Some things never change.
On a night the Blast paid tribute to its 1983-84 Major Indoor Soccer League championship team, an old nemesis also was back in town to put a damper on the otherwise memorable occasion.
Remember the San Diego Sockers, the team that got the better of the Blast in four championship series back in those '80s?
Making its first trip to Baltimore in more than a decade, the Sockers took control early and stayed on top of things the rest of the way for a much-too-easy, 20-11 win over the Blast last night at 1st Mariner Arena.
The Blast of old did its part, starting the night with an 8-4 win over a collection of Baltimore all-stars in the Legends Game. A special ceremony followed, with the franchise retiring the number 10 of the late Stan Stamenkovic.
After that, it was the Sockers' night.
The Blast, missing out on a chance to build some momentum after last week's win over the Milwaukee Wave, fell to 3-8 for the season and to 1-4 at home, slipping deeper into the league's East Conference cellar. San Diego improved to 6-6.
"Even before the Milwaukee game, we were getting better and building on things. And then we came out tonight and just forgot everything we were working on in the past two weeks. It's an embarrassing loss," said Blast captain Lance Johnson.
"I saw people here I hadn't seen in three years. The city came out to support the championship team and support us and it could have been a great stepping stone, but we let that slip away."
A half-minute stretch in the third quarter summed it all up.
Trailing 13-4, the Blast got a three-point goal from Johnson, only to see Alejandro Cardenas score 28 seconds later for the Sockers to make it 15-7.
Talking about spoiling a big night and quieting a crowd of 8,240 in a hurry.
The Sockers got an early goal, converted a power-play chance and then scored again just 32 seconds into the second quarter to help build a 9-2 lead.
Midfielder Robbie Aristodemo did most of the damage with the opening goal and a three-point bomb from the top of the scoring arc with Blast midfielder Giuliano Celenza off for tripping.
Denison Cabral finished off a feed from Danny Santoro to cut the lead to 9-4 with 11:49 left in the half, but the Blast couldn't get any closer before intermission.
The Blast's specialty teams struggled throughout. On the power play, the home team went 1-for-4 and allowed a shorthanded goal.
Blast player/coach Sean Bowers emphatically said it's time for his team to look in the mirror.
"Everybody has to be held accountable, myself included," he said. "It comes down to individually do you have what it takes to be a professional when you step on the field because you can't have it sometimes and sometimes not.
"And if you can't have it tonight, when can you? Go play in a men's league. I just don't understand it."
NOTES: A few things that were apparent in yesterday's Legends Game: Mike Stankovic still has the crafty moves, Paul Kitson can still find the top corner and coach Kenny Cooper still receives the warmest ovation. With 1980s music playing in the background throughout the 48-minute game against the Baltimore Legends, the former champion Blast looked as if it had never left the arena, producing an 8-4 win. Richard Chinapoo and Bobby McAvan scored two goals each, with Stankovic contributing a goal and two assists. The Blast scored the game's first five goals. "It was a great experience," said Cooper. "You could see the guys wanted to come out and play and make it like the olden days. I told them before the game to make it a night to remember like back in '84 and it was."
San Diego 7 2 6 5 - 20
Blast 2 2 3 4 - 11
First quarter - 1. San Diego, Aristodemo, 2 pt., (Beyer), 2:17; 2. Blast, DiFlorio, 2 pt., (Nelson), 8:25; 3. San Diego, Farias, 2 pt., (Bollella), 8:53; 4. San Diego, Aristodemo, 3 pt., 12:06. Penalties - San Diego, Wang, (tripping), 2:56; Blast, Celenza, (tripping), 10:21. Second quarter - 5. San Diego, Susi, 2 pt., (Bollella), :32; 6.Blast, Cabral, 2 pt., (Santoro), 3:09. Penalties - Blast, Cabral, (tripping), 11:59. Third quarter - 7. San Diego, Velasquez, 2 pt., 5:55; 8. San Diego, Stewart, 2 pt., 8:49; 9. Blast, Johnson, 3 pt., (Wakefield), 9:51; 10. San Diego, Cardenas, 2 pt., (Farias), 10:19. Penalties - San Diego, Farias, (tripping), 7:40; San Diego, Farace, (four fouls), 4:42 Fourth quarter - 11. Blast, Tschantret, 2 pt., (Bowers), 1:22; 12. Bollella, 2 pt., (Johnson), 8:31; 13. Blast, Celenza, 2 pt., (DiFlorio), 9:48; 14. San Diego, Farias, 3 pt., 12:.34. Penalties - San Diego, Horvath, (hand ball)1:21 Shots on goal - San Diego 9-8-7-6 - 30; Blast 9-9-8-13 - 39. Power-play opportunities - San Diego 1-for-2; Blast 1-for-4. Shootout opportunities: San Diego 0-for-0; Blast 0-for-0. A - 8,240.