San Diego Sockers Head to Mexico for Second Leg of Pacific Division Final
The second leg of the Pacific Division Final will be held in Hermosillo, Mexico today as Soles de Sonora head home on top after winning the first match 10-5. The Sockers will look to overturn the deficit as they aim to extend their season and advance to the next round of the Ron Newman Cup. Kickoff is Saturday night at 5:00pm PT.
Arena Soccer News: The San Diego Sockers will look to turn the tide in the Pacific Division Final tonight against Soles de Sonora at the Centro de Usos Multiples (CUM) in Hermosillo, Mexico. Kickoff is set for 5pm PT and the game will be shown live here.
Following the team’s last 10-5 defeat, San Diego must beat Sonora in the second game in order to force the “mini-game” 15 minutes after the final whistle.
While the odds on paper are stacked against the Sockers, San Diego was one of only two teams to defeat Soles de Sonora this season and the only club to win in Sonora.
The message in the dressing room after last night was to let it go. With the series being two games, the best thing to do is have a short memory and focus on the values that has brought the club so much success in the modern era. By no means is the series over and San Diego is determined to prove that fact. In order to be champions you must win in the toughest venues across the Major Arena Soccer League.
In their two home and home series during the regular season, neither side was able to complete the sweep.
Confidence is still high in the camp and the Sockers know they can strike quickly, such as the three goals in fifty seconds to finish out the match last night or the 6-2 second quarter they had the last time they were in Sonora.
At the CUM, there will need to be an emphasis on pressuring high and not allowing the primary entry ball into the defensive zone where Soles often look for quick little flick-ons from the target man to runners off the ball.
Keeping the ball will also be a necessity. One of the Sockers biggest problems last night was getting caught on the counter-attack. On the smaller field in Mexico, however, the Sockers will be able to get behind the ball quicker. With the ball at their feet, their experience of the situation will dictate whether or not the moment is right to push the pace.
Heading into the final match, the only thing that’s certain is that nothing has been determined.
The winner of the tie will advance to the semifinals where it will face either the Las Vegas Legends or the Brownsville Barracudas.
Source/Photo Credit: San Diego Sockers
