READY FOR A BLAST-OFF : Baltimore Now Has the Firepower to Give Sockers a Battle
The Baltimore Blast have changed considerably in the past two years.
The Blast team that met the Sockers in the 1982-83 Major Indoor Soccer League championships, which the Sockers won in five games, had to work hard for its victories. It was a team that may have lacked skill in some positions, but not devotion.
However, the Baltimore team that opens the 1984-85 MISL championship at 7:35 tonight at the Sports Arena is a highly skilled unit.
“Two years ago, we had to rely on the work ethic to get by everybody,” goalkeeper Scott Manning said. “We still work hard this year, but we have better skill. We just play better at big times of the game.”
Like the Sockers, Baltimore has sought “big-time” players since the 1982-83 championship series. Only eight Baltimore players remain from the 1982-83 team.
“We were much more skillful than them in the last series,” said Ron Newman, Socker coach. “They’ve increased their skill level a bit. We’re a younger team now, and we’ve increased our ability to work hard. We still have a helluva lot of skill.”
Baltimore’s improved level of skill was apparent during the regular season when it swept three games from the Sockers. The Blast had never won in San Diego before beating the Sockers, 6-3, Jan. 17 in their only San Diego appearance this season.
“The fact we beat them three times makes us feel good about ourselves,” said Kenny Cooper, Blast coach. “At one time, San Diego was looked upon as almost impossible to beat. We’ve beaten them now, so our confidence level has risen.”
Two reasons Baltimore has improved are the additions of forwards Stan Stamenkovic and Paul Kitson. Stamenkovic led the Blast in regular-season scoring and was fourth in league scoring. Kitson was the team’s second leading scorer.
But Kitson and Mike Stankovic, the team’s third-leading scorer, will miss at least the first two games of the championship series with sprained ankles. When the Blast and Sockers last met Feb. 1 in Baltimore, Stankovic scored the winning goal with five seconds to play.
“Both players have always done well against San Diego,” Cooper said. “Let’s reverse the roles for a minute. This would be similar to taking Jean Willrich and Branko Segota away from San Diego. That’s what it’s like for us coming into this series. But by no means do we feel the odds are against us.”
Added Newman: “These guys are two of the finest players in the league. Usually you have guys who can pinch-hit, which is what Baltimore had when it beat Cleveland in the semifinals. From my point of view, it’s certainly to our advantage for Baltimore not to have those two guys in the lineup.”
Stamenkovic is healthy, which could cause problems for the Sockers.
Cooper said his team was lacking the big scorer two years ago that Stamenkovic now gives him. Consequently, holdover players Pat Ercoli, Joey Fink and Dave MacWilliams will not be expected to carry the scoring load as they did in 1982-83.
“You need that one person like Stan (Stamenkovic) who can turn a game around,” Manning said. “When other teams say they have to stop a Stan or a Steve Zungul, it takes pressure off the other players. It’s like when you play the Lakers, you don’t want to let Kareem Abdul-Jabbar beat you. But his presence helps open things up for Byron Scott outside. It’s the same concept here.”
Cooper, however, maintains defense wins games. The Blast allowed a league-low 190 goals in the regular season.
“I think offense comes from good defense,” Cooper said. “We pride ourselves on defense. In indoor soccer, you’re going to get your chances to score.”
Socker Notes
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When Hugo Perez left the Sockers for the U.S. national team nine days ago, he said he would not return to the Sockers in the playoffs. But Ron Newman was still upset when Perez refused to return to the Sockers last weekend in Minnesota. “We have a player in a cast--Hugo Perez,” Newman said. “Hugo is an outcast.” . . . Baltimore will likely have defender Bruce Savage cover Steve Zungul one-on-one in the series. Savage held Zungul scoreless Jan. 17 in San Diego. “Our other guys stayed with their runners to make it work,” Savage said. “Actually, their job was more difficult than mine. They kept the ball from getting to Zungul.”
