Steven Richardson
Second-half push gives Sockers much-needed win over Stars
Jonny Richardson - December 23, 2024
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The San Diego Sockers trailed by two goals at halftime in one of their worst halves in recent history but a four-goal second half gave them a 5-4 victory over the Tacoma Stars.

Multiple players wouldn’t talk about what was said at halftime but head coach Phil Salvagio was honest about it.

“You have no heart, and you suck, and it is so bad to watch. I feel bad for our fans,” Salvagio said about his halftime message to the team.

The message made the players realize they needed to play better and they scored four consecutive goals to open the second half en route to their second win of the season.

Luiz Morales, for the third straight game, scored the Sockers’ first goal in the second quarter.

Felipe Gonzalez got the second half scoring started with his second goal of the season at 28 seconds into the third quarter.

Morales’ second goal of the game was the equalizer at 12:01 in the third quarter that was a true combined effort with rookie forward/midfielder Keko Gontán.

Morales, in his first season with the Sockers, leads the team with eight goals through their first three games.

Gontán netted a go-ahead score in back-to-back games at 4:33 in the fourth quarter for his second career MASL goal.

Forward Taylor Bond doubled the Sockers’ lead with a breakaway score on an empty goal that would be a crucial insurance goal before the Stars made it a one-goal game in the final minute of play.

Goalkeeper Boris Pardo made 11 saves and allowed just one second-half goal to earn the first star.

Midfielder Leonardo De Oliveira and defender Mitchell Cardenas made their season debuts after they each missed the first two games of the season due to injuries.

Forward Tavoy Morgan (hamstring) and defender Cesar Cerda (lower-body) are expected to be back for the Sockers’ next game. Morgan left the Dec. 14 game against Utica City FC early. Cerda played in the team’s season opener on Dec. 7 but missed the last two games due to injury.

Up next: The Sockers’ next game is against the Empire Strykers, another divisional game, on Saturday, Dec. 28 at 7:05 p.m. at Frontwave Arena.

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