San Diego Sockers Match Preview vs Tacoma February 1
Published on January 30, 2026 under Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
San Diego Sockers News Release
OCEANSIDE, CA - The San Diego Sockers-presented by Kaiser Permanente-return home after a month-long road trip to begin a two-match homestand over the next two weeks, beginning with a Sunday afternoon contest against the visiting Tacoma Stars at Frontwave Arena. The match is scheduled for a 3:05pm PST kickoff, and can be viewed domestically on MASL TV on YouTube, as well as supplemental coverage on the National Soccer Network and Victory+, and international coverage on Sportworld, Fox Sports Mexico, and the Unbeaten Network.
The Sockers (6-4-1, 19 points) have completed the most challenging portion of their 2025-26 Major Arena Soccer League schedule, a four-week road trip which took them out of state for five-of-six matches, including a pair of back-to-backs. San Diego emerged battered but unbowed, producing a 3-3 record which allowed them to stay in the top three in the standings table, two points behind Milwaukee (with a match in hand) and five points behind first-place Kansas City (with three matches in hand). The trip lasted a bit longer than planned, as a mid-Atlantic storm kept San Diego snowed into Baltimore until Monday. The Sockers' next back-to-back challenge will take place in three weeks, as the team plays in Kansas City on Saturday before hosting the Strykers at home the following afternoon. San Diego is still a wounded club, and could be missing up to seven intended starting players on Sunday.
Last week, San Diego posted a 1-1 record while concluding their road sojourn. The Sockers made their shortest travel of the trip on Thursday, heading up to Ontario to play the Empire Strykers, but came away with a 9-5 loss at Toyota Arena. Empire took six different leads and never trailed in the match, scoring four in the final period to claim the result, including two empty-net goals in the final thirty seconds. San Diego then had to pack up and fly the next morning, cross-country to Baltimore. On Saturday, an injury-shortened lineup missing both of the team's captains rose up to post a 10-5 win at SECU Arena, improving to 2-0 on the season at Baltimore. Boris Pardo led the way in net with 22 saves, while Leonardo de Oliveira posted a season-high four assists offensively. Rookie Andrew Estrella had a pair of goals for the Sockers, as did Jesus Pacheco.
Sunday will be the third of five meetings between the Sockers and the Tacoma Stars. Each club has won at home so far this season. San Diego defeated Tacoma 8-0 on December 30, the third shutout in modern San Diego Sockers history. The Stars took advantage of a "lying in wait" situation to beat San Diego 5-4 on January 4, when the Sockers had to play Empire at home the night before and fly into Washington state on the morning of the match. The two clubs will hook up again at accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington, on February 21, and conclude the season series the following weekend, February 27, at Frontwave Arena. The Sockers went 5-1 against Tacoma last season, and lead the all-time modern series 41-6.
The Stars (7-4-0, 19 points) are tied in the standings with San Diego, currently losing the tiebreaker on regulation wins (6 to 5). Tacoma has enjoyed a home-heavy schedule early in the season and great success on its home floor as well, posting a 7-1 record. However, the Stars are 0-3 on the road and have been outscored 27-5 in those three matches. As a result, Tacoma has a (-14) goal differential, only one better than last-place Utica. The Stars average 4.7 goals-per-match. Jamael Cox leads Tacoma with (9-5=14) points, the only Stars player in double figures. Luis Birrueta is the starter in net with a 6-3 record, 5.14 GAA, and .705 GAA.
Major Arena Soccer League Stories from January 30, 2026
- San Diego Sockers Match Preview vs Tacoma February 1 - San Diego Sockers
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