Pittsburgh Will Not Spirit Zungul Out of San Diego as No. 7 Remains a Socker
Steve Zungul’s fancy footwork and ability to score from any place on the field will continue to be a part of the Sockers’ powerful arsenal.
After a week filled with speculation and indecision as to whether Zungul would be sold or traded to the Pittsburgh Spirit, San Diego owner Bob Bell and Zungul said Sunday that No. 7 will remain a Socker.
“I talked to Steve on the phone Sunday,” Bell said, “and when he said he wanted to stay, that clinched it. Pittsburgh called me and I finally told them once and for all, I’m not interested. It’s a relief to get it over with.
“The deal was tempting because from a business standpoint and, from a long range point of view, it might have been a good move. But my heart and the fan in me overruled.”
The fan in Bell--and 12,888 others at the Sports Arena--were treated to a vintage Zungul performance Saturday night. Indoor soccer’s all-time leading scorer had two goals and two assists in San Diego’s 6-3 victory over St. Louis.
“It is a fantastic feeling when the fans are behind you like they were Saturday night,” Zungul said. “That’s what I live for. The fans here are great, I get along with the team and I want to stay with a good team. I’m very happy that this is all finished.”
Throughout the week, Zungul did not want to discuss specific figures, but he admitted that money was definitely the key factor in a potential deal.
Zungul liked the idea of being reunited with Pittsburgh Coach Don Popovic, who coached Zungul for six years with the New York Arrows and the Golden Bay Earthquakes, but liked the idea of bettering his contract even more.
Bell said Zungul earns $200,000, which is slightly less than one sixth of the Sockers’ payroll. Pittsburgh would have had to increase Zungul’s salary and offer the Sockers enough money to make the deal worthwhile.
Fans still might wonder why the Sockers would consider selling probably the greatest indoor player ever. Zungul scored 68 goals and had 68 assists in the regular season last year and has six goals and 10 assists in seven games this season.
The Major Indoor Soccer League Players’ Union is negotiating a $1.2 million team salary cap that would go into effect next season, and Bell is concerned with keeping salaries under control.
He will face that dilemma when the time comes. For now, Bell said is confident the Zungul affair is over.
“Paul Martha (vice president of the Spirit) and Chris Wright (general manager of the Spirit) are honorable and understand the situation,” Bell said. “I think they recognize how firm we are in the decision we made.”
