Sockers Struggle, Still Have Enough to Edge Lazers in Home Opener
Socker midfielder Branko Segota put it best when he said his legs and feet are ahead of his mind at this time of the season.
That seemed to be the feeling among the Sockers after their 3-2 Major Indoor Soccer League victory over the Los Angeles Lazers in San Diego’s home opener Friday night at the San Diego Sports Arena.
“I was disappointed because I didn’t think there was enough effort out there,” said Socker Coach Ron Newman. “It was one of those games where everyone else thinks somebody is going to work for them. When everybody is thinking that, nobody does anything.”
Newman was being a little harsh. But then again, he has high expectations for a four-time championship team that scored 302 goals last season.
San Diego was outshot by the Lazers, 29-22, but a goal by Kevin Crow, two goals by Hugo Perez and clutch goalkeeping by Zoltan Toth (16 saves) led the Sockers to their second win against one loss.
The crowd of 10,233 was also harsh. Ironically, the two players who were booed by the home fans were the two who combined on the game-winning goal.
With just one second remaining in the first half, Perez took a pass from Juli Veee and slid in a bouncer from the right side of the penalty area.
“I didn’t know how much time was left,” Perez said, “but I didn’t think it was that close.”
Perez, who left the Sockers after the third game of the playoffs last season to play for the U.S. National team in World Cup competition, said he was disappointed by the response of the crowd.
“Like last year,” Perez said, “I come to play and they boo me.”
While Perez’s goal could have been a devastating blow for a Lazers team that has never won in San Diego, it turned out to inspire them.
“With four minutes to play in the half,” said Lazer Coach Peter Wall, “I called timeout to tell them not to give up a late goal. I did a lot of shouting and screaming in the locker room at halftime. We can’t seem to concentrate for 60 minutes.”
Sound familiar?
“We only did enough to win the game,” Newman said.
San Diego led off the scoring at 4:57 of the first quarter when Crow flicked a right-footer from inside the penalty box into what was virtually an open net. Goalkeeper Tim Harris came out of the goal to try and catch Segota’s pass off the boards, but the ball slipped through his fingers.
Lazer defenseman Gus Mokalis tied the game late in the first quarter on a right-footer from just inside the penalty box on the right side.
Perez’s left-foot blast from the left corner gave the Sockers a 2-1 lead less than one minute into the second quarter. He added what turned out to be the game-winner with one second to play in the half.
The Lazers scored the only goal in the third quarter. Mokalis was credited with his second goal of the night on a ball that actually went off the leg of Socker defender Fernando Clavijo.
Clavijo also scored a goal for Baltimore last Friday night when a ball went off the shoulder and past Toth into the net.
Late in the third quarter, the Sockers had the Lazers on the run. But the ball would not go in.
Veee’s right footer from the center of the penalty box hit both posts, left to right. Moments later, Jacques Ladouceur’s shot was just high off the glass. Segota and Jean Willrich followed with right-footers that both hit the post.
Segota blamed part of the Sockers bad luck and inability to finish on a new ball being used by the MISL this season.
“I don’t like the smaller, glazed ball that bounces around like an Indian rubber ball,” Segota said. “I don’t know where it will go.”
Segota says the same thing about his feet and mind--they’re just not working in unision.
At least not yet.
Socker Notes
The Sockers’ electronic sign flashed during pregame introductions. There had been a flash IT or trash IT contest on KFMB. The fans voted by a 3-to-1 margin to keep IT. As advertised, KFMB disc jockeys Hudson and Bauer wore Socker shirts and ran out of the O in the sign. . . . After the Sockers were introduced, San Diego’s 1984-85 MISL championship flag was unveiled. The blue flag with yellow letters hangs alongside three other championship flags (1981-82 NASL, 1982-83 MISL, 1983-84 NASL).
