Sockers Beat Tacoma by the Numbers
How about these numbers?
With their 7-2 victory over the Tacoma Stars at the San Diego Sports Arena Wednesday night, the magic number for the Sockers to clinch the Western Division title is seven, and the magic number to clinch a playoff berth is three.
The Sockers lead Tacoma and Kansas City by 10 games in the Western Division.
San Diego is 31-10, which ties their best record after 41 games. They were 31-10 in both the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons.
Once again, the Sockers rebounded after a loss. San Diego hasn’t lost two in a row all season.
The Sockers are 5-0 against Tacoma this season. Last season, the teams split six regular-season games, the Stars won the Western Division title and eliminated the Sockers from the playoffs in seven games in the division finals.
Socker Coach Ron Newman won his 200th indoor game Wednesday. He is 200-105 (163-74 in the Major Indoor Soccer League and 37-31 in the North American Soccer League).
“It’s a milestone,” Newman said. “It’s certainly better than having 200 losses. But I don’t see any bonus.”
Branko Segota scored the first of his two goals after just 20 seconds to give the Sockers their quickest lead of the season. Segota scored his second goal on a brilliant solo effort and right-footer in the fourth quarter. He is tied with Minnesota forward Hector Marinaro for the league lead in goals with 45.
Defender Fernando Clavijo scored the 12th shorthanded goal of his career to tie Paul Kitson of Cleveland for the MISL record for shorthanded goals.
Socker midfielder Juli Veee scored two goals for the first time this season. It’s his first two-goal game in the regular season since Feb. 27, 1987 against Wichita.
Keder also scored two goals for the Sockers.
Goalkeeper Zoltan Toth made 6 saves on 20 shots and allowed just two goals to lower his league-leading goals against average to 2.84 and raise his record to 15-5.
The Sockers penalty killing unit held Tacoma scoreless five times Wednesday and has held the opposition without a goal 17 straight times in the past seven games.
The crowd of 8,952 was treated to free pizza after the game because the Sockers scored six or more goals in a victory at home for the eighth time this season.
The numbers just keep mounting.
During a conference call Wednesday, the MISL Board of Directors and Commissioner Bill Kentling discussed what they feel is a lack of progress on the part of the MISL Players’ Assn. to react to their April 15 deadline to reduce the salary cap for each of the next two seasons from $1.275 million to $898,000 ($850,000 for 18 professional players and $12,000 for each of four amateur developmental contracts).
The owners said Feb. 26 that the league will cease operations in June if the proposal is not accepted.
“The reality is this league has 36 days to live,” Kentling said.
Therefore, Kentling said he will make the following recommendations to the player representatives and teams this morning:
--- He will suggest ways in which players can split the $850,000.
--- He will present ideas that he hopes will encourage the players’ association to move more quickly in responding to the owners’ deadline.
“There’s a high level of frustration among the owners,” Kentling said. “The perception seems to be the union is not doing anything. There is no sense of any response from the union.
“People are still (messing) around, thinking they are not being told the truth, that millions of dollars is being hidden somewhere.”
Kentling said he is less optimistic today about the chances of survival for the league than he was at the league meetings in Tacoma Feb. 15-17.
Socker President Ron Cady said “this isn’t moving along as we’d like.” Cady said he and Ron Fowler, Socker chairman of the board, will hold a team meeting to discuss the salary cap situation with the players either today or Friday.
Socker Notes
Defender Neil Megson and forward Gary Heale scored for Tacoma. Former Socker Steve Zungul, booed every time he touched the ball, was held to an assist.
