|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Gerry Prince
|
|
Sunday, 26 March 2000 |
Depending on who's healthy and who's not, you can either call the St. Louis Ambush the Great Eight or Nasty Nine.
The Ambush close out their two-game set against the Edmonton Drillers at Skyreach Centre this afternoon (2:05) and playing coach Jamie Swanner isn't sure how many bodies he'll have for this afternoon's tilt.
Swanner landed in Edmonton with a dozen men, some healthier than others, for Friday's series opener. The result was a 23-6 drubbing.
"We only brought 12 and it looks like we've got at least nine guys for Sunday, we've got so many injuries at home," explained Swanner, who doubles as the Ambush's netminder and coach.
"Five guys have season-ending injuries. We're just going to have to suck it up and see what eight guys can do. Maybe I'll play sixth Attacker all game."
The Ambush are a mere shadow of the club that ousted the Drill in the National Conference final and marched to the NPSL championship series against Cleveland last spring.
By virtue of injury, attrition or defections to the cross-town rival St. Louis Steamers of the World Indoor Soccer League, Swannner is without 14 of 16 starters from last season.
Compounding matters, the lanky goalkeeper is now in his second stint at the helm of the Ambush.
Swanner, 8-18 as a coach this season, took over the job when player/coach Darryl Doran bolted for the Steamers.
Swanner stepped aside when veteran Ambush forward Joe Reiniger began a six-game stint as player/coach. Reiniger, in turn, was replaced by Jorge Espinoza. After going 0-9 as the bench boss, Espinoza resigned.
The net result is the Ambush, with their unenviable 9-32 record, find themselves counting the days.
MAKE THE BEST OF IT
"I feel sorry for these guys being here all year under these circumstances and having to deal with everything they're dealing with," said veteran midfielder Eloy Salgado,who was acquired from Harrisburg last month and who tallied twice in Friday's loss.
"It's tough to come and play when you've got the record that you do. It's hard to get your heart into it. You've just got to make the best of it.
"I don't think it's that we have a bad team or bad players, it's just that it's been a long season for these guys.
'`I've been here 10 games and I know it's been a long season for me already."
Drill head coach Ross Ongaro says the Ambush are more to be pitied than laughed at these days.
After watching his side limp through February due to a spate of injuries, Ongaro can relate to what Swanner and Co. are going through. "We can't take them lightly," Ongaro said. "They're still St. Louis and Reiniger by himself can score 12 points.
"They're on the road in the same situation as when we had 12 men. The other teams were licking their chops because they knew. It's a psychological thing. They're going to come back and go for the win. I want the win Sunday just as much as I wanted it Friday."
A win this afternoon guarantees the Drill a .500 or better finish for the second straight season. There could, however, be more on the line than a winning record.
GOOD MORNING!
Pending the outcome of last night's game between Kansas City and Detroit, the Drill could wake up this morning to discover they've clinched their fourth consecutive post-season berth.
A Kansas City victory would put the Drill in the playoffs and leave Detroit and Wichita battling for the final National Conference post-season berth.
A Detroit win would mean the Drill could clinch a playoff spot with a win over St. Louis this afternoon.
"Kansas City could do it for us, but right now we're doing it ourselves, which is a real positive for the guys," said Ongaro.
MERGER MUSINGS: Rumblings from the joint NPSL-WISL meetings in Chicago earlier this month indicate a merger between the rival indoor leagues could take place once the NPSL champion is crowned.
Apparently all but three of the WISL member clubs are willing to forgo their season which opens in late July and wraps up in mid-November in favour of the merger.
Dallas, Houston and expansion St. Louis Steamers, slated for their inaugural WISL campaign, currently oppose the merger. An NPSL/WISL union would result in a 20-team indoor loop and have the Ambush looking to relocate.
|
|
|
|
