RICHFIELD, Ohio -- Neither team really has an edge, but players on both sides admit to being edgy.
'At first, it really was just a whisper during practice -- 'It's coming,'' said Cleveland midfielder Kai Haaskivi, who will play for the East team. 'Now, the voice is getting louder -- this All-Star game really is here.
'I'll say this, every player wants to win. That's what's making me nervous. Nobody wants to goof up an All-Star game.'
Steve Zungul of San Diego agrees.
'You'd almost rather miss 10 shots in the regular season than one in the All-Star game,' said Zungul, a member of the West contingent. 'I'm more than a bit nervous.'
Sunday's Major Indoor Soccer League All-Star game at the Richfield Coliseum will bring together what league commissioner Earl Foreman calls 'the best soccer players in this country.'
The statistics of the players involved indicates that the game (5:30 p.m. start on ESPN) will be a high-scoring affair.
Five of the East team's six forwards have scored 30 or more goals: Stan Stamenkovic of Baltimore (30 goals), Karl-Heinz Granitza of Chicago (47 goals), Stan Terlecki of Pittsburgh (30 goals), Craig Allen of Cleveland (32 goals) and Jan Goossens of Minnesota (35 goals).
Paul Kitson of Baltimore adds 22 goals to the East lineup.
Granitza has said he would skip the game because of 'physical and mental exhaustion,' but East coach Kenny Cooper hopes the Sting forward will show up.
'We have a great team and it doesn't stop with our forwards,' he said. 'Our midfielders (Haaskivi, Ricky Davis of St. Louis and Keith Furphy of Cleveland) have 56 goals and 46 goals between them.
'Our goalkeepers, Slobo Ilejevski of St. Louis (3.91 goals-against average) and Scott Manning of the Blast (3.75) are very capable.'
Cooper also likes the East defense -- Mike Stankovic and Bruce Savage of Baltimore, Tony Bellinger of St. Louis, Franz Mathieu of Chicago and Dan Canter of the Cosmos, who since has joined Chicago.
'Our defense is better than the West's,' said Cooper. 'I think we will win. Our team is the stronger one.'
West coach Roy Turner of Wichita, naturally, has a dissenting opinion.
'The East has one 40-goal scorer -- we've got three,' says Turner. 'I know we can score goals, and the team that wins Sunday will have to make sure that red light stays lit.
'And the rest of our 16-man roster also is superb. There isn't anybody on there who doesn't belong.'
Turner's 40-goal scorers are Zungul (43 goals), Juli Veee of Las Vegas (42 goals) and Tatu of Dallas (40 goals). Also up front is Los Angeles' Batata, who has just 11 goals but is considered a premier passer.
At midfield, the West boasts Jean Willrich (31 goals) and Brian Quinn (15 goals) of San Diego, and Jorgen Kristiansen (5 goals) and Eric Rasmussen (35 goals) of Wichita.
The West defense is comprised of Kim Roentved of Wichita, Helmut Dudek of Las Vegas, Kevin Crow of San Diego, Greg Makowski of Kansas City, Ralph Black of Tacoma and Gus Mokalis of Los Angeles.
'Our goalies are very capable,' said Turner. 'We've got Los Angeles' Mike Mahoney (4.73 average) and San Diego's Zoltan Toth (3.72). They're both great.'
Platitudes aside, both coaches hedge on revealing any starting lineups.
'Why give Roy an edge? Besides, I'm not going to place any added pressure on anybody by saying he's starting,' said Cooper. 'I want the players to be relaxed and fresh.'
Turner did agree with Cooper on that point.
'Besides, I think people like surprises,' said the West coach. 'I'll say this -- I haven't gotten any sleep the last two weeks, and I don't think Kenny has either. Our families will be glad when this is over. We've been uptight.'
Following Saturday's media luncheon, the players scheduled a soccer clinic with young fans at the Coliseum.
'We have to give something back,' said Haaskivi. 'Helping kids is a good way.'
