Segota Is MVP as West All-Stars Defeat the East

Branko Segota of the Sockers scored two goals including the game-winner Tuesday night as the San Diego-dominated West defeated the East, 5-3, in the lowest scoring total for a Major Indoor Soccer League All-Star game.

A crowd of 12,456 at Chicago Stadium, smallest in all-star game history, watched the West win its sixth game in the series and second straight.

The score was tied, 3-3, in the fourth period when Segota’s shot went past East goalie Tino Letteiri at 4:53 for the game-winner. Steve Zungul of Tacoma, a former teammate of Segota’s at San Diego, also had two goals and one assist. Segota was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.

“They dropped too far back in order to be defensively strong,” Zungul said. “They didn’t give us room.”

Said the Sockers’ Ron Newman, the West coach: “It was fun for the fans that it was tighter. It kept people in their seats.”

The East was hampered by the loss of Stan Stamenkovic of Baltimore, who had won three consecutive all-star MVP awards, but missed Tuesday’s game because of an injury.

The previous lowest scoring game was a 6-5 West overtime win in 1983.

“Too bad there were not enough goals scored for the fans,” said Neill Roberts of Chicago, who scored a goal for the East.

“They (Western) had better understanding than we did and that made the difference.”

The West gained a 1-0 first-quarter lead when Segota took a pass from teammate Brian Quinn and made a shot past David Brcic of Pittsburgh.

Minnesota’s Dwight Lodeweges tied the game in the second with a kick past St. Louis goalie Slobo Ilijevski. Dallas’ Victor Moreland was credited with an assist.

The West then took a 2-1 halftime lead when Tacoma’s Preki passed across the net to a Chico Borja of Wichita, who scored.

Zungul, the all-time leading scorer in MISL history, faked out Letteiri for a 3-1 lead at 5:05. Preki got his second assist.

Eastern cut the lead to 3-2 when Roberts scored past Alan Mayer of Kansas City. Peter Ward of Cleveland got the assist.

After Tatu’s apparent tying goal was disallowed because of a penalty, Tatu scored 40 seconds later for a 3-3 tie, at 14:27 of the third.

In the final quarter, Segota’s point-blank goal, on an assist from Zungul, gave the West a 4-3 lead at 4:53. Zungul scored at 14:06 after the East had pulled its goalie.