Around The League // Playoffs
*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoints or positions of the Major Arena Soccer League.**
San Diego Gets The Job Done At Home
Game One of the Ron Newman Cup Finals went to the hosts on Sunday night. San Diego’s defense held Chihuahua to just 12 shots through the first three quarters and conceded just five goals in a critical 7-5 win, setting up an intense game two and possible game three at Corner Sport Arena.
The superb defensive effort allowed the Sockers to cook offensively. The Sockers danced their way past the Savage with their unique brand of samba soccer that dazzled their packed home crowd. Tavoy Morgan led the way with three points, Luiz Morales and Drew Ruggles each found the net twice, Gabriel Costa provided a pair of assists, and Kraig Chiles bagged one of each for two points of his own.
They scored early and often in their 15th home victory this season, but despite the massive win, it was not without some casualties. Defenders Kristian Quintana and Luis “Peewee” Ortega left the game with injuries. Ortega will miss the trip to Chihuahua, that could be a devastating blow to what has been such a formidable defensive unit.
The loss leaves Chihuahua with it all to do in the second leg, but there were a few bright spots that will give the Savage hope. MVP finalist Hugo Puentes lit up the score sheet, finding the net on four of his side’s five goals. The 33-year-old leads his side with eight playoff points, twice as many as Bryan Macias, who has the next highest tally. His target play was brash and frantic, but it needed to be against this tight Sockers defense, and he capitalized brilliantly.
On the other end of the turf, Diego Reynoso and Christian Hernandez both finished the game with seven saves on ten shots, for a 0.700 save percentage slightly above the league average. On the smaller dimensions at Corner Sport Arena, shot-stopping is a game-changer, and having not one but two goalkeepers capable of putting up these numbers, even in a loss, will be massive.
Now to the negatives, of which there were a few. First and foremost, attacking output looked like an afterthought, considering how many chances they had squandered. This trend of missed opportunities from the first two rounds of the playoffs continued in the Finals, and if the Savage want to retain their crown, they’ll need to be more clinical in front of goal at home.
The key to that will be secondary scoring, which for the entire season has been their superpower. Twelve Savage players finished the regular season with at least 10 points, but against the Sockers this weekend, their trademark depth was painfully absent. Several high-profile players, including MASL Elite 6 players Jorge Ríos and Roberto Escalante, were held scoreless, and no player apart from Puentes finished the game with multiple points. They’ll need their depth to step up in addition to their superstars, or there may not be a game three.
The keys to success for the Savage will be putting the Sockers under pressure early with their customary overload of shots. A low conversion rate could spell disaster in transition, possession, or especially on set pieces. They’ll also need to maintain an aggressive press while keeping their emotions in check. A few poorly timed penalties could be the difference between leading and trailing down the stretch.
It remains to be seen how the Sockers will line up at Corner Sport Arena, but in their previous two games there this season, we’ve seen a few heavily rotated lineups. Chiles, Charlie Gonzalez, and Boris Pardo all missed both games in Mexico, while Ismael Rojo, Berna Valdovinos, Iván Muñoz, Irvin Mojica, Jhon Ponce, and Brandon Escoto all featured at least once. That rotation hasn’t served them too well, but they might not have a choice, especially if the injuries to Quintana rule him out alongside Ortega this weekend.
The Sockers lost both games in Chihuahua this season by a combined score of 20-7, so they’re certainly up against it, but with the strength this team has, they’ll be in with a chance should Chihuahua’s offensive struggles continue. Game two will be Sunday, April 20, at 8:05 PM EDT, and should the Savage win, game three will follow immediately afterward.
End Of Season Awards
This year’s end-of-season awards celebrate the phenomenal achievements of the league’s best players and coaches. They are all more than deserving of their accolade, so let’s look at each winner and their resume, starting with the MASL’s crème de la crème.
Most Valuable Player: Jorge Ríos - Chihuahua Savage
Ríos led the league’s best offense with 52 points in 23 appearances en route to becoming this year’s point leader, top goal scorer, and now, MVP. He shined in the game’s most crucial moments, cementing himself as one of the most feared dead-ball specialists in the league. After missing the majority of last season due to a knee injury, Ríos came back better than ever, and while he made headlines for his attacking prowess, his defensive contributions should not go unnoticed. Just under 25% of Chihuahua’s goals went through Ríos in a season that will go down in history.
Defender Of The Year: Chad Vandegriffe - Kansas City Comets
For the second year running, the MASL’s defender of the year calls Kansas City home. Vandegriffe is an icon of the indoor game, and it’s clear he’s only getting better with age. This year, he set a career-best block record and led the league with a staggering 81 blocks. In addition to his stellar defensive record, he added an attacking element to his game with a tendency to drift forward and find space in that attacking end. His six goals and 11 points tied his 2018-19 campaign as the best returns of his storied career.
Goalkeeper Of The Year: Chris Toth - Tacoma Stars
Despite a disappointing end to the season that saw Tacoma miss out on the playoffs by a single point, Chris Toth made it clear that he was, is, and will continue to be, the standard for elite goalkeeping in the MASL. Toth led the league with a 75.2% save percentage, over two percent higher than the next-best goalkeeper. He also made the second most saves in the league, but the most saves per 60 minutes with an astounding 15.372. So, he did the most goalkeeping in the league and was the best at it. That’s some resume.
Newcomer Of The Year: Chad Parch - Baltimore Blast
Fresh off winning TST, where he scored the Million-Dollar goal, he joined the Blast and immediately became one of the most important pieces on their impressive and high-octane offense. While he doesn’t fit the traditional role of a stay-at-home shot-blocker, Poarch carved out a niche as he sliced through opposing defenses and scored with aplomb. He finished the season with his side’s second-most goals and with 23 games played; his consistency and sheer body of work could not go unrecognized.
Coach Of The Year: Onua Obasi - Empire Strykers
When a team wins nine more games than they did the year before, it’s going to turn some heads. As a former player, Obasi’s cerebral gift naturally translated well to the managerial game, and at Empire, his unique vision took center stage. He adopted a high-risk, high-reward strategy that utilized the goalkeeper as a pseudo-sixth attacker for the majority, if not the entirety, of the game. All three Strykers' goalkeepers finished the season with four direct goal contributions, and the team scored 50 more goals than they did last year while conceding 41 fewer.