It Wasn’t a Leisurely Sunday Drive : But Once Sockers Get to Forum, They Dispose of Lazers
For the San Diego Sockers, the most difficult aspect of Sunday’s Major Indoor Soccer League match against the Lazers was getting to Los Angeles.
First, the Sockers’ chartered bus was stopped at the Immigrations and Naturalization Services checkpoint at San Onofre where the team personnel was ordered to show its passports. INS officers eventually let the team continue when they realized the Sockers were from San Diego, not Mexico.
Then, the bus got a flat tire on the San Diego Freeway in Long Beach about 1 1/2 hours before the game.
The stranded players finally made it to the Forum when some teammates and fans drove by and picked them up.
No matter, the Sockers made it to the Forum in time to defeat the Lazers, 8-4, in front of 5,511.
The Sockers built a 5-1 halftime lead, and the Lazers never challenged. Jean Willrich, Fernando Clavijo and newly acquired midfielder Tim Bartro each scored two goals and Brian Quinn had one for San Diego. Segota also had three assists.
Poli Garcia had three goals for the Lazers and Batata added one.
“San Diego played great,” Lazer Coach Peter Wall said. “They came to settle a score and I think they did. They looked strong, powerful and sharp.”
The Sockers came to Los Angeles expecting a tough, physical match, considering the last game between the teams. Socker Coach Ron Newman had called a timeout with three seconds left in a 7-4 win over the Lazers, which sparked a controversy between he and Wall.
But the only suspense Sunday was the Sockers’ tumultuous trip north.
After the flat tire, Newman said: “Well, lads, just be glad we weren’t flying today.”
Said Willrich: “We would have been better off walking. We should be treated first class. We should have limousines.”
Two members of the Socker travel party found an even stranger transportation: Jeffrey Woodcut, director of operations and Randy Bernstein, director of marketing, were taken to the Forum by a California Highway Patrol officer.
Most of the team arrived at the Forum by 12:15, but the players’ problems were hardly over. The Forum’s visiting locker room had been flooded the night before, and smelled.
The Lazers, however, fared no better in the dressing quarters. Because the Kings played Sunday night, the Lazers had to move from their regular lockers to the Lakers, who were off Sunday.
And once the teams were dressed and ready to go, there was one more obstacle. A dry ice machine, which was used in the pre-game introductions, malfunctioned, and forced a 10-minute delay as the playing surface was covered in fog.
Then came the game, the most smooth part of the Sockers’ day.
Once it ended, trouble began--again. The chartered bus, with the tire fixed, was nowhere to be found. It arrived an hour later.
Anyone care to take bets on what time the Sockers got home?
