Sockers Match Preview vs. Ontario
January 8, 2022 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
San Diego Sockers News Release
San Diego Sockers with possession
(San Diego Sockers, Credit: Don De Mars Photography)
The San Diego Sockers-presented by Kaiser Permanente San Diego-conclude a three-match homestand at Pechanga Arena San Diego, again hosting the Ontario Fury for the second of back-to-back Sunday 5pm kickoffs. This is the second of three straight meetings between the I-15 rivals, with the third to be played the following Sunday (January 16) at Ontario's Toyota Arena. After separate weekend road trips, the Sockers and Fury will clash once more on January 26 in Ontario, at which point four of the six 2021-22 regular-season meetings will be complete.
The Sockers (3-0, 9 points) rang in the New Year with a come-from-behind 6-3 win over Ontario (2-2, 6 points) on January 2, moving into first place in the MASL West Division. After seeing the Fury build a 3-0 lead early in the third quarter, the Sockers ran off six unanswered goals to conclude the scoring. Tavoy Morgan led the club with two goals, while Kraig Chiles paced in points with three (goal/two assists).
Both rosters can expect to be impacted by the rampaging COVID Omicron variant, which placed multiple players from both teams into protocols for the January 2 match. San Diego is looking to get back starting goalkeeper Boris Pardo, as well as defenders Juan Gonzalez and Luis "Peewee" Ortega. The Fury were missing Jorge DeLeon, Christian Alvarado, and Jeff Hughes from last Sunday's roster. Stay tuned for match day to learn the latest comings and goings.
The previous time these two clubs met head-to-head, the long-standing rivalry between Sockers and Fury ramped into a whole new dimension, squaring off in the Ron Newman Cup Finals to decide the 2021 MASL championship. Playing on the Fury's home field in April of 2021, the Sockers won Game One 7-3 and Game Three 2-1, with Ontario taking Game Two 6-5 in overtime. The two-games-to-one series victory delivered the Sockers' first MASL championship, and the fifteenth pro indoor championship overall.
On Sunday, December 19, the Sockers ended a 652-day stretch away from home, defeating the Chihuahua Savage by a final score of 4-1. Defense ruled the night, as San Diego pitched a second-half shutout against the visitors from Mexico, with Boris Pardo stopping 12 of 13 shots on goal. Offensively, Brandon Escoto was the playmaker for the Sockers with three assists. Goals came from Gerardo Jurado, Leonardo de Oliveira, Kraig Chiles and Christian Gutierrez.
The Fury have dropped two straight after a 2-0 start against Chihuahua and Florida. Jesus Pacheco, Justin Stinson, and Juan Topete scored for Ontario in their 3-6 loss to San Diego on January 2. Prolific forward Franck Tayou leads Ontario with nine goals (zero assists) in four matches, but was shut out by San Diego for the first time all season. Tayou scored two goals in the Fury's opener, then three, then four. Justin Stinson ranks second with four goals, while Thiago Goncalves paces Ontario with five assists. The Fury have the past two defending MASL Goalkeepers of the Year on the roster. Former Socker Chris Toth is 1-2 with a 4.96 GAA, while Claysson de Lima is 1-0 with a 4.65 GAA.
Images from this story
 San Diego Sockers with possession (Don De Mars Photography) |
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