The San Diego Sockers will take on the Monterrey Flash at 12pm today in the FIFRA Club Championships Grand Final in Monterrey, Mexico. They will do so without their scoring star and PASL MVP.
Sockers forward Kraig Chiles suffered a right MCL strain during Thursday’s opening round game against Monterrey, casting a dark cloud over what had been to date a successful trip to Monterrey. Chiles told 619 Sports via Facebook on Saturday that he suffered the injury in the third quarter of the Sockers’ 5-4 win over the Flash.
“I went to take a shot at the same time the defender reached in from behind,” said Chiles, “I kicked his leg which jammed my knee pretty good.”
Chiles did not play in San Diego’s subsequent 15-0 and 8-3 wins over Sherbrooke University (Canada) and La Bombonerita (Ecuador), and will sit out Sunday’s final as well. While Sockers’ trainer Paul Savage believes it is possible Chiles could return to action in time for the Sockers’ next home game against the Arizona Storm, the 1-12 expansion team could provide an opportunity for further rest.
“I’m going to do all I can to play on the eleventh but I understand that the (Open Cup) and playoffs are the long-term goal,” said Chiles.
Chiles hopes to return in time for the Sockers' next game against Arizona but may sit out until the US Open Cup Final.
Sockers head coach Phil Salvagio brought extra players to Monterrey to try and guard against excessive wear and tear on his stars but planned to use most of his full side against the Flash, a plan which made sense but backfired with the Chiles injury. Most of San Diego’s veterans have sat during the wins over the Canadian amateur team and Ecuador.
“Mikel Palmerin and Jason Santos have stepped up and played well the last two games, they’re scoring goals and working hard,” Chiles reported, “It’s been a good tourney so far and the team’s really looking forward to the finals.”
In many ways, while the games in Monterrey have no bearing on the Sockers’ regular season record or their unblemished PASL work, these two games against the Flash likely represent the toughest competition San Diego will face all year. Many of the players on the Monterrey side have faced the Sockers in the PASL North American Championship finals each of the last two years playing for different teams. On their home field and with a trophy on the line, the idea of beating the Flash twice in four days was daunting enough before losing the team MVP.
“We know they’re gonna be a tough team to break down and they are gonna give everything they have in front of the home fans,” said Chiles, “It will be a big test in hostile territory but we came to win a title and that’s what we are concentrating on.”
The Sockers have also lost reserve defender Dru Hoshimiya to an MCL strain. Sunday’s final from Monterrey will be streamed live (in Spanish) on the Monterrey Flash UStream feed, which you can watch right here at 12pm Pacific time:
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