Sockers’ Streak Ends on a Night to Forget : Small Crowd Watches Lazers Score Twice in Fourth Period to Win, 4-2

At least when the Sockers’ team-record 13-game winning streak was ended by Minnesota last Feb. 5, it was a memorable evening filled with drama, fanfare and fans.

It was Steve Zungul’s final game in a Socker uniform. He had been sold to the Tacoma Stars earlier that week, but under the heading of “only in the Major Indoor Soccer League,” Zungul asked to play one final time at home with his mates. The Sockers obliged.

San Diego lost an exciting, 4-3 game to the Strikers in front of 10,665 fans.

Contrast that to Tuesday night in the San Diego Sports Arena.

San Diego had its nine-game winning streak snapped by the Los Angeles Lazers, 4-2, on a rainy night in front of a season-low 6,470.

It was the smallest home crowd for the Sockers since March 9, 1983, when 6,084 saw the Sockers play the Cleveland Force.

Maybe it was too much Super Bowl this past week. Or too much rain Tuesday.

Or could it be that Socker fans have seen enough easy victories and at the midway point of the season are already waiting for the playoffs to begin?

The Sockers are 21-7 and lead the second-place Lazers (13-13) and Tacoma (14-14) by seven games in the Western Division. They are 10-2 at home.

San Diego outshot the Lazers, 34-11, but it was Los Angeles--playing a tight defense that continually dropped back--that dictated play for most of the game.

“Everybody was dead on our team,” said Juli Veee, who tied the game at 2-2 on a header at 3:43 of the final quarter. “It’s difficult to penetrate if they drop five players back. We were dead flat. They laid back patiently.”

The Sockers were coming off an emotional, 5-4 overtime victory over Tacoma Saturday and never really got into the game. And the small crowd didn’t exactly get their adrenaline going.

“You’re a professional,” Socker defender Kevin Crow said. “You have to be able to motivate yourself. But it does give you a lift when you have those extra two or three thousand fans in the stands.”

Even though the Lazers shut down the Socker counterattack and goalkeeper David Brcic was brilliant, making 18 saves on 34 shots, the Sockers still were in it when Veee scored on the header.

But Lazer forward Chris Chueden then made it 3-2 from inside the penalty area with 5:04 to play.

“There was a lack of defensive effort by our players,” Socker Coach Ron Newman said. “When it was 2-2, we got caught again fast asleep.”

The Sockers inserted defender Fernando Clavijo as a sixth attacker in place of goalkeeper Zoltan Toth with 3:55 to play. Eleven seconds later, former Socker Cha Cha Namdar scored into an empty net to give the Lazers a two-goal cushion.

The streak ended on a most forgettable night for the Sockers.

Socker Notes

Coach Ron Newman said disciplinary action would be taken against Keder because the forward missed a game with the reserve team Tuesday. Keder missed his sixth straight game Tuesday with a sprained right ankle, but he played briefly with the reserve team Saturday, practiced with the Sockers Tuesday morning and Newman expected him to play in a game with the reserve team Tuesday afternoon. “Today he refused to play on the reserve team,” Newman said. “I’m mad,” Keder said. “I’m ready for game. Coach asked me if I’m ready, and I said, ‘I’m not injured.’ Coach said he don’t like to change a team that wins. It’s not fair.” Said Newman: “I’m still trying to get him in condition. The line is working good. Now, he’ll have to wait his turn.” Keder has 15 goals and five assists for 20 points in 21 games . . . Paul Dougherty was credited with the first Socker goal on an own goal at 1:45 of the first quarter. Thompson Usiyan scored twice for the Lazers. Socker goalkeeper Zoltan Toth (10-4) allowed three goals and made six saves on 10 shots.