Blast Is Coming Up Limping : Sprains and Bruises Thin Out Baltimore

It has been a very bad week for feet, ankles and toes belonging to players on the Baltimore Blast.

Defender Mike Stankovic sprained his left foot in Game 4 of the Blast’s semifinal series against the Cleveland Force on Saturday. Forward Paul Kitson sprained his right ankle before Game 5 of the series Sunday.

Both missed the opening game game of the Major Indoor Soccer League championship series against the Sockers on Friday night at the San Diego Sports Arena, and neither is expected back until Game 4.

And that was just the start.

In the second quarter of the Sockers’ 5-4 win Friday, defender Bruce Savage badly sprained his right big toe and defender Max Thompson tore ligaments in his left knee. Savage is expected to be back for Sunday’s game, but Thompson is out for the remainder of the series.

Add the bruised left ribs of midfielder Bernd Holzenbein, who also missed Friday’s game, and you see why Blast Coach Kenny Cooper is more than a little concerned.

“It’s been the way the week has gone,” Cooper said. “We are decimated and unlucky right now. I’ll have to make some changes and maybe change some formations.”

Stan Stamenkovic, the fourth leading scorer in the MISL this season, is now the only starting player remaining on his line.

“It’s not my fault,” Stamenkovic said while putting his hands up in the air.

But it is his problem, as well as the problem of Cooper and the rest of the players.

The Blast are a very talented team, but no team can afford to lose the top goal-scoring defender in the league (Stankovic) and their top defensive defenders.

“Injuries are part of the game,” Cooper said, “but when you take away those players, you sure lose something.”

When the Blast were forced to play without Savage and Thompson in the second quarter, the Sockers exploded for four goals and turned a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead that they never relinquished.

Before the series began, Cooper said he thought the advantage the Blast had over the Sockers might be their defense.

“Then we lose players who play well against San Diego,” Cooper said, “and we have to regroup.”

It’s tough to regroup in the middle of a championship game against a team like the Sockers.

During the regular season, the Blast beat the Sockers three times. In those game, their defense did a pretty good job of containing Steve Zungul and Branko Segota, the Sockers’ top offensive threats.

Stankovic held Segota to just one goal and an assist, and Zungul had two goals and two assists in the three regular season games.

On Friday night, Zungul had one goal and two assists, and Segota had two goals and one assist.

“When we lost two defenders,” Stamenkovic said, “we lost a little composure. They (the Sockers) scored four goals in four minutes.”

Said Cooper: “They capitalized on a number of injuries, and that’s the mark of a good team.”

That stretch proved to be the difference in the game.

“Based on what we had to work with,” Cooper said, “I’m pleased with our performance.”

The question is whether the other Blast players will be able to compensate for the loss of the injured players in Sunday’s Game 2. “They have to hope that their more experienced players give a little extra to make up for the loss of quality players,” said Ron Newman, Sockers coach.

The Blast may be limping, but they are definitely not giving up.

“If I didn’t think we could win,” said Blast goalkeeper Scott Manning, “what would be the sense of showing up? I honestly think we can win with the people we have.”