Sockers Play Sting, Then Play the Waiting Game

Maybe the computer used by the Major Indoor Soccer League had the hiccups when it made out the schedule for the opening month of the season.

After tonight’s game against the Chicago Sting at the Sports Arena (7:35), the Sockers are off for 12 days. Their next game will be in Dallas on Nov. 22, followed by a game in Wichita the next night. San Diego’s next home game is against St. Louis on Nov.30.

The Sockers, who played their opening two games during a three-day stretch in Baltimore and Cleveland, faced Los Angeles in their home opener five days later and will face the Sting tonight. They will get three days off and then return for more practice.

“The training gets a bit boring,” Sockers Coach Ron Newman said. “We are continually trying to find new ideas.”

San Diego plays five games during the entire month of November. They play nine games in both December and January, including four home games during an eight-day stretch in mid-January. The Sockers play 10 games each in February and March and close out the regular season with three games in April.

It is not the type of scheduling that keeps players sharp and fans interested on a daily basis.

“It is hard,” Socker midfielder Cha Cha Namdar said, “but it is good to have it early in the season instead of having a big gap in the middle of the season, when you have momentum going.”

The Sockers do not have momentum going yet. Despite winning two of three games, they are struggling offensively. Branko Segota has only one goal, Jean Willrich has yet to score and Brian Quinn has yet to play. San Diego had its share of chances against the Lazers last Friday night but had to sweat out a 3-2 victory.

“If we’re not rewarded with goals,” Newman said, “the steam goes out of us and we end up struggling.”

Newman says the struggle extends further than just putting the ball in the net.

“I thought it would be hard to motivate in the first part of the season,” Newman said. “I thought we might have a few players coasting and not playing with too much zest, like they do in the finals. Hopefully, there are not too many of those players playing like that at the same time.”

Some of the Sockers say it will take six or seven games to get in the swing of things. They won’t, however, play their seventh game of the season until Nov. 30.

Socker Notes

The MISL has yet to reach a decision regarding Cleveland’s protest of the Sockers’ 8-6 victory over the Force on Oct. 27. . . . Playing without the injured Brian Quinn, the Sockers’ “No Goal Patrol” has killed 11 of 12 power-play attempts this season. “We know each other’s moves and know who will put pressure on the man with the ball,” Cha Cha Namdar said. “We read each other’s minds and do everything like a clock. Teams haven’t even gotten many shots off us.” . . . The Sockers’ exhibition match against Soviet club Dynamo Kiev has been moved from Nov. 27 to Dec. 11.