Sockers Ready for Game Two
April 8, 2023 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
San Diego Sockers News Release
The San Diego Sockers--presented by Kaiser Permanente San Diego--continue the Ron Newman Cup West Division semifinals with Match Two of their best-of-three series against the Mesquite Outlaws on Sunday evening from Pechanga Arena San Diego. The Sockers lead the series 1-0. The match is scheduled for a 5:05pm PDT kickoff, and will be streamed live on Twitch on channel @masl_soccer.
The Ron Newman Cup Playoffs consist of three rounds in two divisions, with each round a best-of-three series. In the quarterfinals, the top seeds play the winner of each division's respective Play-In Game, while the second and third seeds square off against one another. The Outlaws defeated the Tacoma Stars 9-6 on Wednesday in Tacoma to win the Western Play-in Game. Each individual round consists of two full matches, one in each venue. After the second match, if the series is tied 1-1 the two teams play a 15-minute Knockout Game immediately afterwards to determine the series winner.
The Sockers (22-2, 62 points, 1-0 playoffs) finished the regular season with ten straight wins, earning the MASL Supporters Shield, awarded to the club with the best regular season record in the league. The only 20+ win team in the league, San Diego will have home-field advantage throughout the Ron Newman Cup playoffs. The Sockers won five more matches than the second-best club (Chihuahua, 17-6-1).
The Sockers and Mesquite Outlaws are meeting in the playoffs for the first time. On Friday, San Diego's defense throttled Mesquite in a 7-1 victory at Mesquite Arena. Five Sockers had two-point games, with both Tavoy Morgan and Kraig Chiles netting a brace (two goals). Boris Pardo stopped all seven shots he faced, and the Sockers held Mesquite to just eight unblocked shots on net. In the regular season, San Diego went 2-1 against Mesquite. Sockers prevailed over the Outlaws by scores of 5-4 on December 18, and 7-2 on February 3. On February 18 in Mesquite, the Outlaws returned the favor with a 6-5 win. San Diego is 3-2 all-time against Mesquite, 3-0 at home and 0-2 in Texas (1-0 playoffs).
The Sockers went a perfect 12-0 at home and 10-2 on the road. The club has won 22 straight at home dating back to January 8, 2022. Kraig Chiles led the club in scoring with (21-20=41) points. Tavoy Morgan led the club in goals with 24. Boris Pardo led the MASL in wins (21) and goals-against average (3.80).
Mesquite (12-9-3, 37 points, 0-1 playoffs) appeared to be stumbling out of the playoffs, suffering five straight losses entering the season's final weekend. The Outlaws picked up a critical point on the road in Chihuahua in their fifth loss, a 10-9 overtime defeat, and then rallied to beat Empire 7-2 at home to punch their play-in ticket. Mesquite then traveled to Tacoma and upset the Stars 9-6 on Wednesday, earning their playoff stripes. The Outlaws scored 124 goals and allowed 147 in the regular season. Mesquite is 8-4-1 at home, and 5-6-2 on the road (counting playoffs). Forward Luiz Morales is a dangerous shooter with both feet, scoring 23 goals in 19 matches. He erupted for two goals and two assists in the Play-in Game win. Midfielder Sebastien Mendez led the Outlaws in scoring with (27-14=41) points. Goalkeeper Eduardo "Pollo" Cortes started 23 games for Mesquite, going 10-9-3 with a 5.73 GAA and .670 SV%.
Storylines
Shields Up!
With a 22-2 regular season mark, the San Diego Sockers received their second straight MASL Supporters Shield, awarded to the club with the best regular season record in the league. San Diego clinched the honor with a 7-3 win over Empire on March 19. The Sockers finished with five more wins and thirteen more points than their closest competitor, Chihuahua (62 points to 49). The Sockers have a record of 45-2-1 the past two seasons.
We've Made Our Home a Fortress
The Sockers have been the most dominant home team in MASL history, with an 80-6-1 all-time record. San Diego is currently 12-0 at home and riding a 22-match home winning streak. The club is 43-2-1 at home over the past four seasons.
Not Bad on the Road, Either
San Diego's 10-2 road record in the 2022-23 season (1-0 playoffs) is easily the best in the MASL. Chihuahua is second-best at 7-5. The Sockers had a 17-match regular season road winning streak snapped in Ontario on February 8, part of a 4-2 road trip that included regulation wins in Chihuahua and Monterrey. San Diego is the only club in the MASL to pull all the available points out of their road matches in Mexico this season, getting nine of a possible nine out of Monterrey and Chihuahua.
For Your Consideration: Boris Pardo for MASL MVP
How do you select a league MVP from a star-laden team? Look to the one man who is the singular through-line for the club's league-leading defense, and an ironman in net. The defending MASL Elite VI goalkeeper and MASL Goalkeeper of the Year, 39-year-old Boris Pardo has maintained his all-league form in 2022-23. Pardo went 21-2 in 23 starts, starting every match but one. He led the MASL in wins (21), GAA (3.80) and ranked fifth in SV% (.726). All-time in MASL history, Pardo improved his career record to 112-24-7, eight wins ahead of second-place William Vanzela. Pardo was the first MASL goalkeeper to reach the 100-win plateau on February 3, a feat matched by Vanzela a month ago. In Friday's playoff opener, Pardo posted a perfect save percentage, stopping all seven shots he faced. The only goal scored for Mesquite came while Pardo served a two-minute blue card penalty. In 2021-22, Pardo led the MASL in wins (19-0-1 record) and goals-against average (4.20 GAA), while his .731 save percentage was second in the league. Pardo was even better in the playoffs, starting all seven matches and posting a 6-0-1 record, 3.36 GAA and .767 SV%. In 2018-19, Pardo won his first Goalkeeper of the Year award, winning a league-record 22 games in net (22-1 record).
Defense Leads the Way
The Sockers allowed the fewest goals in the MASL (99), two fewer than second-place Baltimore (101). San Diego's average of 4.12 goals conceded-per-match compares to a league average of 5.74 goals conceded-per-match. Last season, the Sockers were the only club in the MASL to allow fewer than 100 goals in the regular season (98). In the 24-match season schedule era, the Sockers are the only club to have conceded fewer than 100 goals three times (Milwaukee once). In their playoff opener, San Diego allowed just 16 total shots, blocking eight.
Shutting Down Your Target
Shutting down the opponent's target forward is always the key task for a defense, and on-ball defenders Mitchell Cardenas and Guerrero Pino have been up to the task. So far, the top defenders have conceded only 13 goals in the run of play all season to the opponent's top target forward, a group that includes Franck Tayou, Luiz Morales, Nick Perera and Edgar "Torrez" Gonzalez, among others. The accounting removes goals scored against a six-attackers formation, in which the on-ball defender's responsibility changes. Morales was shut out on Friday after scoring four points against Tacoma on Wednesday.
Golden Gutierrez
Sockers forward Christian Gutierrez earned the nickname "Golden" for his ability to finish out overtime matches with the clinching goal, a habit he formed with three last-goal clinchers in the 2021 Ron Newman Cup playoffs. Gutierrez kept his golden habits alive in San Diego's last road meeting with Empire, netting the OT winner 23 seconds into extra time, then stunned the Strykers with a last-gasp equalizer at 14:43 of the fourth quarter on March 24, a goal that helped eliminate Empire from the playoffs. 17 of Gutierrez's 23 goals have been scored in the fourth quarter or later this season. In San Diego's March 19 win over Empire, Gutierrez scored into the empty net against the six-attacker formation twice in the final two minutes, securing the victory. On the season, Gutierrez ranked second on the club with 23 goals and sixth with 25 points.
Mustache P-P-P-Power
Sockers captain Kraig Chiles is the franchise's all-time leader in goals (457) and points (671), and is on the approach to 400 regular season points in the MASL (254-138=392 career, fifth-most). After tying the longest scoring drought of his career with three straight matches without a goal or assist, Chiles--sporting a jaunty mustache--began a scoring barrage on February 24 in Chihuahua, making up for the absence of Tavoy Morgan with a hat trick and assist. He followed it up two days later in Monterrey with two more goals and an assist for a (5-2=7) point weekend, and was named MASL Offensive Player of the Week. Chiles closed the regular season with (12-14&) points in his final nine matches, all mustachioed. Chiles finished the season third on the club in goals (21) and leading in points (41). He added two goals in the playoff opener Friday.
Power Play Sparks Back to Life
The Sockers finished the regular season fifth in the MASL in power play conversion percentage (22-for-48, 46%). San Diego's 22 power play goals are second-most in the MASL, three behind Milwaukee (25). San Diego's penalty kill is 25-for-35 at preventing goals (71%), second in the league. The Sockers rank second in the MASL with three short-handed goals (Kansas City, five). Charlie Gonzalez leads the club with six power play goals. The Sockers went 1-for-2 on the power play in Game One, and conceded once on the PK (a shootout goal).
Electric Escoto Plugs Back In
Sockers midfielder and Tijuana native Brandon Escoto returned to the scoring column in style against Milwaukee, with a power play goal and two assists. "Churras" was held scoreless in his previous three matches played, after netting at least one point in each of his first fourteen matches this season. Drawing a double card penalty against Empire, Escoto moved up to eight penalty accumulation points, drawing an automatic one-match suspension that was served last Friday. A prolific and dangerous scorer, Brandon has (11-15&) points in 19 matches. In his career, Escoto averages almost a goal-per-match, with 138 goals scored in 150 matches played. Escoto was one of the most balanced attackers in the MASL in 2021-22, finishing in the MASL's top-10 in both goals and assists with (21-23=44) points, good for T-7th in the league. Rebounding from a two-match suspension in February, Escoto recorded four straight multi-point matches, with (2-7=9) points during the surge from February 24-March 9. Escoto had a goal and assist in Friday's 7-1 win.
Locked in Leo Looking for All-MASL Honors
Brazilian midfielder Leonardo de Oliveira ranks second on the Sockers in scoring with (13-27@) points, having played all 24 matches this season. "Leo" ranks second in the MASL in assists with 27 (Nick Perera, TAC, 37). Last season, Leo led the MASL with 33 assists, earning the league's first-ever "Pass Master" award. Leo's total was six higher than second-place finisher Perera. Combined with 13 goals on the season, de Oliveira's 46 points scored ranked tied for fifth in the league. Leo added his 100th career MASL goal during the season, and has 118 goals and 275 points in his indoor career, an average of 1.8 points-per-match. His 157 career assists are the fifth-most in MASL history. Leo had a goal and assist in Friday's victory.
Who's Out
The Sockers anticipate having their full roster available for potential selection against Mesquite.
Player Highlights
Juan Manuel Rojo
Hat trick in final match, led Sockers defenders in scoring with (10-9=19) points, scored goal vs Mesquite on Friday
Charlie Gonzalez
Collected two assists in Friday's 7-1 playoff win over Mesquite
Tavoy Morgan
Has (10-1=12) points during a current six-match scoring streak
Major Arena Soccer League Stories from April 8, 2023
- SOCKERS PLAYOFF MATCH Preview - MASL
- Baltimore Blast Win Thriller, Advance to MASL Playoffs Semifinals - MASL
- Baltimore Blast Advance to Eastern Division Final After Series Win Over Tropics - Baltimore Blast
- Sockers Ready for Game Two - San Diego Sockers
- Baltimore Blast Hope to Advance to Semifinals with a Win Tonight against the Florida Tropics - Baltimore Blast
- Chihuahua Abre Playoffs Con Triunfo 8-4 En Monterrey - Chihuahua Savage
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