Sockers Find Answer to Sidekick Defense : MSL: A cluster of goals in the second quarter helps San Diego defeat Dallas, 5-1.

San Diego Socker Coach Ron Newman watched from the stands Saturday night as the Dallas Sidekicks beat Tacoma, and knew the same thing might happen to his team Sunday if the Sockers could not break Dallas’ spirit.

A cluster of goals late in the second period is exactly what he needed.

San Diego (19-12) scored three times within 2:08 late in the second quarter, and routed the struggling Sidekicks, 5-1, before 6,658 at Reunion Arena.

Dallas beat Tacoma, 5-4, on Saturday as new coach Gordon Jago directed his first game since taking over for Billy Phillips Jan. 28.

Newman said he figured the Sidekicks (13-19) would come out strong, but knew their confidence remained fragile.

“We tried not to give them anything to hang on to,” said Newman, whose team moved back ahead of St. Louis in the MSL West. “Because it doesn’t take much.”

The Sidekicks had plenty of chances in the first quarter. Three balls rolled untouched in front of San Diego’s goal without a shot, and the Socker penalty killing unit prevented Dallas from scoring on two man-advantage opportunities.

That gave the Sockers, who have won 10 of their last 12, the chance they needed.

“It was just a matter of taking our opportunities and finishing them better than they they were finishing,” Newman said. “They weren’t playing that well, and they missed a couple of chances early.”

It looked like the first period would end scoreless, but Sidekick forward Tatu found Terry Woodberry unguarded at the top of the penalty area. Woodberry pivoted and shot left-footed across his body to score with just two seconds left in the quarter.

But things fell apart quickly for the Sidekicks after that. The Sockers’ first goal, by Alex Golovnia at the 10:55 mark of the second period, bounced off the wall and hit Dallas goalkeeper Krys Sobieski in the back before trickling in. Branko Segota created the goal by drawing two defenders on the double team before passing off to Golovnia.

Just 36 seconds later, a three-line violation gave San Diego a free kick at the red line. Segota passed to Michael Collins on the free kick, and Collins scored with an uncontested shot to the far post at the 11:31 mark.

Then, at the 13:03 mark, Rod Castro rocketed a shot past Sobieski from near the right dasher boards. Newman said Castro played perhaps his best game this season, which was timely since San Diego was missing Paul Wright, who missed the game with a groin strain.

Jago wasn’t upset about the first goal, but called his team’s marking disgraceful on the next two.

“Those five minutes showed why we are where we are,” Jago said.

After those goals, Segota said it simply was a matter of keeping the Sidekicks down, having already broken them. “Once we got on top,” he said, “we just controlled the game and set the tempo.”

San Diego, 3-1 against Dallas this year, has held the Sidekicks scoreless in seven of the last eight quarters in the series. For the 10th in 33 games this season, Tatu, the league’s leading scorer, was held without a goal. And it was the first time this season the Sidekicks failed to score at least two goals at home, where they now are 8-10.

Jago said his team may have been a little tired after Saturday’s victory over Tacoma, and admitted the Sidekicks were missing midfielder Beto, who sat out with a bruised shoulder. But mostly, he said, the Sidekicks simply got beat beat by the better team.

“You saw the difference out there,” he said. “They are the champions, and they showed us where the real standards are.”