3,827 San Diego Sockers Supporters Watch as They Take Down Nemesis in Feisty Match
SAN DIEGO SOCKERS MATCH RECAP: The Pacific Division champion San Diego Sockers (14-3) followed up winning the title on Friday with a 7-3 win over Sonora (11-7) on Sunday before the largest crowd of the season of 3,827 at Valley View Casino Center.
Men’s Soccer News: Indoor soccer is an exciting, fast-paced and often high scoring game and San Diego’s 14-time champions are one of the best teams in America. Coming to watch a game is as great sports lovers’ experience.
Watching a Sockers match as a family is a great pleasure and a positive learning experience for any young player with dreams of being their best on the field. It is the great teamwork, the need for accuracy and the technical timing that excites everyone watching — young or old.
As at many Sockers’ game, the crowd pounded the floor and clapped loudly in the 4th quarter, cheering the team on to a 7-3 victory after a tight and highly competitive match.
“Last night was an amazing night for our organization,” said Sean Bowers, General Manager of the San Diego Sockers. “We had our biggest crowd of the year.”
San Diego Sockers Match Recap:
Sonora opened the scoring after the Sockers were called for a handball in the box. MASL leading scorer Franck Tayou buried his penalty shot at 2:18 into the game.
San Diego answered back when team captain Kraig Chiles tied the game with an unassisted power-play goal at 5:26 in the 1st quarter. Chiles scored his second goal of the night at 13:35 in the second frame, sending San Diego into the locker room at the half leading 2-1.
The Soles Gustavo Rosales knotted the game at 2-2 only three minutes into the third quarter. San Diego newcomer Jamie Lovegrove, who tallied an assist in his; debut on Friday night, struck for two markers to give the Sockers a 4-3 advantage entering the final period.
Sockers goalkeeper Chris Toth made a season-high 19 saves, some of the spectacular variety, to earn his seventh victory of the season. Some of his biggest saves were made in the third to keep San Diego ahead.
“Always playing Sonora is a physical game and I think that’s why you saw a lot of cards. Teams are playing for playoff spots so your going to see more of that,” said, Toth.
“The game was a really tactical game in my opinion. It was tight all the way until halfway through the 4th quarter,” said Toth. “That’s usually how games go when they are played like that, one team usually breaks down towards the end.”
In the fourth, Luan Oliveira scored a power-play goal from inside the box to put San Diego up for good at 5-3 with just under four minutes remaining. The Sockers capped off the night with two goals from Raymundo Contreras and Brandon Escoto against Sonora’s sixth-attacker.
“The scoreline wasn’t an indicator of how close the game really was. It was 2-1 at the half and they made us work for the win. Sockers are gelling and coming together at the right time,” said Chiles.
“The MASL is similar to the MLS in term of the playoff format,” said Chiles. “The beginning of the year isn’t that important it’s about peaking late and winning the last 5-7 games.”
The physical match almost got out of hand late in the game. Six penalties were called for a total of 13 penalty minutes in the final four minutes of the contest.
Sockers’ midfielder Brian Farber made these comments following the match. “Every time we play Sonora — it’s a battle, we have a great rivalry and last night went as expected.”
“We knew they would fight hard and they were on a nine-game winning streak, we also know it could be a potential playoff matchup so we wanted to come out and show them we were ready for that,” said Farber. “The score does not reflect the game, it was very tight until the end and fortunately, it went our way.”
“Our fans were great last night and helped us in the fourth quarter for sure.”
“The match did get a bit chippy, but nobody lost their cool — we’re all pros and in the end, there is something to be said about the entertainment value of a Sockers’ game. It’s just soccer and two teams that want to win,” said Farber who was issued a card by the referees.
“Sure, I was not happy about three of their guys standing over my injured teammate so I went over to check on Iuan, and get them away from stepping on him and yelling at him. That’s when things got a little out of control, but it’s nothing big and just adds to the ongoing rivalry we have with those guys.”
“We respect each other but it does not mean we have to be friends,” added Farber. “They would have done the same thing had it been their home fields.”
What’s up next:
San Diego goes across the country to play back-to-back games against the Florida Tropics on Friday, February 16 and Saturday, February 17, both games start at 4:35 p.m. PT.
The Sockers will return to Valley View Casino Center on Saturday, February 24, 7:05 p.m. to host Rio Grande Valley on College & $2 Bud Light Night. The first 2,000 supporters will receive a FREE pair of Sockers Sunglasses.
NEXT THREE SAN DIEGO SOCKERS MATCHES
- Feb. 16 @ Florida I
- Feb. 17 @ Florida I
- Feb. 24 v. Rio Grande Valley
STREAK: Won 2 LAST 5 FORM: WWLWW
THREE STARS:
- Lovegrove, 2 goals
- Chiles, 2 goals
- Toth, 19 saves
MASL PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS:
- San Diego 14-3
- Ontario 9-10
- Tacoma 8-10
- Turlock 2-17
CLICK FOR COMPLETE ONLINE STATS
SAN DIEGO SOCKERS’ ALUMNI GAME RECAP
Thirty alumni were on hand to participate in the annual Alumni Halftime Game and other festivities.
Click here for the full Sockers Alumni Match recap
After the match is always fan time — when the San Diego Sockers’ players walk around the arena and speak with fans, giving autographs and taking pictures too. It is a special community moment shared by players and fans … thrilling everyone in the arena.
