Sockers Keep Cleveland’s Offense Quiet

When your team has won 10 in a row, you can make predictions like Cleveland Crunch defender George Fernandez did before Sunday’s game against the Sockers at the Sports Arena.

“We’re going to crush them,” Fernandez said confidently.

Being a former Socker, however, Fernandez should know how his old team better.

Behind Victor Nogueira’s second shutout of the season, the Sockers brought the Crunch back to Earth, 4-0, in front of 6,372.

Nogueira wasn’t called upon to make any acrobatic saves during the game, but he spent the night deftly playing the angle and limiting Cleveland’s path to the goal.

Nogueira, who leads Major Soccer League goalies in minutes played, was starting his third game in four nights.

Weariness, however, doesn’t seem to affect him.

“I don’t really feel run down,” he said.

What could have been described as run down was Cleveland’s offense. Despite making 17 saves, Nogueira said the Crunch never really tested him.

Cleveland Coach Trevor Dawkins agreed.

“We had several opportunities,” he said. “But we failed to take them.”

One missing ingredient in the Crunch’s offensive mix was former Socker Zoran Karic, sidelined with a strained right groin. With 55 goals this season, Karic usually makes a difference.

“Karic gives us fits,” said Ron Newman, Socker coach. “They may be a little more disciplined without Zoran, but Zoran always makes things happen. He’s such an accurate shooter.”

Because accuracy was not a Crunch strength, Nogueira gained several milestones:

--It was his eighth career shutout, an MSL record.

--It was his sixth career regular-season shutout, which ties him with St. Louis’ Slobo Ilijevski for most ever.

--It was also the third time in Nogueira’s career that he has recorded two shutouts in one season (Nogueira recorded a 7-0 shutout of Dallas Dec. 1). He is the only MSL goalie to have more than one multi-shutout season.

But Nogueira nearly lost all the milestones with six minutes to go. He ventured off his line to corral a loose ball in the penalty box, but somehow Bernie James got to it first and fired on the empty net.

Sockers defender David Banks, however, filled the void and blocked James’ shot.

Banks blocked it, but couldn’t clear the ball, which went right to the foot of Hector Marinaro, who put it right back on goal. Again, Banks came up with the block.

“Hey, I already thanked him,” Nogueira said.

Three other Sockers finished with two blocks and two others blocked one apiece for a total of 10. But the most glaring sign of team cohesion was this:

The Sockers’ four goals came from four different players. The four assists came from four others.

Perhaps the niftiest goal came with a minute gone in the fourth quarter after Paul Dougherty took a pass from Branko Segota on the left wing. Dougherty dribbled upfield, but seeing he had no angle, he passed the ball to himself off the end boards as he ran around defender Mike Sweeney, then beat goalie P.J. Johns with the shot from right in front.

Other goals came from Banks, Ben Collins and Wes Wade.

What happened? Apparently, the thought of going against the hottest team in the league got the adrenaline flowing.

“We knew (Cleveland) was the strongest team in the league, scoring-wise,” Nogueira said. “So we were motivated. I think one of the reasons we lost (Thursday, 5-4, to Kansas City) was because we were a little bit unmotivated.”

Newman said he used Cleveland’s recent success to rekindle his team’s intensity.