Dumped by U.S. Team Gabarra Turns Focus to MISL Championship
The call was more of a relief than anything else.
Jim Gabarra, a forward on the Sockers, suspected his days with the United States national team were numbered when Coach Bob Gansler didn’t renew his contract this past December.
He tried to be optimistic, but it was difficult. A lot of times, he’d stay up at night thinking about how many hours he had practiced since joining the team in 1987.
It’s every soccer player’s dream to play for the World Cup. How could a guy who was on the field for seven of the nine qualifying games be cut? All this work so a young kid could come in and take his place at the last minute?
And then it finally happened. Gansler phoned Gabarra last week and told him he was dropping him from the team. The wondering was over.
“I’ve been bummed out from mid December until last week,” said Gabarra, a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic team. “Finally, I thought ‘I don’t have to keep my hopes up any more.’
“You think of all the nasty things you want to say. When you come right down to it, you figure it’s better not to say anything. What are you going to say? It’s his decision to make.”
It made Gabarra glad he decided to sign during preseason with the Sockers, who are tied, 2-2, with the Dallas Sidekicks entering Game 5 of the Western Division finals at 7:35 tonight in the San Diego Sports Arena.
“I’d be out of work if I hadn’t signed with San Diego,” Gabarra said. “I’m grateful for that.”
The explanation for Gabarra’s dismissal is fairly simple. Gansler said he did what was best for the team.
“I just felt that we gave him ample opportunity to crack that starting lineup last year,” he said. “I don’t think it makes good sense to have veteran players on the bench.”
Gabarra is 30, and his replacements are in their early 20s.
“I feel badly for Jim because he’s an exceptional young guy,” Gansler said. “But in this game, he’s not that young.”
Socker Coach Ron Newman is found of saying that he can’t play someone on the basis of his clipping file. Yesterday’s goals don’t win today’s games. And telling a player it’s time to move on is part of coaching. The hard part.
“It’s certainly not something that I relish,” Gansler said. “If it were a matter of keeping my favorite players, Jim would certainly be part of the team. But only 22 can be happy. That’s the limit.”
So now Gabarra plans to channel his efforts into helping the Sockers win a Major Indoor Soccer League championship, which he said would soothe the sting of having to watch the World Cup on television. Though far from a high-profile player, Gabarra finds ways to contribute.
A better compliment he couldn’t receive than the one offered by team captain Brian Quinn, who says: “Jimmy’s kind of similar to myself. He’s a jack of all trades. We fill a void, helping the defense and the offense. It’s important to have players like him. Wherever he’s asked to play, he does a commendable job.”
Recently, he has filled in as a defender, helping compensate for injuries to Cacho, Kevin Crow and Don Cogsville. But undoubtedly, his true strength is his shot, which he unloaded unmercifully on the Sidekicks during the Sockers’ 4-2 victory Sunday. His 25-footer in the first quarter traveled between his right foot and the upper left corner of the goal in about the time it takes to say: “Wow.”
“I just made up my mind I was going to hit it hard and on target,” Gabarra said. “I looked up and it was already in. It’s a nice feeling. I haven’t been getting too many shots off.”
Certainly, Gabarra’s statistics are modest. He had 10 goals and eight assists in 42 regular season games and two goals and two assists in eight playoff games. But he does the kind of things that are noticed more by his teammates than fans.
“Unfortunately, in this league, a player can do a lot of things but get very little recognition,” midfielder Waad Hirmez said. “I think he fits in that category.”
Gabarra is realistic about what is within his capabilities.
“I don’t have skills like Branko (Segota) or Quinny,” he says, “but I work hard.”
Socker Notes
The Sockers have no new injuries. Defender Kevin Crow will play with an abdominal strain. Midfielder Waad Hirmez, who is still experiencing soreness in his left hamstring and didn’t scrimmage in practice Monday, is also expected to play. . . . Hirmez became the Sockers’ all-time playoff game-winning goal scorer with eight on Sunday when he connected on a 25-footer in the third quarter. That put him ahead of Branko Segota, Jean Willrich and Brian Quinn . . . Sunday’s attendance of 6,422 was the third smallest in Socker playoff history. The two previous lowest were Games 1 and 2 of the Western Division semifinals against St. Louis . . . Victor Nogueira (1-2, 2.96 goals-against average) will start if Coach Ron Newman sticks with his rotation. Joe Papaleo (1-1, 2.06 GAA) is likely to start for Dallas.
