A year after winning their 15th championship, the San Diego Sockers have clinched the top-seed in the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) and home-field advantage throughout the entirety of the playoffs. The Sockers impressed the league with a 11-4 blowout victory over the Florida Tropics, who owned the league’s second-best record behind San Diego.
The highly anticipated match between the top two teams in the league did not look the way most expected it to, with the Sockers opening the match with a five-goal quarter and a seven-goal first half, both of which were season-highs for Florida’s defense.
Going into the weekday match, the Tropics had only lost by more than one goal one other time, against the Baltimore Blast, 12-4, on Mar. 20. Their four goals scored tied a season-low.
Forward Tavoy Morgan recorded the quickest hat trick for the Sockers all season, scoring the first three goals of the game in the first 10 minutes. He scored another goal three minutes later for his first career four-goal quarter. He tied his single-game career-high with his third-quarter goal that gave the Sockers a seven-goal lead.
Morgan provided an insurance goal in the third quarter, and with his two assists, recorded a career-high seven points in the San Diego winning effort.
With less than a minute remaining in the second quarter, midfielder Dallin Cutler scored his first Sockers goal. The former Ontario Fury player has four goals in 10 career appearances in the MASL.
In the fourth quarter, midfielder Charlie Gonzalez scored his second of two goals that gave San Diego a 10-2 lead. Gonzalez recorded five points with three assists throughout the match.
Midfielder Christian Gutierrez scored his two goals, his sixth multi-hpa; performance of the season. Defender Cesar Cerda capped the scoring with his fifth goal of the season.
Forward Leonardo De Oliveira put up three assists while defender Mitchell Cardenas assisted two goals and Juan Manuel Rojo assisted one goal.
The Sockers will finish the regular-season against SoCal rival Ontario Fury with the top seed in the Ron Newman Cup playoffs clinched. They will host Fan Appreciation Day at 5:05 p.m. PT at Pechanga Arena San Diego to finish the regular-season slate.