Sidekicks Never Say Die - MISL 1987 - Part 7/9
Sidekicks Never Say Die - MISL 1987 - Part 7/9
The (arguably) greatest game in MISL history comes to a dramatic conclusion
Here are the previous parts of this story: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6
As the 3rd Quarter is about to begin, Alan Hinton chats with Lamar Hunt, to whom soccer in America owes a great deal. Fans of the NASL’s Dallas Tornado remember.
The radio announcers marvel at Doc Lawson’s leg:
“Every time he draws that big right peg back, everyone let’s out an ‘Ooooh.’”
Then, they speculate that the league officials have decided to just let the teams play. It sounds familiar to Wichita Wings fans, who will never forget the 1981 semi-final against the Steamers.
On the field, Dowler saves a shot from Victor Moreland. Mark Karpun kicks at the ball as Dowler grabs it, and then falls to the ground. Dowler doesn’t like it. As Karpun lies prone on his back, Dowler sticks his face into Karpun’s mug. One can only imagine what he says…
“I beg your pardon, good sir, but your foot accidentally brushed my face. If you could avoid that henceforth, I would appreciate it ever-so-much. Have a blessed day!”
Something along those lines.
The arena starts to get raucous as the pace of play picks up. Dowler stops a shot from Kevin Smith and then blocks a second shot from Ed Radwanski while lying on his back. The announcers feed off the energy from the crowd:
“If you don’t like this, you don’t like America, soda pop, and you’ve never driven a Chevrolet! … If you don’t want to play in a game like this, you should change jobs!”
Dowler makes six saves in the 3rd Quarter. As the 4th Quarter begins, it’s still tied 2-2. But not for long. With 14:06 remaining, Tatu turns and fires. He doesn’t rip off his shirt this time. Instead, it’s more of a nonchalant, I’m-taking-my-shirt-off-and-going-to-bed kind of move. He strides to the glass and throws it into the crowd.
Dallas 3 – Tacoma 2.
Preki answers almost immediately with his left foot off a set piece. He’s set up by Žungul, or, as they call it in Tacoma: the 7-11 connection (Žungul is #7, Preki is #11).
“He really dents the net,” the announcer says.
Dallas 3 – Tacoma 3.
On the season, Tacoma is 5-0 against Dallas when Preki scores. Tatu doesn’t appear to appreciate this statistic when he heads straight down the middle of the field and, despite being surrounded by four Stars, shoots and scores.
Dallas 4 – Tacoma 3.
With 11:00 on the clock, Dallas gets a power play. But two minutes go by without a score, just like on their last nine power plays.
With 3:34 to go, Tacoma pulls Dowler, putting Ricky Davis in as the 6th attacker.
It’s, like, totally the ‘80s, with the Ghostbusters theme blasting through the arena speakers. The DJ follows it up with another hit from a classic ‘80s movie: “Minnie the Moocher” by Cab Calloway. But Žungul and Preki aren’t the Blues Brothers quite yet. The Lord of All Indoors ties it up with 40 seconds to go.
Dallas 4 – Tacoma 4.
Do you like overtime? Well, have we got a deal for you. Two overtimes for the price of one! The first overtime produces a lot of sound and fury, but no actual scoring.
“This was the first year when we played double overtime. Remember the debacle at the end of 1984-85 season in the [semifinals] when they overturned a shootout?” Balthrop says.
You probably don’t remember the bizarre scenario the San Diego Sockers and Minnesota Strikers encountered that year, so here’s a refresher:
“In the 13th round of the shootout, San Diego’s Jacques Lacouceur scored. Minnesota’s Jan Goossens tallied to send the game to a 14th round, when the Sockers’ Steve Žungul scored for the victory,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
But Minnesota coach Alan Merrick realized that San Diego had not included Lacouceur in the list of players eligible for the shootout. So after a conference call with Striker GM Tim Robbie, San Diego owner Bob Bell and Merrick, MISL Commissioner Francis Dale ruled that Lacouceur was ineligible and the goal was nullified, meaning Minnesota won the game. Thus, the series did not end in Game 4 with a Sockers victory. Instead, the teams played a 5th game, which resulted in… a Sockers victory. Second verse, same as the first.
“So the league said, ‘We’re never doing shootouts again,’” Balthrop says.
You can’t blame ‘em.
So, double overtime happens. And about five minutes and 20 seconds into the period, Žungul attempts to kick a rebounded shot past Sobieski, but fails. As he lies on the ground and complains to the ref, Dallas gets a breakaway.
“I saw that we had a two-on-two but I knew Preki was tired and I figured I could beat him. I just ran as fast as I could under control and saw Mark [Karpun] wide open,” Mike Uremovich says.
This is how the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram describes it:
“Karpun took the pass on the left-wing and moved slowly toward the goal before faking Stars goalie Mike Dowler out of the play and giving Dallas the victory. Karpun’s head-and-shoulders fake to the left sent Dowler to the ground. He then put in a right-footer from 10 feet.”
After the ball hits the net, Dowler rises off the turf only to plummet down again in frustration/anger/sadness, his fists striking the floor. The Sidekicks mob Karpun.
“As soon as I got the ball I knew I was going to score. I knew I had lots of time to get the shot off. Once I made the fake left, I got this incredible feeling that it was finally over,” Mark Karpun says.
His feeling is correct.
Dallas 5 – Tacoma 4. GAME OVER.
“We didn’t plan on a seventh game. We expected nothing like this…” Steve Žungul says.
Next Week: The series that might never end…finally ends…with a BANG.