San Diego Sockers Match Preview v Utica City
Published on February 5, 2026 under Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
San Diego Sockers News Release
OCEANSIDE, CA - The San Diego Sockers-presented by Kaiser Permanente-conclude a two-match homestand by taking on Utica City FC on Saturday night from Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, CA. The match is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff and can be viewed domestically on MASL TV on YouTube, as well as on supplemental coverage on the National Soccer Network and Victory+, and internationally on Sportworld, Fox Sports Mexico, and the Unbeaten Network.
The Sockers (7-4-1, 21 points) limped into the month of February with a roster decimated by injury, missing twelve players by the end of their last match. The club weathered a month-long 3-3 road trip in January, which took them all across the country, logging almost 15,000 air miles in three weeks' time. Despite their struggles, the Sockers remain within striking distance of the top spot in the MASL standings table. The club begins the week in third position, three points behind second-place Milwaukee Wave (with a match in hand) and six points behind first-place Kansas City Comets (with three matches in hand). The Sockers and Comets will meet five times down the stretch.
San Diego was pushed to the limit in their last match by the Tacoma Stars, needing a late comeback to pull out a 7-6 overtime win on Sunday afternoon at Frontwave Arena in front of a crowd of 3,023. The Sockers built a 3-1 lead early in the second quarter against the Stars, but Tacoma rallied to tie the match 3-3 at the half. The two teams went back-and-forth in the third quarter with Tacoma emerging ahead 6-5. That lead stood until the final five seconds of regulation, when Nick Perera's second goal of the night (and 500th point of his career) on a redirection in the crease tied the score. Tacoma nearly scored a heart-stopper in the final second, but the ball crossed the goal line about half-a-second after the horn had sounded to end the quarter. In overtime, Perera's third assist of the night set up Sebastian Mendez's golden goal from the left wing, his second score of the match, giving San Diego a 7-6 win.
The key issue for the Sockers heading into Saturday night's match will be health. San Diego's captain, Kraig Chiles, suffered a knee injury in the first quarter against Tacoma and did not return. He joined eleven other Sockers starters and reserves on the sidelines, an unprecedented run of concurrent injuries. The veteran-laden San Diego side fielded four rookies in Sunday's win over Tacoma. Early reports from this week's training indicate that some key players may be on the mend, with the club hoping for returns from forward Tavoy Morgan, defender Cesar Cerda, and midfielder Charlie Gonzalez this weekend.
This is the second and final meeting this season between the Sockers and Utica. On January 11, San Diego bussed up to Utica from Baltimore overnight and played a bleary-eyed match in which the club arrived just hours before kickoff. Utica scored the first three goals of the match before San Diego got two back late in the second quarter, then scored two more early in the third quarter for a 4-3 lead, which they held until the final whistle. The result improved San Diego's record against Utica to 5-0 all-time.
Utica City FC (3-6-2, 9 points) has a Thursday evening match in Ontario against the Empire Strykers as part of a West Coast road swing. UCFC has lost two in a row, and enters the week at the bottom of the table in points and goal differential (-16), sitting eight points out of a playoff spot. California native Sergio Pinal leads UCFC in goals (12) and points (21), while defender Geo Alves was named MASL Defender of the Week after posting a goal with four assists against Milwaukee last weekend. Brian Wilkin has taken charge of goalkeeping duties, with a 5.88 GAA and .661 SV%.
Major Arena Soccer League Stories from February 5, 2026
- San Diego Sockers Match Preview v Utica City - San Diego Sockers
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