San Diego Sockers and Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) News:
Soccer Match Update: Dallas 3 – Sockers 8
The San Diego Sockers locked up the second seed in the Pacific Division with an 8-3 win over the Dallas Sidekicks in front of 5,032 at the Valley View Casino Center. The Sockers finish the regular season portion of the Major Arena Soccer League 13-7, tied with Tacoma, but will take the higher seed based on the two team’s head-to-head record with the Sockers taking two of three.
It looked like it might be an easy afternoon for the home side as the Sockers opened the scoring less than two minutes in. Nick Perera picked his head up from behind the halfway line and threaded a beautiful ball through for Anthony Medina to finish one touch.
The Sockers ended the quarter just as they started it with Kraig Chiles finishing after another deft pass, this time from Erick Tovar to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
If the Sockers were quick and crisp in the first quarter, they came out a bit lethargic in the second and it opened the door for the Sidekicks to come storming back.
Cameron Brown scored on a powerplay and Patrick Shamu brought the sides level after Sockers’ keeper Chris Toth cleared the ball right to Gabe Arredondo, who quickly played in Shamu to equalize.
San Diego would take the lead into the break, however, as Dallas was whistled for a delay of game with 16 seconds left. Chiles rolled the free-kick to his left for Matt Clare to smash home his first goal in three games.
The momentum stayed with the Sockers after the break. Inside the first five minutes, Chiles neatly turned his defender and riffled a shot on goal. Dallas’ keeper Juan Gamboa got down well to make the save, but Erick Tovar was right on the doorstep to sweep home.
Following a penalty to Arredondo midway through the third quarter, Chiky Luna sent a thunderous drive from distance into the upper corner to make the score 6-2.
Cody Ellis replied just 26 seconds later as he guided his shot into the upper corner to halve the deficit at the 8:50 mark.
The Sockers started the fourth quarter with a bang as Clare came flying down the middle before laying the ball off for Chiles to finish one touch just 15 seconds after the kickoff.
Luan Sales Oliveira and Clare added empty-netters to stretch the Sockers margin of victory to five.
The Sockers start their march towards the Ron Newman Cup on Wednesday with the first of two meetings against the Tacoma Stars. Kickoff at the ShoWare Center is set for 7:35pm PT.
The two sides will meet again on Sunday in San Diego at 5:05pm PT. It will be $2 beer night at the Valley View Casino Center.
If San Diego and Tacoma split the series, there will be an intermission after the second match, followed by a 15 minute mini-game to determine who moves on to the Pacific Division Final where Soles de Sonora awaits.
“We’re excited to go to Tacoma and get ourselves ready with this first round,” midfielder Brian Farber said. “Hopefully we’ll come back here with a win. We’ve been challenged for the last couple of weeks and now we’re ready for the playoffs.”
Source/Photo Credit: San Diego Sockers
