MSL NOTEBOOK : Sockers Are a Boon to League Attendance

The Sockers filled the prescription in St. Louis and Baltimore over the weekend and helped cure--at least for one weekend--the MSL’s attendance ills.

On Friday, the 9,407 who showed up in St. Louis to watch the host Storm edge the Sockers, 2-1, and take over first place in the West, was St. Louis’ largest crowd of the season.

On Saturday, 9,417 showed up to the Baltimore Arena to see if the Blast could beat their longtime nemesis and take over first place from idle St. Louis in the East.

They couldn’t; the Sockers won, 7-5. But it was the season’s largest crowd at the Baltimore Arena.

For their return home Friday against the Wichita Wings, the Sockers are expecting a crowd in the 7,000 range.

Because of the crowds in St. Louis and Baltimore, and because Tacoma drew 11,242 Friday night for its 10-2 victory over Wichita, the MSL’s weekly average jumped from 5,772 the week before to 6,998.

It was the first upturn in league attendance this season and reversed a trend that saw the average crowd spiral from 8,537 at the beginning of the season to 6,209.

Last week’s crowds moved the season average to 6,262.

There’s a footnote that partially explains the phenomenon: Tacoma businessman Al Meier bought 15,000 tickets and gave them away at a shopping center he owns.

Meier is also a part owner of the Stars.

A reunion of sorts took place in the Sockers’ post-game locker room Saturday after their 7-5 victory over Baltimore. The Milwaukee Wave showed up when Johan Aarnio, an assistant coach with the Sockers from 1981-88 now in his first year coaching Milwaukee, rerouted the team bus to Baltimore after the Wave played Friday night in Hershey, Pa.

Aarnio, who has the Wave in first place in the National Division of the National Professional Soccer League at 15-7, has several former Sockers on his roster.

Included are: Tim Bartro (a Socker from 1985-87), who was leading the team with 17 goals and seven assists before going down with a groin injury five games ago; Arturo Velazco (1989-90), an early favorite to win Defender of the Year with 61 blocks; Rene Ortiz (1987-90) second in the league in points with 19 goals and 10 assists; and goalie Felipe Hernandez (88-89), who has a four-game winning streak going after a rough start.

Also playing for the Wave are Eddie Henderson, who signed as a rookie with the Sockers in September but was cut early in the season; Dzung Tran, a first-round pick of the Sockers in 1985 who never made the final cut; and Carlos Basso, a longtime midfielder on the Sockers’ reserve team.

Speaking of former Sockers, several are playing in a recreation league at the San Diego Indoor Soccer Center on Friday nights.

“We call ourselves Cady’s Orphans,” said Juli Veee, the Sockers’ second all-time scoring leader with 468 points (254 goals, 214 assists).

Also on the team are: Jean Willrich, the Sockers’ No. 3 all-time scorer with 357 points (166, 191); Ade Coker, No. 9 on the list with 153 points (109, 44), George Katakalidas, Cacho, Gus Mokalis, Vidal Fernandez and Raffaele Ruotolo. Also in the league are former Sockers Ralf Wilhelms and Cha Cha Namdar.

“We could give the Sockers a run for their money,” Veee said. “We would make them look dizzy.”

Actually, the team doesn’t take things too seriously.

“Nobody runs and if we see the other team warming up, we disqualify them,” Veee said.

Q: Who’s the best athlete in San Diego? A: Paul Wright, just ask Socker Coach Ron Newman.

“If there’s a better athlete than Paul Wright in this town, then bring him on,” Newman said. “I’d like to see him.”

In Saturday’s victory over Baltimore, Wright put the finishing touch on the fastest goal in league history when he volleyed a Waad Hirmez chip to the right of goalie Scott Manning only three seconds into the game.

The goal was mostly the product of Wright’s speed (he is said to be the fastest player in the sport), but there were other variables as well.

“The only reason why it worked,” said Hirmez, who used the opening kick to chip the ball over the Blast defenders while Wright sped past them, “was because they (Blast players) came in real tight and decided to pressure us. We just caught them off-guard. They were flat-footed.”

Hirmez seems to think the ploy can work again.

“You never know,” he said. “We might catch someone else off guard.”

The MSL Eastern All-Star team was announced Tuesday and includes three former Sockers: goalie Jim Gorsek (Kansas City), defender George Fernandez (Cleveland) and forward Zoran Karic (Cleveland).

The rest of the squad for the Feb. 13 game:

Forwards--Dale Ervine (Wichita), Jan Goossens (Kansas City), Hector Marinaro (Cleveland), Dale Mitchell (Baltimore) and Domenic Mobilio (Baltimore).

Midfielders--Chico Borja (Wichita), Billy Ronson (Baltimore) and Carl Valentine (Kansas City).

Defenders--Iain Fraser (Kansas City), Chico Moreira (Wichita), Kim Roentved (Kansas City), Bruce Savage (Baltimore).

Baltimore’s Scott Manning is the other goalie.

The Tacoma Stars front office underwent a shuffle Tuesday when General Manager Michael Vandenkolk announced his resignation. In a prepared statement, he said he was leaving to pursue an opportunity in the medical/health care industry.

Vandenkolk will be replaced by Earl Powell, one of the Stars’ original owners from 1983-88.