Perez Says Return Possible, but Sockers Waiting for Segota

Hugo Perez, the most valuable player of the 1988 Major Indoor Soccer League championship series, has said he is interested in returning to play for the Sockers depending on what happens with star forward Branko Segota.

Segota has been offered a contract, reported to be between $90,000 and $120,000 for next season, but has yet to decide whether he wants to return. Socker President Ron Cady repeatedly has said he thinks Segota will make up his mind soon, but he hasn’t yet.

Meanwhile, Perez has entered the picture. Before the playoffs this past June, Perez told the team he would not be back because he was leaving to play in Europe.

“I can’t take a pay cut,” Perez said. “I have to think of the future for my family.”

Because of money-related problems, things didn’t work out for Perez in Switzerland. They also didn’t work out with the U.S. Olympic team. Now he’s back in San Diego and, according to Coach Ron Newman, wants to play here again.

“I told Hugo I wanted him, and he said he’d like to play,” Newman said. “Now the question is what’s going to happen with Branko?”

If Segota decides not to return, the Sockers could afford to sign Perez. Because of the league’s new $900,000 salary cap, it would be hard to sign both.

“But maybe we could still work something out,” Newman said.

Nothing can be worked out until the Segota situation is resolved. The team already has missed a chance to sign some of the league’s better free agents because it is holding money for Segota.

Among those Newman said he was interested in were Hector Marinaro, Steve Kinsey and Ben Collins (all with the Los Angeles Lazers) and Carl Valentine (Baltimore Blast).

“Right now, there’s just no pressure for Branko to sign,” Newman said. “If there was a deadline, then he’d be forced to make a decision one way or another. But he’s just dragging us along. I think deadlines have to be made.”

Segota has been playing for an outdoor team in Toronto the past two months, and Cady has flown there to meet with him twice, including last weekend. Cady has remained optimistic Segota will return.

“We are going to wait for Branko,” Cady said. “If he decides he doesn’t want to come back, then we would be in a position to sit down with Hugo now that he has made himself available.”

Perez scored two goals in the fourth game of the MISL championship series in June to help the Sockers beat Cleveland, 7-4, and win their sixth indoor title in seven years.

“I talked to Ron (Newman) and I told him that if they (the Sockers) call, I’ll listen to them,” Perez said. “I’m not going to beg anyone to play. Right now, it seems they want to sign Branko. But if they don’t, I’ll listen.”

Socker Notes

Several sources close to the Sockers have said the team is about ready to sign 2 more players for next season--former Los Angeles midfielder Chris Chueden and former Cleveland goalkeeper Victor Nogueira. Chueden would help replace departed midfielder Waad Hirmez, and Nogueira would take the place of Jim Gorsek, who’s now with Los Angeles. . . The Sockers announced that tickets for individual games will go on sale Oct. 3 at the Sports Arena box office. . . The exhibition season will open Sept. 30 in Aztec Bowl with an outdoor game against San Diego State.