Sockers Open Oct. 28; All-Star Game Here

The defending champion Sockers will play at Dallas on Oct. 28 to open the 1989-90 Major Indoor Soccer League season and then play Kansas City Nov. 3 in their home opener at the Sports Arena.

The schedule, released by the MISL Tuesday, includes a bonus: The MISL All-Star game will be played at the Sports Arena Feb. 21.

With the addition of the St. Louis Storm and Cleveland Crunch, the MISL also split the league back into two divisions after a year without them. The Western Division includes the Sockers, Storm, Dallas Sidekicks and Tacoma Stars, and Eastern Division the Crunch, Baltimore Blast, Kansas City Comets and Wichita Wings.

The Sockers’ schedule includes four more games (52) than last season. All but four of their 26 home dates will be Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

The team also will play 13 pairs of games on consecutive nights.

The MISL playoffs will include the top three teams from each division, with the division champion receiving a first-round bye. The No. 2 and 3 teams in each division will play a best-of-five series (two games at one site, two at the other, returning to the first site for the final game, if necessary). The winners will then play the division champions in a seven-game, two-three-two series, to be followed by another series with the same format for the championship.

The Sockers also formally announced the signing of Waad Hirmez, the ninth player to sign for the 1989-90 season. Hirmez, who started last season with the Los Angeles Lazers, has a one-year contract.

Hirmez, who played at Point Loma High School, returned to the Sockers last season in a trade that sent Poli Garcia to Los Angeles. Hirmez scored 26 goals and added 18 assists in 46 games last season.