THE SOCKERS: 1990 MISL CHAMPIONS : Sockers’ Title Overshadowed by Nagging Questions

A championship, a trophy, champagne and hundreds of people cheering at the airport are nice. For a while. Then reality returns and the flaws begin to roll across and block a bit of the sunshine.

A question went unanswered all season by the Sockers. Why were they so mediocre at times? Mediocrity isn’t becoming to a team that has been atop the MISL for so many years.

Friday in Baltimore, they won their eighth indoor championship, defeating a Blast team that had a record of 32-20 during the regular season, best in the league. The Sockers were 25-27.

If the championship helped heal the bruises, it didn’t exactly answer the question.

That bothers defender Kevin Crow.

“We had a lot of problems this year,” he said. “That all gets covered up because you win. I don’t think that’s right. You can’t forget we were 25 and 27. There’s no good reason for it. We definitely should have been a much better team during the season.”

Why they weren’t successful is difficult to explain. Things certainly improved in March, when Zoran Karic was traded to Cleveland for Paul Wright, who gave the Sockers added speed and a more complete defense. But the Sockers took their time even after Wright’s arrival. They waited for the playoffs before lifting their game and mystifying their opponents the way they have done so often in the past.

Crow thinks the Sockers are due for a few adjustments.

“I just think there’s got to be a fresh and a new attitude brought into this team,” he said. “I think we can definitely become a better team next year.”

To do that, he suggests a more structured training schedule.

“I’m not saying we have to run like dogs,” he said. “I’m saying we have to become better players. And that comes down to training.”

The guy in the middle of all of this is Socker Coach Ron Newman. Newman has won eight championships, but the bottom line is he still doesn’t command a lot of respect from his team.

“There’s not enough respect all the way down to the rookies,” Crow said. “And that’s something that’s got to be addressed.”

It has often been said that Newman would be lost without all the talent. He has a response.

“My answer is, this isn’t the only team I’ve ever won with,” Newman said. “I’ve won without (these players).”

True enough. He has championships in both the American Soccer League and the North American Soccer League. Newman’s strengths have always been his knack for knowing when to leave players alone, his keen eye for talent and his ability to use the rules to his advantage.

But Newman has been criticized for not providing necessary technical instruction to younger players, and not being capable of motivating and communicating with the team on a consistent basis.

With one-year remaining on his contract, Newman said he fully expects to be back next year. Right now, he isn’t sure about when he wants to retire and wonders if he wouldn’t be bored without the pressures and challenges of coaching. He said he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of coaching for another team.

“A brand new franchise,” he said. “Somewhere where there are no ghosts. It would be an interesting challenge.”

Then again . . .

“I’d have to weigh the pros and cons. As you get older, you’re really not that much of a gypsy. I’ve really always felt that I’d like to stay here for good.”

Without question, his job isn’t simple. Problems started before this season began when Socker Owner Ron Fowler and President Ron Cady decided that Steve Zungul should be signed to a preseason contract as a reward for his contributions to last year’s championship.

As it turns out, Zungul, who is 35 and has arthritic hips, wasn’t willing to accept his role as a reserve player and Newman wasn’t willing to play him on the basis of his clipping file. Zungul and Newman’s strained relationship smoldered all season and had an adverse effect on midfielder Branko Segota, who really only played to his potential during the championship series.

The Sockers managed to escape their problems this season, but Crow isn’t sure they can continue to do that unless key players such as Segota can turn in better performances earlier in the season.

“Branko and some of these guys have got to realize it’s not like the old days,” Crow said. “You can’t go on cruise control during the regular season.”

Cruise control won’t do in the off-season either. There are problems to solve. Crow said there will likely be a 10% to 15% reduction in the salary cap, currently at $875,000. Maximum player salaries will go from $90,000 to $70,000.

That means the Sockers of today won’t all be the Sockers of tomorrow. Many players deserve raises, but with the cap going backward rather than forward some veterans with higher salaries might have to be gone.

“I think it’s just a pretty unfortunate situation,” midfielder Brian Quinn said. “You win a championship and you’d like to reward everybody, but you can’t because of the financial problems in the league.”