Sockers Hope to Receive Title on Next Crazy Bounce

Crazy, isn’t it?

There has to be a script hidden behind all of this. Maybe it was cooked up in the Major Indoor Soccer League office as a form of promotion.

First, the Sockers lost a game it appeared they would win, surrendering a two-goal lead to the Baltimore Blast late in Game 1 of the championship series at Baltimore.

The next night, the Sockers blew another two-goal lead. Same result? Nope. This time, they won.

That took matters to San Diego. There, in Games 3 and 4, the Sockers won two games they were supposed to win, setting up Game 5, which they were really supposed to win.

And?

They lost.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out there’s something a bit strange here. History told us the Sockers wouldn’t lose Game 5, forcing them to travel with a 3-2 lead for Game 6 at the Baltimore Arena tonight at 4:35 and, if necessary, Game 7 on Saturday.

Tuesday was the first time in nine meetings the Sockers have lost a home playoff game to the Blast. It was also the first time the Sockers lost a game in which they had the opportunity to wrap a championship series.

It all seems so improbable. After all, the Sockers are supposed to be the only ones who dare to come back to win a playoff series when down three games to one. They’ve done it twice, defeating Minnesota in the 1986 championship series and Kansas City in the Western Division finals last season.

But Baltimore is seeking to strike a blow for parity in a league seemingly forever dominated by the six-time champion Sockers.

Blast Coach Kenny Cooper made a little prediction before Tuesday’s game, saying his team would take the championship if it could win Game 5. Predictions mean little; this series is overflowing with surprises, momentum shifts and last-second victories. But, if nothing else, Tuesday’s result gave him reason for optimism.

“We applied ourselves,” he said. “The difference was we executed. This is a building block for us.”

The Sockers will try to block it out. Coach Ron Newman did his best to hide disappointment Tuesday while staring at a clutter of camera lights and notebooks. He was asked if he was disappointed not to win the championship at home. He responded: “I think we’re going to win it in Baltimore on Prime Ticket, and there are more people watching on Prime Ticket than here at the stadium.”

But dissatisfaction was apparent. Not far away were unopened champagne bottles. There was no reason for a drink, and no time. At 7 the next morning, the Sockers boarded a plane for Baltimore.

There was anger in the locker room. Players knew they hadn’t turned in a polished performance for their most enthusiastic, and largest, home crowd of the season. Still, this team wasn’t dead. Some spunk and desire remain.

“It’s all right,” midfielder Waad Hirmez said after admitting his disappointment. “I guess it wasn’t meant for us to win it at home. We’ll win it on the road. We’ve done it there before. There’s no reason we can’t do it Thursday or Saturday.”

To do so, the Sockers will need more of what helped them win three of the first four. Contributions from Steve Zungul, who entered Tuesday’s game second to Branko Segota for playoff points with 16; he played fewer minutes than usual Tuesday and didn’t add to his totals. And Brian Quinn: The Sockers have an excellent success rate (16-2) when Quinn scores at least one point in a championship series game. Tuesday, he didn’t.

One way or another, a crazy season that started with financial woes, forced the Sockers to wade through a host of injuries and required a speech from Ron Fowler, the team owner, to inspire a comeback in the Dallas series, will come to an end in Baltimore, for better or worse. The script will be complete.