Sockers’ Goal These Days Is Getting Healthy Again

SAN DIEGO — Will the Sockers win another game this season? Will they finish over .500? Will they score more than three goals in a game? Where will they finish in the Western Division of the Major Indoor Soccer League?

These are not questions usually associated with the five-time indoor champions.

Then again, the Sockers have never lost six indoor games in a row before. This is the first time in four MISL seasons that they have been only one game over .500 (25-24) and in fourth place with three games remaining in the regular season. And rarely have they scored only 12 goals in a six-game stretch.

“We’re learning how the other half feels,” said Socker defender Kevin Crow. “We don’t like it.”

The Sockers will play third-place Kansas City on Friday and will finish the regular season with games against second-place Wichita and Minnesota, which is in fourth place in the Eastern Division.

Actually, the Sockers are not overly concerned about where they will finish in the standings and whether they will have the home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, which begin the week of May 5.

They are a lot more concerned about the status of their injured players.

“I don’t think it really matters who we face in the playoffs,” Crow said. “I think any of the three teams (Kansas City, Wichita, San Diego) could knock off Tacoma.”

San Diego has split six one-goal decisions with first-place Tacoma this season and has won two of three in the past month with as many as five regulars injured. Four of the Sockers’ six losses in the current streak have been by one goal.

“Defensively, we hang in there,” Crow said. “But you need some of those other guys to come back for offensive punch.”

Injuries have sidelined Branko Segota, Hugo Perez, Brian Quinn, Juli Veee and Brian Schmetzer for prolonged periods. And Jim Gorsek, Fernando Clavijo, Jean Willrich, George Katakalidis and Njego Pesa have had nagging injuries.

Socker trainer Bill Taylor said he doesn’t expect Quinn (sprained right knee on Feb. 20) or Schmetzer (pulled right hamstring on April 10) back in time for the start of the playoffs.

Perez (sprained right knee on March 8) started playing one-touch practice games this week and is listed as possible for the start of the playoffs. Veee returned Saturday night after missing 13 games with a sprained right knee.

Segota (fractured right cheekbone April 10) was fitted for a mask Thursday and is expected to start running next week.

“We’ll see how he does when he starts running,” Taylor said. “It really depends on how he feels.”

Segota (team-leading 34 goals and 41 assists) is not expected to be fully healed until six weeks from the time of his injury, which would be May 22. By that time, the playoffs would be in the second round, if the Sockers make it that far.

Because of the team’s recent lack of scoring, the return of offensive stars Segota, Quinn and Perez is important.

“We’ve been in every game lately,” said goalkeeper Gorsek. “We’re very optimistic. The bottom line is when it comes to playoff experience, we’re the No. 1 team.”

Said Crow: “Potentially, we can still win games. But we have to play at 95% of our capability game in and game out.”

“It’s been very difficult because we have almost a completely new team out there,” Willrich said. “The players playing now don’t have the experience. We have to get at least two more guys back.”

Said Coach Ron Newman: “The straw that broke the camel’s back was the game against St. Louis (April 10). When Branko and Brian went down, that was the final crunch. From then on, it’s been a bloody nightmare.”

The Sockers lost that game in St. Louis and the next four.

“When we have everyone playing,” Willrich said, “the other team has to worry about four or five guys. Now, they only have to worry about one or two.”

Willrich believes the Socker offense would be more effective if the younger players played on one line and the veterans who were familiar with each other were on another line.

Gorsek said having the experienced players on one line would probably result in “a good chance of scoring, but you have to have some leadership out there, or there will be mass confusion. There is not enough leadership on the field now. The young guys are fighting, but they’re inexperienced.”

Newman has been playing musical chairs with his veterans and youngsters such as Tim Bartro, Paul Dougherty, Raffaele Ruotolo and Carlos Melian.

Last season, the Sockers scored a MISL-record 308 goals in 48 regular-season games. This season, they have scored 202 goals in 49 games.

“We have to finish our chances,” Newman said. “I haven’t made an issue of it because it starts to play on players’ minds. We have to keep our confidence.”

Since the Socker offense declined, there has been tremendous pressure on the defenders--some of whom are playing out of position because of the injuries--and on goalkeepers Zoltan Toth and Gorsek.

“When we score,” Gorsek said, “it makes the goal smaller for us.

“We’re both making some bad mistakes because the pressure is on. Everyone is trying to do a little too much. That’s when we get burned at the other end. We’re getting caught with counterattacks and with defenders going forward.”