Sockers Blow Off Steam(ers) in Win

At lunch Saturday, Branko Segota and Jean Willrich were talking about how they were about to explode.

The Socker midfielders turned their lunchtime emotions into powerful performances in San Diego’ 10-4 win against the St. Louis Steamers at The Arena Saturday night.

Segota scored three goals and added two assists and Willrich had five assists and a goal to pace a spirited and aggressive team effort. With the win, San Diego takes the best-of-five Major Indoor Soccer League Western Division semifinal series, 3-1, and advances to the division final against Tacoma, which defeated Wichita, 3-1.

The Sockers led 2-1 after one quarter, 5-2 at halftime and 6-4 after three quarters. After the Steamers narrowed the gap from 6-2 to 6-4 late in the third quarter, the Sockers ran off four goals in the final quarter.

The Sockers were determined to make amends for blowing a 6-3 lead in Wednesday night’s 8-7 loss to the Steamers.

Remember the way the Sockers blasted Baltimore 14-2 after being embarrassed 10-6 in last year’s MISL championship series?

The Sockers pride themselves on revenge.

Just ask Segota and Willrich, who began psyching themselves at an Italian restaurant shortly after noon Saturday.

“We knew we played badly and made mistakes the other night,” Segota said. “We could have been home resting instead of spending the past three days in St. Louis. There was so much frustration to come out.”

Maybe that explains why Segota drank five cups of coffee Saturday afternoon.

“I got so depressed sitting in my hotel room,” Willrich said. “It was three days, but it seemed like three months. I was really pumped up for this game. I was very intense and emotional.”

Despite playing with a strained left calf that forced him to miss Friday’s practice, Willrich was all over the field Saturday night.

“I was only playing 25% the other night,” said Willrich, who received pregame treatment on the field during the Sockers’ warmup drills Saturday. “Tonight, I was feeling excellent. The trainer did a good job.”

San Diego’s captain was marking players and digging balls out of the corner as well as using his skill and guile to set up his teammates.

“He was magnificent,” said Socker Coach Ron Newman. “He had a Captain’s Inning.”

Newman explained that he was using a cricket term which means “he played a steady game and controlled play.”

It took just 34 seconds for Segota and Willrich to team on the first of their three scoring plays.

Willrich threaded the needle on a length-of-the-field pass to Segota, who scored on a line-drive right-footer from the right wing.

Segota scored two more goals and Fernando Clavijo and Wadd Hirmez scored to give the Sockers a 5-2 halftime lead.

Rick Davis and Nebo Bandovic scored two goals each for the Steamers.

Early in the final quarter, Willrich scored on a 40-footer that hit the left post and bounced in the net. Perez stuffed in a loose ball less than two minutes later to make it 8-4.

“They are just so explosive,” said Steamer Coach Pat McBride. “We’re not at their level. Their team speed is tremendous and they have good chemistry.”

The Sockers’ front line players helped the defenders, who did an excellent job of containing the Steamers. And the defenders left most of the offensive firepower to the forwards and midfielders.

“We made the dogs pass the ball,” Socker midfielder Juli Veee said. “We told the dogs to run and we came up with a total team effort. Zoalie (Zoltan Toth) was fantastic.”

Toth made 21 saves on 31 shots, including two excellent saves in the first quarter and a key stop on a point-blank shot by Daryl Doran early in the final quarter.

“I’m real proud of my team today,” said Newman, who was criticized by some of his players earlier this week. The players questioned certain strategic and personnel moves by the coach.

“Sometimes I have to be nasty to them because I tell the truth,” he said.