Sockers May Lose Fernandez

The Cleveland Crunch has called a press conference for Monday to announce the signing of “an important All-Star player,” and that probably is not good news for the Sockers.

Indications during last week’s Major Soccer League meetings in Baltimore were that 28-year-old defender George Fernandez was headed that way. And his wife confirmed Saturday that Fernandez, the most valuable player at February’s All-Star game in San Diego, is now in Cleveland.

Socker Coach Ron Newman, owner Ron Fowler and President Ron Cady were unavailable to comment Saturday. But only a few days ago, Newman said while in Baltimore that his team was in danger of losing both Fernandez and defender Ralph Black. A report in the Tacoma News-Tribune pegged Fernandez for Cleveland and Black for Tacoma. Those are the cities in which each began his career.

According to Al Miller, president/general manager of the Crunch, his team has talked with Fernandez and discussed salary.

“We’ve talked to a number of free agents,” Miller said. “We need some help, especially in the back.”

Last year, Cleveland finished with the worst record in the league at 20-32, mostly because of a porous defense. The Crunch allowed a league-high 237 goals in 52 games.

Fernandez, like most MSL players, became a free agent last week when a new collective bargaining agreement was ratified, calling for a new salary cap of $630,000, down $140,000 from the previous agreement.

Fernandez earned $30,000 last year and was named the team’s most valuable defender. He led the Sockers with 98 blocked shots, becoming the first player besides Kevin Crow to lead the team in that category in five seasons.

It was the kind of performance usually rewarded by a raise, but the Sockers had a payroll of $718,500 last year--not including traded or developmental players--and must pare that number significantly.

Tacoma already has tried to pry forward Rod Castro from the Sockers. Tacoma Coach Keith Weller said he had offered Castro a contract but that it was matched by the Sockers.

“We felt they wouldn’t let him go,” Weller said. “But we’re looking for good players, fresh players. And I think he would have played well for us.”

Castro, 24, scored 22 goals and had nine assists last year, his first in the MSL. He also led the team with six power-play goals.

Weller said he had talked with Black about that player’s return to Tacoma when the two spent time together watching the World Cup on TV in Tacoma, but he said he has not talked to him since.

Black, currently playing outdoors with the Seattle Storm of the Western Soccer League, was third on the Sockers in blocks last year with 57.