Comets Trounce Sockers : Lackluster Play Results in 5-1 Loss; Series Is Tied, 1-1
The Sockers had a wake-up call for 9 Sunday morning, but they didn’t seem to wake up until 2:30 in the afternoon at Kemper Arena.
By that time, the Sockers trailed the Kansas City Comets by three goals.
San Diego threatened briefly when it cut the deficit to two midway through the third quarter, but the Comets weren’t about to allow the Sockers to come back for the second game in a row.
The Comets defeated the Sockers, 5-1, to tie the best-of-five opening-round Major Indoor Soccer League playoff series at one game each. Games 3 and 4 will be played in San Diego Tuesday and Sunday nights. If a fifth game is necessary, it will be played in Kansas City May 20.
On Sunday, in front of a spirited crowd of only 8,127 fans, the Comets outplayed the Sockers from the start.
“We were flat as a newspaper,” said Socker midfielder Juli Veee. “And it was only a one-page paper.”
“Maybe we stayed around Kansas City too long,” said Socker Coach Ron Newman. “Our people thought they were on vacation. I told them the warm-up would probably be the most important thing, because if they didn’t get their warm-up and get their energies and their blood flowing, they could be in trouble.
“It was a terrible way to get started today. We were lucky to be down 3-0 at halftime. We never even put up a fight. It was a listless display to begin with, and it went from bad to worse.”
Anything else?
“We didn’t play with our brains,” said Socker defender Kevin Crow. “It was like too many people had lobotomies the last few days.”
The Comets had numerous opportunities to take an early lead, but the game remained scoreless until defender Tim Clark deflected a shot past goalkeeper Zoltan Toth to make it 1-0 at 6:26 of the first quarter.
“They came out with a higher tempo than Thursday, and we weren’t prepared for it,” said Socker midfielder Brian Quinn. “Every time they seemed to put pressure on us, we coughed the ball up.”
And the Comets--who led the Major Indoor Soccer League in scoring during the regular season--played with discipline as well as explosiveness.
“If we can keep our discipline, it’s untold where we can go,” said Comet Coach Dave Clements. “Discipline has been our problem. Today, the defenders were keeping their position, and we picked and chose the times we went forward.”
They went forward on power-play opportunities and showed why they were the best power-play team in the league this season.
Waad Hirmez was called for a dangerous play when he kicked Comet defender Iain Fraser at 5:42 of the second quarter. At 7:06, Comet defender Gino Schiraldi scored his third goal of the series off a pass from Jan Goossens. Kansas City led, 2-0.
Quinn was sent off for two minutes for pushing Cacho and two more minutes when he received a yellow card for dissent. It has been an expensive trip to Kansas City for Quinn, who received a yellow card--which carries a $200 fine--in each of the last two games.
Just 16 seconds into Quinn’s penalty, Comet forward Dale Mitchell scored to make it 3-0.
“They know we have a couple of guys with hot tempers,” Crow said. The Comets played a scrappy, chippy type of game that frustrated the Sockers. The result was penalties.
On Sunday, three of the four penalties on judgment calls went against the Sockers, who led the league in penalties and penalty minutes. During Thursday’s 5-4 overtime victory, both penalties on judgment calls went against San Diego.
“They got some fortunate calls, to say the least,” Newman said. “We’re not going to get anything in this building. Let’s hope the officiating is as much for the home team in our place.”
Still, neither Newman nor his players felt the referees affected the outcome of Sunday’s game.
“We weren’t even in the game the first half,” Crow said. “We could have been down 6 or 7-0. Easy.”
The Comets led 3-1 at halftime in Thursday’s game before losing. Avoiding a repeat of that performance was utmost on their minds at halftime Sunday, they said.
“At halftime, we said, ‘Let’s keep the first three minutes of the second half with a clean slate,’ ” said Comet goalkeeper Alan Mayer, who made 13 saves on 22 shots and played another excellent game. “If we let them get back in the game early in the third period, then we’d be in trouble.”
San Diego’s Hugo Perez scored on a left-footer from 40 feet to make it 3-1 at 6:33 of the third quarter. Jean Willrich passed to Perez off a free kick, and the shot went through defender Charley Greene’s legs and past Mayer.
After Perez’s goal, the Sockers gained some life offensively. But with 17 seconds to play in the third quarter, San Diego was caught with too many men upfield. The Comets had a three-on-two break, which resulted in a goal by Greene on a 20-footer from the right wing.
“That was the crucial goal,” Quinn said.
After the Sockers inserted a sixth attacker, Greene added Kansas City’s fifth goal at 10:48 of the final quarter to ensure the Comets’ first playoff victory over the Sockers after six straight defeats. It was also the first time the Comets defeated Toth, who is 9-1 against them.
“Now we’ve got to get a win down there. Maybe two wins, who knows? But at least we’ve served notice that we’re not the guys from the Land of Oz,” Clements said.
As for the Sockers . . .
“No one said it would be easy,” Quinn said. “Nothing comes easy for the Sockers anymore.”
Socker Notes
Branko Segota (out with a fractured cheekbone since April 10) warmed up with the Sockers Sunday, but did not play or sit on the bench. After the game, Segota said he would be 100% for Tuesday’s game . . . Comet defender Gino Schiraldi, who was suffered a pulled hamstring while fighting for a loose ball with Brian Quinn in the second quarter, did not return to the game and is doubtful for Tuesday’s game.
