Nomads Seek WSL Title
It has been said that the term jumbo shrimp is an oxymoron.
The San Diego Nomads of the Western Soccer League know otherwise. They have had to deal this season with a shrimp named Steve Corpening, who at 5-feet-10, 155 pounds has presented a jumbo problem for WSL defenses.
In 16 games, Corpening, a San Francisco Bay Blackhawks rookie, scored 12 goals. That seems a modest number in an indoor soccer league city such as San Diego, where that many are often scored in a game. But outdoor soccer differs: Corpening’s goals were the most scored by one player in a WSL season.
And Corpening’s record would not have been set were it not for his particular success against the Nomads: three goals in two games.
He may not be finished. Corpening leads the Blackhawks (11-5 in the regular season) into Aztec Bowl at 7:30 tonight to play the Nomads (12-4) for the WSL championship.
“We’ve got to stop Corpening,” said Nomad Coach Derek Armstrong, sounding a sort of alarm.
But Nomad defenders don’t seem to have heeded their coach’s warning.
“We’re not really too worried about their forwards,” said Arturo Velazco, Nomad sweeper.
The reason for Velazco’s lack of concern is this: The Nomads have recently revamped their back line, bringing Steve Boardman down from the midfield and adding Tommy Reasoner and Scott Platenberg to complement Velazco and Mario Gonzalez.
“Since we’ve changed the lineup,” Velazco said, “we haven’t lost a game.”
They’ve won five in a row. If they’re to make it six, they will have to spring forward Paul Wright (three goals in four games) past the Blackhawk defense.
“Paul Wright is very important,” Armstrong said. “Because he’s got the pace to beat every defender in the league.”
Much of the Nomad attack consists of bypassing the midfield with long passes to speedy forwards Wright and Jerome Watson (10 goals, seven assists). That means Corpening and forward David Palic will not only be trying to penetrate the goal but also will be playing a game of keep-away.
“We’re going to have to control the ball and make those 50-yard passes more difficult,” Corpening said. “If they don’t have the ball, they can’t pass it.”
Whichever team is more successful at finding openings for its forwards will have an added bonus: the WSL champions and their counterparts from the two-year-old American Soccer League will meet Sept. 9 in San Jose in the national title game.
