Comets Overcome Sockers, 6-2, Run Winning Streak to 8
After the Sockers defeated Kansas City by 10 goals in a midseason game last year, San Diego forward Juli Veee said: “That’s the worst team I’ve ever seen.”
One year later, what does Veee think about the Comet team that handily defeated the Sockers, 6-2, on Saturday night at the San Diego Sports Arena?
“They are a steady team,” Veee said. “They have their roles to play and they are playing well.”
Really well.
Kansas City has won a team-record eight straight and picked up its first victory in San Diego since Nov. 19, 1982.
“We’ve got just as much skill on this team as the Sockers have,” said former Socker defender Gary Collier, who had an assist in his first game against his old teammates. “There are some great players here. And once you start winning, it becomes a habit.”
The Sockers had beaten the Comets 11 straight times at home and had won 17 of their last 18 matches against Kansas City. But this season, the Sockers are 2-2 against the Comets.
Before Saturday night, the Sockers had never lost a regular-season home game by more than three goals. The crowd of 9,568 fans was filing out of the Sports Arena with five minutes to play.
“It’s quite an achievement to beat them at home the way we did,” said former Socker goalkeeper Alan Mayer, who made 14 saves on 24 shots and had an assist Saturday night. “It’s important for us to establish we can play with the San Diegos and Tacomas. Our first team can play with anyone in the league now.”
With 13 additions to their club since last season, the Comets are a different team this year. Their record indicates it. Kansas City is 20-17, which is two more victories than they had all last season.
Kansas City is in third place in the Western Division, just three games behind Tacoma and a half-game behind second-place San Diego, which has lost two straight.
Since Coach Dave Clements took over for Rick Benben, the Comets are 9-3. And since Collier was sold to the Comets, they are 8-2.
The Sockers scored the first two goals Saturday night--with goalkeeper Jim Gorsek getting assists on both--but the Comets dominated the remainder of the game.
“We got off to a dream start,” Socker Coach Ron Newman said. “Then the whole bloody thing collapsed. We were outplayed, outcommitted. There was no commitment on our team tonight. The players were masquerading as San Diego Sockers.”
After Veee and Jean Willrich scored to give the Sockers a 2-0 lead, Comet midfielder Charley Greene and forward Damir Haramina scored to tie the game at 2 after one quarter. Haramina and Jan Goossens scored second-quarter goals to give the Comets a 4-2 halftime lead.
Goossens completed a hat trick by scoring twice in the second half. He has scored at least a point in 39 straight regular-season games, including five with Minnesota last season.
Goossens and Haramina were the Comets’ offensive stars, and Mayer was their defensive star.
“Mayer was brilliant,” Veee said. “He stopped everything. In his helmet there is a magnet.”
Mayer’s performance made it particularly tough on an injury-riddled San Diego club that continues to struggle offensively.
The Sockers are missing midfielders Brian Quinn and Hugo Perez, both out with strained knees. There were times Saturday when the Sockers had to rely on 39-year-old Kaz Deyna (benched much of the season), 5-foot 2-inch midfielder Paul Dougherty (playing his first MISL game) and newcomer Njego Pesa (playing his second game with the Sockers).
But it was the lack of effort that most annoyed Newman.
“There was no fight in our team tonight,” Newman said. “It’s not there. We weren’t really in the game. They did things better than us, they were quicker than us, and they got rewarded for it.”
Socker Notes
Socker Coach Ron Newman’s contract update: Agent David Kessler, representing Newman; Bob Bell, Socker managing general partner, and Newman met Friday. “More substance came out of this meeting (than the first meeting),” Kessler said Saturday night. “There were positive developments that make it almost imminent that a signing is to follow shortly.”
