Sockers Rout Strykers in Pardo’s 100th Career Win

March 11, 2024 – Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) – San Diego Sockers News Release

The San Diego Sockers used a five-goal second quarter to take control, cruising from there to a 10-3 win over the Empire Strykers Sunday night at Pechanga Arena San Diego. Charlie Gonzalez netted a second-half hat trick and added an assist for a four-point match, while Tavoy Morgan contributed two goals and two assists.

“A lot of the stuff we’ve been working on in training showed out today (on the field),” said Charlie, who improved to (16-15=31) points on the season, “The hat trick was just extra.”

The Sockers (16-4, 46 points) improved to an eight-point lead over second-place Chihuahua with four matches remaining. San Diego can clinch the Western Division with three more wins. Cesar Cerda netted two goals with an assist as the Sockers took a 6-0 lead before the match opened up late.

“A lot better than the last couple weeks,” said head coach Phil Salvagio, “It’s like a new season right now, we’re trying to get right for the playoffs, and this was a good start.”

San Diego goalkeeper Boris Pardo stopped 16-of-19 shots, earning his 100th win in net with the Sockers (100-17-5 record). Pardo leads the MASL all-time with 124 victories, having played in Wichita and Kansas City before coming to San Diego in 2016. The Sockers were able to shut out Mexican star Marco Fabián, who had scored at least one goal in his first sixteen MASL matches.

Smarting from their third home loss of the season last weekend against Chihuahua, the Sockers came out with a defensive determination, holding Empire (3-16-1, 9 points) to one shot in the first quarter. San Diego peppered the net looking for the go-ahead goal, but rookie Strykers keeper Brian Orozco stopped the first nine shots he faced, holding the Sockers at bay.

The breakthrough for San Diego came early in the second quarter, as rookie midfielder Juan Salazar rolled a pass out from the offensive right corner to Cerda, who struck the ball first time on the run, lacing a volley past Orozco at 1:36 of the frame for a 1-0 lead. Less than a minute later, Christian Gutierrez stole a pass in midfield, came down the center of the field with wingers to each side, called his own number, and blasted his fifth goal of the season into the center-top netting at 2:24 for a 2-0 advantage.

The Sockers were on a roll and kept it rolling. Felipe Gonzalez’s side wall pass popped out to Flavio Guzman in the middle for his third goal as a Socker and a 3-0 lead at…