Veee Collects Five Points as Sockers Turn Back Kansas City, 9-7
If San Diego fans were concerned about a lack of scoring and action in the Sockers’ 2-1 victory over Dallas Saturday night, they should have returned to the San Diego Sports Arena Thursday night.
The Sockers and Kansas City Comets played a wide-open, high-scoring, action-packed match that would make the Major Indoor Soccer League proud.
San Diego (34-10), playing with four rookies and without leading scorer Branko Segota (sprained left ankle), scored nine goals in the last three quarters to defeat the Comets, 9-7, in front of 7,148 fans.
After being blanked in the opening quarter, the Sockers scored four goals in both the second and third quarters and one in the fourth.
A spirited Juli Veee--the oldest midfielder in the league at 38--led the Sockers with a season-high five points on two goals and three assists.
“I was like a maestro conducting the Philharmonic,” Veee said. “It was open warfare. Everyone was tired. I’m going to hook up to the IVs and wait for the next game.”
However, it was not all good news for the Sockers.
Keder scored two goals but suffered a partial tear in the medial collateral ligaments in his right knee, according to Dr. Edward Kreusser, team physician.
Tests will be conducted to determine the extent of the injury, but Kreusser said Keder “could conceivably return within three to four weeks.”
Keder was injured when he collided with Comet goalkeeper Ed Gettemeier in the fourth quarter. The way in which the injury occured infuriated Socker Coach Ron Newman.
“This sort of thing happens because the referees allow two-footed tackles by goalkeepers,” Newman said. “The referees are not doing their job.”
The Socker offense definitely did its job against the Comets.
Paul Dougherty added two goals and Fernando Clavijo, Brian Schmetzer and Rene Ortiz one each.
Jan Goossens led Kansas City with two goals and two assists. Dale Mitchell, Kim Roentved, Barry Wallace, David Doyle and Kia had one goal each.
The Comets, playing their fourth road game in seven days, jumped in front, 2-0, after the first quarter on goals by Mitchell and Roentved. Kansas City leads the league in scoring average with 5.2 goals per game.
The Sockers scored four times in the second quarter to lead, 4-3, at halftime.
Clavijo had virtually no angle when he lined a right-footer from the right corner into the net just 44 seconds into the second quarter.
Clavijo’s goal was a MISL record-setting 13th career short-handed goal, breaking a tie with Cleveland forward Paul Kitson.
Wallace scored to give the Comets a 3-1 lead. Schmetzer lined a right-footer from the top of the arc to make it 3-2.
Veee, receiving a nice pass from Clavijo, tied the score at 3-3 on a right-footer from inside the penalty area at 10:11.
Keder’s right-footer from the right corner--a basically harmless shot--rolled in the net off Gettemeier’s back.
The torrid scoring continued in the third quarter as the Sockers scored four goals and the Comets three.
Kia scored from the penalty area to tie the score at 4-4. Ortiz, an 18-year-old rookie from Southwest High, lined a running right-footer from inside the penalty area for his first MISL goal in only his second game to give the Sockers a 5-4 lead at 4:45.
Doyle tied it at 5-5 on a left-footer from the left corner at 7:53. Dougherty scored off a restart to give the Sockers a 6-5 lead at 8:37. Goossens tied the score at 6-6 at 12:11.
Dougherty’s header gave the Sockers a 7-6 lead at 13:17. Veee scored on a left-footer from the crease with just 19 seconds left in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Goossens scored to make it 8-7 at 1:45 of the final quarter. An unassisted goal by Keder made it 9-7 at 2:43.
“The young kids showed character,” Veee said.
So did the veteran.
