Zungul Returns, Sockers Lose to Tacoma in Overtime, 4-3
SAN DIEGO — It’s hard to say whether Steve Zungul’s return had more of an impact on the mood of the Sockers or in the minds of their fans Sunday night.
In both cases, however, it might be best said that the Big Z was worth a big zip.
Zungul, the Major Indoor Soccer League’s all-time leading scorer, made his 1987-88 debut in a Sockers’ uniform, but didn’t score and didn’t even draw much attention.
Only 6,326 showed up at the Sports Arena--the lowest attendance figure in more than 4 1/2 years--and the Tacoma Stars beat the Sockers, 4-3, on Godfrey Ingram’s goal 9 minutes 22 seconds into overtime.
With the loss, the six-time indoor champion Sockers (2-5) are in last place in the Western Division.
But Zungul is back , though it hardly seemed to matter Sunday.
“Obviously, we still have a long way to go with him,” Socker Coach Ron Newman said. “He’s got to get fit first. But we had to start him somewhere.”
Zungul made his first appearance with 11:05 remaining in the first quarter. Forty-two seconds later, there was a goal.
Nothing new, you might say, only this one wasn’t by Zungul. Instead, the Stars’ Preki collected a loose ball, dribbled around a stationary Zungul and beat goalkeeper Zoltan Toth for a 1-0 lead.
Zungul made several other appearances during the game and was on the field for 3 Socker power-play opportunities. All of the power-play efforts failed, however, and the Sockers are now only 1 for 18 on the season with an extra attacker.
“We had a lot of beautiful chances, but I think we were tying too hard,” Zungul said. “It’s going to take some time for me to work myself back into the lineup.
“I played in a real game, but I didn’t play a real game (for me). I’m a little tired.”
The Sockers are tired, too. This was the second consecutive night they had dominated Tacoma in regulation, but lost in overtime. The Sockers outshot the Stars, 37-17, but Tacoma goalkeeper P.J. Johns was brilliant with 27 saves.
“It’s like we’re winning on points, but we keep getting knocked out,” Socker midfielder Brian Quinn said.
Kevin Crow gave the Sockers a 3-2 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
The Sockers were playing short-handed when Crow headed a ball at midfield to a streaking Gus Mokalis, and then trailed the play.
Mokalis split a pair of defenders but was run off the ball by the Stars’ Ali Kazemaini, who directed the ball toward Johns in front of his own goal. Crow, running all the way, caught up with the pass and poked it past the goalkeeper.
The short-handed goal was the Sockers’ first in 18 such situations this season, the same percentage as the power-play unit’s.
Still, victory seemed likely when Tacoma pulled Johns for a sixth attacker with 3 minutes left. But Preki found Ingram at the left of the goal after a restart and Ingram’s shot went in off the right leg of Crow, who was trying in vain to cover behind Toth.
In overtime, Ingram streaked in behind Ralph Black on a 2-on-1 and redirected a pass by Peter Ward past Toth to give Tacoma (3-4) the victory.
Zungul, like most of the Sockers, was dejected but tried to remain upbeat after the Sockers’ third consecutive loss.
“Hey, there’s going to be a lot of changes (in the standings) before it’s over,” he said.
Socker Notes
Branko Segota, who pulled a hamstring in the Sockers’ opener Nov. 4, said he expects to return to action when the Sockers play host to Wichita Saturday night. Segota originally was scheduled to return Sunday night but he re-injured the hamstring last week during practice. “It’s still swollen but I’m feeling a lot stronger,” Segota said. “I’m hoping to get into condition this week and then come back. I probably won’t play a full role, but I’ll play.” Segota played in 45 games last season. If he doesn’t miss another game this season, he’ll play in 42. . . . When last we left the Los Angeles Lazers, they had beaten the Sockers twice, were 2-0 and they appeared to be headed toward fulfilling their role as the MISL favorite. With Sunday night’s 7-4 loss in Dallas, however, the Lazers have lost 3 in a row and are 3-4. Baltimore (5-1) leads the MISL, followed by Dallas (5-3) and Kansas City (3-3). . . . Paul Dougherty has now played in 81 consecutive games and has moved into second place on the Sockers’ all-time consecutive games list. Dougherty passed Gert Wieczorkowski Sunday night and trails only Jean Willrich, who played in 88 straight games from 1984 to ’86. . . . Former Socker Brian Schmetzer, who plays for Tacoma, sat out Sunday’s game with a pulled groin. Schmetzer has scored 2 goals in 3 games this season. . . . The Sockers don’t play again until Saturday night here at 7:30 against the Wichita Wings.
