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Waza, Sockers Earn Finals Rematch with OT Wins

March 11, 2013 - Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL) News Release


SAN DIEGO - The Detroit Waza and San Diego Sockers will face off in their third major title game in two years and second this month after they both prevailed in dramatic sudden death victories in Sunday's Ron Newman Cup Semifinals at Valley View Casino Center.

The Waza and Sockers met in last year's Newman Cup Final - a 10-7 Sockers win - and on March 2 in the US Open Final - a 7-6 Detroit victory.

A PASL playoff record crowd of 4,287 took in the doubleheader which began with a 6-5 OT win for Detroit over the Rio Grande Valley Flash and ended with a Sockers win over the Las Vegas Legends by the same score.

In Game One, the Flash, riding a 10-game winning streak, took a 2-1 first quarter lead on goals by Edgar Flores and Jose Malacara.

The second quarter belonged to Detroit, who scored four straight goals to take a 5-2 lead. Scotty Wright, Fernando Gatica, and Niki Djokic scored three goals in 1:32 and Aaron Byrd skillfully chipped RGV goalkeeper Juan Gamboa and Detroit was sitting pretty.

Byrd's goal would be Detroit's last goal in 47:40. The Flash scored one goal in each of the second, third and fourth quarters to tie the game, with the latter goal coming 3:20 before overtime.

As the hometown San Diego fans continued to file in, the buzz in the crowd swelled as the tension on the field rose. Rio Grande Valley had most of the sudden death chances and the crowd "oohed" and "ahhed" at every near miss or agile Joey Kapinos save.

Detroit was awarded a power play when RGV reached their sixth foul of the extra session and Miki Djerisilo scored the game-winning goal with just 1:37 left in overtime.

In the marquee matchup that followed, the host Sockers took on the Las Vegas Legends, who suffered a tough 6-5 loss to the Sockers at home earlier this year.

The Sockers gave them another tough 6-5 loss, this time handing them their franchise-first road loss in the process, while themselves remaining perfect at home all-time.

No team led by more than one in this back and forth affair. A 3-2 Sockers second quarter followed a scoreless first.

Las Vegas tied the game at 3-3, 4-4, and 5-5, but could not regain the lead after going up 1-0 and 2-1.

San Diego appeared to have the game won on a sliding volley by Kraig Chiles with 2:23 to go in the fourth quarter. Las Vegas earned a corner kick with 47 seconds left in regulation and called timeout. Rodrigo Barbirato hit a bomb from near the red line to tie the game and send it into overtime.

The Sockers didn't make their loyal fans suffer long in overtime. Chiky Luna went airborn to side volley a rebound past Legends goalkeeper Zeke Sanchez 1:20 into sudden death to send the crowd into hysteria.

San Diego can win the franchise's 14th league championship with a win Monday, which would also give them four straight PASL crowns in their four years in the league. Detroit is trying to win their first Newman Cup in their five PASL seasons.

Las Vegas and Rio Grande Valley were first year PASL teams.



Professional Arena Soccer League Stories from March 11, 2013


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