They have won three straight indoor championships and are favored to win this year.
But before they can even think of the finals, they must first concentrate on stopping Minnesota players such as Dumbovic.
“He’s not a bad player,” Socker Jean Willrich said. “But we just weren’t playing disciplined defense Friday night. The way we played is what made a guy like him into a big star.”
Socker Notes Coach Ron Newman is expected to fly in from San Diego for tonight’s game. Newman remained in San Diego on Friday with his wife, Olive, who is recovering from breast cancer surgery. . . . Jean Willrich suffered a possible fractured left wrist Friday. He was wearing a light cast Saturday. “I’ll play for sure,” he said. “This is not my foot (that’s injured).” . . . The Sockers had never lost a semifinal game before Friday. They are 9-1 in semifinal play and 24-3 overall in playoff competition. . . . The Sockers filed a complaint with the MISL office Saturday in regard to Minnesota’s cheerleading announcer. Among other things, the announcer continually shouted “Dee-fense” and “We Want a Goal.” If Minnesota had scored each time the announcer cheered for a goal, the Strikers’ output probably would have been multiplied by 10.MISL PLAYOFFS
AT A GLANCE
SOCKERS VS. STRIKERS
(BEST-OF-FIVE SERIES)
Game 1 Sockers 8, Strikers 1 Game 2 Sockers 6, Strikers 5 (OT) Game 3 Strikers 8, Sockers 5 Game 4 Today Minnesota 5:35 p.m. Game 5 Tuesday Sports Arena 7:35 p.m. NOTE: Game 5 if necessary. All times PST.
OTHER SERIES
TONIGHT’S GAMES
Baltimore vs. Cleveland (Series tied at 1)
