Playoffs a Bonanza for Perez : Sockers’ Midfielder Has Two Goals, Assist in Win Over Force

For most of the Major Indoor Soccer League season, Hugo Perez sat on the sidelines.

But since the playoffs started, the Sockers’ 24-year-old midfielder has been virtually unstoppable.

Perez led the way Wednesday night with two goals and an assist as San Diego defeated Cleveland, 6-5, in overtime at the Sports Arena in the opening game of the MISL championship series.

Perez went down with a stress fracture in his left shin Jan. 12 in a game against Baltimore. For the next 29 games, he watched and waited.

“I was looking forward to having a good year,” Perez said. “But I had the stress fracture and I had to stop playing completely, and that was frustrating.”

Perez returned April 9 for the last four games of the regular season and finished with 15 goals and 21 assists in 23 games.

Though he has been bothered by a nagging groin injury in the playoffs, Perez has been one of the Sockers’ main offensive weapons with 10 goals and 7 assists in 10 postseason games.

His first goal Wednesday came on a perfect give-and-go play with Juli Veee at 12:31 of the second quarter. Perez passed to Veee in the middle, then used Veee as a screen and swung to the right side to take a pass and score.

That gave San Diego a 3-2 lead at halftime, though Perez said he should have made it 4-2.

Late in the half, defender Kevin Crow was fouled by Cleveland goalkeeper P.J. Johns, resulting in a shootout. Perez took the one-on-one shot against Johns, but missed to the right.

With 11:26 remaining in the game, Perez scored again to give San Diego a 4-3 lead. Brian Quinn set up the goal by stealing the ball near midfield and dropping a pass to Perez, who faked right, went left, and slipped a shot past Johns with his left foot.

Perez assisted on Fernando Clavijo’s first goal with 2:28 remaining in the game.

Not a bad night’s work for a man who missed most of the year.

“I can do better,” said Perez, who probably will play in Europe next year. “I just have to take it one game at a time. I’m still bothered by the injuries, but there’s no time to rest. I can feel my groin, but as long as I don’t tear it, I’m OK.”

Ron Newman, the San Diego coach, just hopes to keep Perez whole.

“We need Hugo to do some of the brilliant individual things he’s capable of doing,” Newman said. “If his game is on form, he’s terribly difficult to handle. We needed a big one from him and we got it. Now we just need to keep him healthy.”