Dallas Sidekicks open September 28 at Reunion Arena
Published on September 25, 2002 under Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Dallas Sidekicks News Release
The Dallas Sidekicks kickoff the 2002-03 Major Indoor Soccer League season against the Philadelphia Kixx. This is the Sidekicks first game in the new league following the merger of the World Indoor Soccer League and MISL. The season starts with a "Battle of the Champions" as the 2001 WISL champion Dallas Sidekicks face the 2002 MISL champion Philadelphia Kixx. This is the first meeting for these teams.
The Sidekicks will unveil the 2001 WISL championship banner in a pre-game ceremony. This is the Sidekicks fourth banner joining those from 1987, original MISL; 1993, Continental Indoor Soccer League; and 1998, WISL.
NEXT GAME: Saturday, October 5, 2002 at 7:05pm (9:05pm CT) at the San Diego Sockers, at the San Diego Sports Arena. This will be first time the Sidekicks and the Sockers face each other since the WISL Championship Series in December, 2001.
RADIO: All Sidekicks games are on Fox Sports 1190 AM. They are also available on the internet at www.foxsports1190.com. All broadcasts begin five minutes prior to listed kickoff and will last three hours. Pete Stein calls the action and John Clemens hosts the halftime and post-game shows. There are three games that will be tape delayed on Fox Sports 1190 AM: September 28 (game starts at 7 p.m. and comes on 1190AM at 11 p.m.), November 6 (game starts at 10:45 a.m. and comes on 1190 AM at 6 p.m.), and December 31 (game starts at 1 p.m. and comes on 1190 AM at 6 p.m.).
PLAYER/HEAD COACH TATU: Tatu begins his 18th season as a player for the Dallas Sidekicks, his fifth as head coach. Tatu has led the Sidekicks to the World Indoor Soccer League finals all four years as head coach, winning the 1998 and 2001 Championships. In 1998, Tatu replaced Gordon Jago, who retired, as head coach. He has a 54-26 (.675) regular season record, and 7-3 (.700) postseason record. Tatu's .675 winning percentage is the best in indoor soccer history for anyone with more than 50 games as a head coach. PLAYER: Tatu is in his 21st season in indoor soccer, his 18th with the Sidekicks. Tatu enters the season near the top of the career list in several categories. He is ninth with 600 games played, second for goals with 837 (Hector Marinaro - 1187), second in assists with 699 (Zoran Karic - 821), third in points with 1536 (Marinaro - 1855, Karic - 1573), third in game-winning goals with 75 (Marinaro - 97, Steve Zungul - 77), and first with 109 power play goals. He has been part of all four Sidekicks' championship teams, winning titles in 1987, 1993, 1998, and 2001. Tatu is a six-time MVP, 11-time scoring champion, 10-time all-star, and three-time championship series MVP. He also hold Sidekicks franchise records for games - 524, goals - 716, assists - 643, points - 1359, shots - 4044, power play goals - 94, game-winning goals - 66, and overtime goals - 7.
SERIES HISTORY: This is the first time these franchises have met. They will play five times this season. Philadelphia does not return to Reunion Arena until February 28, 2003. That will be the Sidekicks 31st game.
2002-03 Meetings
Saturday 9-28-2002 at Dallas 7:05 p.m. CT
Saturday 10-19-2002 at Philadelphia 6:05 p.m. CT
Saturday 1-4-2003 at Philadelphia 6:05 p.m. CT
Saturday 2-8-2003 at Philadelphia 6:05 p.m. CT
Friday 2-28-2003 at Dallas 7:05 p.m. CT
SEASON OPENER HISTORY: The Sidekicks are 11-6 in season openers, including a 7-2 record when the season opener is a home game. The Sidekicks are 3-0 in overtime and 1-0 in triple overtime.
Season Date Opponent Result SK-opp Attendance GK of Record
1984-85 11-2 vs. Las Vegas Americans L 3-7 5,034 Jan Van Beveren
1985-86 10-25 vs. Los Angeles Lazers W 7-5 6,299 Krys Sobieski
1986-87 11-13 vs. Chicago Sting W 6-3 9,822 Krys Sobieski
1987-88 11-4 at Tacoma Stars W 4-3 13,452 Joe Papaleo
1988-89 11-4 at Tacoma Stars W (3ot) 6-5 12,218 Joe Papaleo
1989-90 10-28 vs. San Diego Sockers (1) W 9-3 10,782 Krys Sobieski
1990-91 10-19 at Tacoma Stars L 2-3 8,566 Krys Sobieski
1991-92 10-19 at Baltimore Blast (1) W 7-3 11,154 Joe Papaleo
1993 6-19 vs. San Diego Sockers (1) L 5-6 6,472 Joe Papaleo
1994 6-11 vs. San Diego Sockers (1) W 6-3 10,183 Joe Papaleo
1995 6-24 at Monterrey La Raza L 10-11 3,500 Hank Henry
1996 6-14 at Anaheim Splash W 14-9 6,525 Shawn Ray
1997 6-14 vs. Houston Hotshots W (ot) 8-7 13,032 Antonio Cortes
1998 8-8 at Sacramento Knights L 1-8 4,627 Shawn Ray
1999 7-24 vs. Houston Hotshots W 10-9 11,412 Shawn Ray
2000 8-6 at Monterrey La Raza L 6-10 3,312 Sagu
2001 8-19 @ vs. San Diego Sockers (2) W (ot) 6-5 17,710 Sagu
San Diego Sockers (1): folded after 1996 CISL season San Diego Sockers (2): added as expansion team in the WISL for the 2001 season Baltimore Blast (1): different franchise from the current Baltimore Blast - folded after the 1991-92 MISL season @ Played at American Airlines Center - inaugural sports event in the AAC
HOME OPENER HISTORY: The Sidekicks are 12-5 in home openers. Dallas has won five straight home openers entering the 2002-03 season. The current streak is the longest in team history. The Sidekicks have opened the season at home nine times going 7-2 in those games. The Sidekicks have drawn 175,299 fans in 17 home openers for an average of 10,312 and 12,242 since the 1996 opener. The Sidekicks drew a club record 17,710 to the 2001 opener, which was the inaugural sports event at the American Airlines Center. The Sidekicks pulled off a dramatic 6-5 overtime victory after trailing by two goals with less than one minute to play in regulation.
Season Date Opponent Result SK-opp Attendance GK of Record
1984-85 11-2 vs. Las Vegas Americans L 3-7 5,034 Jan Van Beveren
1985-86 10-25 vs. Los Angeles Lazers W 7-5 6,299 Krys Sobieski
1986-87 11-13 vs. Chicago Sting W 6-3 9,822 Krys Sobieski
1987-88 11-7 vs. Chicago Sting W 5-2 16,115 Krys Sobieski
1988-89 11-6 vs. Baltimore Blast (1) L 3-6 15,077 Krys Sobieski
1989-90 10-28 vs. San Diego Sockers (1) W 9-3 10,782 Krys Sobieski
1990-91 10-20 vs. San Diego Sockers (1) W 7-6 8,437 Joe Papaleo
1991-92 11-1 vs. St. Louis Storm W 8-3 5,166 Joe Papaleo
1993 6-19 vs. San Diego Sockers (1) L 5-6 6,472 Joe Papaleo
1994 6-11 vs. San Diego Sockers (1) W 6-3 10,183 Joe Papaleo
1995 6-25 vs. Monterrey La Raza L 4-5 9,526 Hank Henry
1996 6-15 vs. Sacramento Knights L 4-5 12,818 Kevin Smith
1997 6-14 vs. Houston Hotshots W (ot) 8-7 13,032 Antonio Cortes
1998 8-15 vs. Sacramento Knights W 10-2 10,621 Shawn Ray
1999 7-24 vs. Houston Hotshots W 10-9 11,412 Shawn Ray
2000 8-12 vs. Sacramento Knights W 5-3 7,859 Sagu
2001 8-19 @ vs. San Diego Sockers (2) W (ot) 6-5 17,710 Sagu
San Diego Sockers (1): folded after 1996 CISL season San Diego Sockers (2): added as expansion team in the WISL for the 2001 season Baltimore Blast (1): different franchise from the current Baltimore Blast - folded after the 1991-92 MISL season @ Played at American Airlines Center - inaugural sports event in the AAC
THIS DATE IN SIDEKICKS HISTORY - SEPTEMBER 28: The Sidekicks are 1-1 on September 28. This is the first home game for the Sidekicks on this date.
Season Opponent Result SK-opp Attendance SK Record GK of Record
1997 at Houston Hotshots W 3-1 9,477 13-15 Antonio Cortes
2001 at Sacramento Knights L 5-7 3,217 4-2 Sagu
LAST GAME - SIDEKICKS CLAIM FOURTH TITLE 12-22-2001: Armando Valdivia scored the WISL Championship Series shorthanded 2:11 into overtime and 27 seconds into the San Diego power play. Valdivia set up the play by stealing the ball from San Diego forward Carlos Farias and racing up the sideline. Farias chased Valdivia and was called for tripping as the players got tangled. On the restart, Valdivia fed the ball back to goalkeeper Sagu. Sagu sent a long pass to Brad Flanagan near the San Diego box, which forced the Sockers keeper to play the ball. Flanagan headed the ball to a racing Valdivia, and he headed the ball into the goal for the win and the 2001 WISL title. "I got there and just said to myself 'keep it down,'" said Valdivia. "I didn't know where to go after the goal was scored. This was the greatest goal of my career." The Sidekicks forced overtime of game three after Tatu scored a brilliant goal to tie the game at one. Tatu stole the ball from Gaston Pernia just in front of the San Diego box and scored from the right side at the 2:33 mark of regulation. "It's wonderful to finish this episode in our lives in indoor soccer with a win," Tatu said. We've been on the good end and the bad end, so we know the feelings." The Sockers took the early lead in game three with a goal by Aaron Susi at the 1:03 mark. Sagu made the save of the night and the season for the Sidekicks early in the overtime period. Matthew Stewart took the ball off the boards and tried for the San Diego win with a shot toward the lower left corner. Sagu's vision was blocked by the players in the box, but found the ball as he dove to the ground. "I never saw the ball," said Sagu. "I knew it was coming so I dove and it hit my arm as I reached the ground." Sagu finished the postseason 4-1 with a 3.33 goals against average. That followed his 2001 Goalkeeper of the Year award. San Diego forced game three with a 5-4 victory in game two. Dallas took game one at home 6-3. The title was the fourth in 17 seasons for the Sidekicks and second in the WISL. The Sidekicks won the final WISL title as Dallas moves to the MISL next season. Dallas made all four WISL Championships, winning the first in 1998 and the last in 2001. The Sidekicks fell one goal short in 1999 and 2000.
700 CLUB: Tatu needs one assist to become the second player in indoor soccer history with 700 assists.
All-time assist leaders
1. 821 Karic, Zoran
2. 699 Tatu
3. 698 Margetic, Pato
4. 668 Marinaro, Hector
5. 622 McIntosh, Franklin
SIX PACK: When Tatu enters the game against Philadelphia, it will be his first in the new MISL. He becomes the only player to play in all six modern top-tier professional indoor soccer leagues: Continental indoor Soccer League (CISL), original MISL, new MISL, North American Soccer League (NASL), National Professional Soccer League (NPSL), and the World Indoor Soccer League (WISL).
GOALKEEPER OF THE YEARS: Sagu won the 2000 and 2001 WISL Goalkeeper of the Year awards. Those are the only two full seasons he has played since joining the Sidekicks in the middle of the 1999 campaign.
TRANSACTIONS:
September 9: Sidekicks trade rights of midfielder Marco Coria, goalkeeper Raul Salas, and defender Genoni Martinez to Harrisburg for the rights to forward Justin Labrum, midfielder Danny Barber, and financial considerations. September 23: sign Patrick Shamu, Brad Flanagan, and Danny Barber to active roster.
Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from September 25, 2002
- Force Signs Two Players - Cleveland Force
- Dallas Sidekicks open September 28 at Reunion Arena - Dallas Sidekicks
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