Blast From Baltimore Fells the Lazers, 10-4

The Lazers are much improved, but their play lately probably has ople wondering how they could have the Major Indoor Soccer League’s third-best record this far into the season.

Baltimore was the latest team to mistreat the Lazers, as Drago scored four goals and Keith Furphy three to lead the Blast to a 10-4 victory before 5,948 fans Friday night at the Forum.

The way things are going for the Lazers, one would be hard-pressed to figure how they have been able to post a 10-10 record.

Friday night’s six-goal loss was the Lazers’ worst margin of defeat this season, their second-worst being a 9-4 defeat in their previous game against the San Diego Sockers last Saturday night in San Diego.

It was their third straight defeat and their sixth loss in nine games at the Forum, leaving them as the only team in the MISL with a losing record at home.

Trailing, 2-0, before the end of the first quarter, Baltimore (11-11)--also coming off a loss to the Sockers--began what would be a relentless assault on a new Lazer team whose play was reminiscent of the club that had e league’s worst record the last two seasons.

Lazer Coach Keith Tozer was disheartened after the loss but refused to admit that the Lazers are settling into their old habits.

“I am not a loser, I’m not a quitter, and neither are my players,” he said. “I’ll wash this loss off and be ready to go to work.”

From the outset, the Lazers were sluggish. They didn’t get a shot off until a little more than five minutes had expired. That shot, a 25-footer by Chris Chueden, bounced off the glass and deflected off goalie Keith Van Eron’s back into the net, giving the Lazers a 1-0 advantage.

Michael Collins made it 2-0 after taking a well-timed pass from Borja and scoring from 25 feet out. It looked as though Van Eron, who was playing in only his sixth game after missing much of the season with a bad back, was in for a long night.

Van Eron, however, began to receive better defensive support and got better position on what shots the Lazers could muster. Los Angeles was outshot, 25-14, in the first half.

Stan Stamenkovic, called “The Magician” by Baltimore fans, put the Blast on the scoreboard 13:15 into the first quarter with a no-look heel shot through goaltender David Brcic’s legs for his seventh goal of the season. Brcic had been out since Dec. 27 with a broken finger.

In the second period, the Lazers began to crumble. The Blast got a goal 21 seconds into the period from Tim Wittman, then one each from Drago and Furphy, making it, 4-2, Blast at halftime. From then on the Lazers were thoroughly outplayed.