Baltimore's MLS Blast looks to add to dynasty

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Denison Cabral is 60 minutes away from adding another Major Indoor Soccer League championship ring to a collection that symbolizes the Blast’s dominance as the city’s winningest franchise.

The Blast forward stores the jewelry he earned from being part of title-winning teams in 2003, 2004 and 2006 in original boxes inside his home for safe keeping.

“We want a fourth one,” he said. “It’s going to be great. It’s a great city for the sport and they deserve that. I just hope the Orioles and Ravens can get a little excitement and pick it up rings. It would be great. There’s a spot left for a fourth one.”

Cabral and the Blast will try to continue to add to the team’s dynasty tonight at 7 in the MISL championship game against the expansion Monterrey La Raza at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee.

Cabral has been with the Blast since 1997, and along with teammates Giuliano Celenza, Billy Nelson and P.J. Wakefield and Coach Danny Kelly are only players who were on all three championship teams.

“We have a bunch of guys that like to win and hate to lose. I think that’s what sets us apart,” Blast investor/operator Ed Hale said. “Everyone knows — from the people in the office to the people on the field — people will come if you win. We want to show we have pride in Baltimore, and I think we do on and off the field. It’s meaningful to all of us to have this many championships in the league because we have the best of the best indoor players there are around the world. We can play with anybody.”

The Blast’s run is the city’s most prosperous since a six-year period from 1966-1971, when the Orioles won two World Series titles and the Colts added an NFL title and Super Bowl crown.

To put the Blast’s recent string of success in perspective to other local teams, the Orioles won the World Series in ‘66 and ‘70 and claimed American League pennants in ‘69 and ‘71. The Colts won back-to-back NFL Championships in ‘58 and ‘59, and won a third in ‘68, before losing Super Bowl III in ‘69 and winning Super Bowl V in ‘71.

The Ravens ended the city’s 17-year championship drought with a Super Bowl championship in 2001 — Baltimore’s first since the Blast won it all in 1984.

The Blast holds the record for most modern MISL titles. But the Canton Invaders, who won five National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) titles in six straight trips (1985-1990), are the indoor game’s biggest dynasty.

The Blast doesn’t pretend to be in the same category as the Ravens or Orioles. But the same respect, it doesn’t need to be, either, as the franchise is playing for its fifth championship overall and fourth in the past six years.

“It would be big,” Baltimore native and Blast captain P.J. Wakefield said. “As a player, you dream of being in a championship game. It’s not easy at a professional level. You take the championships when they come. When you get the opportunity, you make the most of it.”

And that’s exactly what the Blast (23-11) will try to do tonight against the La Raza (20-16), which split four games against Baltimore during the regular season, with the home team prevailing in each game.

“As far as I’m concerned, we haven’t done it yet,” Kelly said. “We have a huge game against Monterrey [tonight]. This is going to be an intense battle for us. They’re not showing up to hand us the trophy. We’re going to have to earn it.”

MISL FINAL

BLAST (23-11) vs. LA RAZA (20-16)

Where » U.S. Cellular Arena, Milwaukee

Kickoff » Tonight, 7

TV » Fox Soccer Channel

Radio » 680 AM

swelsh@baltimoreexaminer.com

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