Revived Sockers Beat Sting, 5-4, With Big Rally
Present the Sockers with an obstacle. And another. And another. This team thrives on overcoming obstacles and adversity.
With just about everything going against it, an injury-riddled and very tired Socker team came from three goals down in the final quarter to gain a dramatic 5-4 victory over the Chicago Sting on Branko Segota’s goal with four seconds remaining Saturday night.
Segota took a pass from goalkeeper Zoltan Toth, beat Sting defender Chico Moreira and kicked a right footer into the lower right-hand corner of the net.
“I turned and propelled myself forward,” Segota said. “I faked and put it in the other side of the net.”
It was one of the few right-footed shots by Segota, who is still hampered by a strained muscle. And it was quite a way to end a memorable evening for both Segota and the Sockers in front of 9,746 in the San Diego Sports Arena.
After Waad Hirmez scored a power play goal at 1:24 of the final quarter to cut the Sting lead to 4-2, Segota scored on a left-footer from 35-feet to make it 4-3 at 9:38. That goal was Segota’s 500th point in the Major Indoor Soccer League. Only Steve Zungul (965) and Fred Grgurev (545) have more.
With Socker defender Fernando Clavijo on as a sixth attacker, Hirmez tied the game off a free kick with 1:55 left.
“The longer Branko waited on the free kick,” Hirmez said, “the more the defense became impatient. Branko tapped the ball to me. I toe-poked it. It deflected in. This is indoor. Anything can happen.”
Including another improbable Socker victory.
“The first half we were so tired we just tried to stay in the game,” Segota said. “Then in the last quarter it kind of came back to us. This is great.”
San Diego trailed 3-0 at halftime and 4-1 after three quarters. Then it begin to rally.
“Someone is going to pull us through on this team,” Clavijo said.
The Sockers were counted out a month ago when four of their regulars were sidelined with injuries. On Saturday, a fifth Socker, midfielder Jean Willrich had to sit out with a bruised left foot suffered Friday night at Tacoma.
San Diego was tired as well as shorthanded.
The after-effects of an eight-day trip--the Sockers didn’t arrive at San Diego until 4:30 Saturday afternoon, just three hours before game time--and a spirited opponent made for a long first half for San Diego.
The Sockers’ start was quite a letdown for a team that had pulled off two impressive road victories in three days and suddenly was just 1 1/2 out of first place in the Western Division of the MISL.
San Diego defeated the Sting, 4-3, in Chicago Wednesday night and then beat the first place Tacoma Stars, 5-4 in overtime, Friday night.
With Saturday’s victory--the Sockers’ (25-18) ninth straight win by one goal--San Diego moves to within one game of Tacoma.
“This is a sign that this team is still a champion and the team to beat,” Clavijo said.
Socker Notes
Injury update: Jean Willrich missed Saturday’s game after he bruised his left foot against Tacoma Friday. Willrich is expected to miss 10 to 14 days. Brian Quinn, Juli Veee and Hugo Perez remain out with sprained right knees. Quinn is expected to miss two to three more weeks, Veee 7-10 more days and Perez is out for the season. George Katakalidis remains out indefinitely with a sprained left toe.