Oklahoma City 9-0 Nashville
August 8, 1982 — Taft Stadium (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Scoring Summary
OKC — Jeff Bourne [first half]
OKC — Jeff Bourne [first half]
OKC — Jeff Bourne [second half]
OKC — Kenny Killingsworth [second half]
OKC — Tommy Alioto [second half]
OKC — Joe Rausch [second half]
OKC — Joe Rausch [second half]
OKC — John Dolinsky [second half]
OKC — Mark Kerlin 89′
Slickers Romp Diamonds, 9-0
(Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman, 08.10.82)
By Kathy Perovich
OKLAHOMA CITY — Nashville Diamonds’ goalie Brien McInerney faced such a fierce onslaught of shots on goal Sunday night against Oklahoma City that if the temperature had not been in 90’s he might have wondered if he was playing in the indoor league.
With a 9-0 win, the largest margin of victory in the American Soccer League this season, the Slickers, now 14-6-3, remain unbeaten at home and take over first place in the standings from Detroit. Earning maximum points for a game, five for the win and three for the first three goals, Oklahoma now has 116 points to 115 for Detroit, which tied Carolina 2-2 Saturday night.
The Slickers, who have won their last six games and 11 out of their last 13, outshot the Diamonds, 33-5. Oklahoma City goalie Phil Parkes left the game in the second half and reserve Doug Dry saw his first action of the season.
It was also noteworthy that Jeff Bourne, who had not scored a goal in the past two games got a hat trick, the sixth in the league this season. His were the first three goals scored. Sweeper Joe Rausch scored goals six and seven in 1:42 in the second half.
The crowd of 3,011 at Taft Stadium saw goals scored in nearly every way possible.
“It was great practice for them (the Slickers),” said McInerney, 22. “I’ve never been scored on nine times, even when I was 10 years old and playing.”
Nine goals is extreme in outdoor soccer. Indoor games generally produce more goals because the field is smaller.
Nashville played most of the game short-handed after South American midfielder Lito (that is the name he uses for soccer purposes) was ejected from the game for dissension 10 minutes into play. The Diamonds went with 10 players from there on out and that probably accounted for the uneven score.
“I think we would have beaten them anyway,” said Bourne. “But probably not by so much. I really don’t enjoy scoring so many goals in a game like that. Maybe it should be like boxing and you should stop after five.”
The number of total goals scored would be a factor in breaking any ties at the end of the season, so there is a valid reason for keeping the pressure on even after the game is out of reach. Also, the Slickers have not been winning by big margins. This is only their third win by a margin of greater than one goal.
Nashville, 2-17-3, is a team down on its luck and its finances. Head coach Hector Guevara did not accompany his team to Oklahoma City. He is meeting with the owners in Chicago, so business manager Nelson Burns acted as coach.
“They seem to have lost their enthusiasm,” said Slickers’ coach Brian Harvey. “I felt kind of sorry for them.”
Burns said several injured Nashville players were left at home. “We had kind of a makeshift lineup in tonight,” Burns said. “It’s been like that all year for us.”
The Slickers led 2-0 at the half, both on Bourne goals. Bourne, who also had two assists, opened the second half with a goal. Then Kenny Killingsworth and Tommy Alioto scored. Two Rausch goals followed. John Dolinsky then scored with a shot off his left foot from 40 yards out and was so surprised by it he covered his head with his hands. Mark Kerlin scored his third goal in the last two games at 88:15 to wind it up for the Slickers.
Oklahoma City had 19 shots on goal in the first half and 14 in the second. McInerney had 12 saves. Nashville countered with two shots in the first half (Lito had one) and three in the second. Parkes had only one save.
“I think losing that player hurt,” Harvey said. “It’s hard for a good team to win with 10 players. It’s almost impossible for a struggling team to do it.”
In the other ASL game played Sunday night, Rochester beat Pennsylvania 2-1. The Slickers are at Nashville Friday night and host Carolina Sunday night.
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