At the beginning of the season, the Sting struggled to one victory in its first six games. Then, the Sting beat the Tacoma Stars twice to start a 10-game winning streak.
Now, having lost four of its last six games, the Sting (20-13) is struggling once again and remembers the team it fattened up on last December. But then, the Stars (12-21) have memories, too.
”They really started to get rolling after they played us,” said Dale Mitchell, the Stars` leading scorer. ”They caught on fire. They`re one of the best and we`d certainly like to beat them.”
The Sting plays host to Tacoma Saturday afternoon at the Stadium. The Stars, who lost 11-2 in Kansas City Friday night, have an early-morning flight Saturday and are scheduled to bus from the airport right to the Stadium.
”In a situation like this, the afternoon game all depends on how you did the night before,” said Mitchell. ”Not so much even if it`s a win or a loss. Just if you play good.
”Especially coming to Chicago, it won`t be one of the easiest tasks for us. But then, we won in San Diego (7-6 on Jan. 11) this year. There`s no harder place to win than San Diego.
”To me, Karl-Heinz Granitza is the one you have to stop if you want to beat Chicago, especially with Pato Margetic and Gerry Gray injured. Granitza is excellent. If you keep him off the scoresheet, you have a chance.”
Granitza realizes that most teams echo Mitchell`s sentiments. He believes even his 52 goals, tops in the Major Indoor Soccer League, haven`t been enough.
”I`m not carrying the team,” Granitza said. ”I feel guilty about a game like Wednesday night in Dallas (a 5-4 loss). Sometimes, I just don`t play good enough.
Granitza says that although Tacoma is next to last in the MISL in victories (Dallas is last), the Stars won`t just go through the motions Saturday.
”Against Mitchell and a team like Tacoma, our defense has to play tight and tough, like they did Tuesday night in Wichita,” Granitza said. ”Tacoma is a tough, dangerous team. They`re improving. I expect a tough game from them, regardless of their record.”
