Playing on the road is not an easy job. And the task does not get any easier when a nice chunk of your game schedule involves a four-game road trip.

Just ask the San Diego Sockers. They can tell you all about playing in hostile environments where wearing the visiting team jersey is not always the most pleasurable scenario to be in.

"You won't find another place like it, with its own little challenges, the crowd, the way it's laid out and the refs, it makes for a very interesting place," said Sockers forward Anthony Medina in a statement about playing on the road, particularly in Tijuana.

That's where Medina helped keep San Diego's undefeated record with the game-winning goal early in a 6-5 overtime victory over Tijuana Revolucion last week.

"The fans are always heckling you, saying things about your mom, your cousins, your sister, and you have to tune it out and focus on trying to do the best you can. Fortunately we got a win."

The Sockers (5-0) will try to take that same mentality to their next three road matches. This time San Diego plays back-to-back games in the Midwest. San Diego plays at Louisville Friday and visits Cincinnati Saturday. The Sockers then return to the West Coast to take on the Cougars on Dec. 27 after a holiday break in the schedule.

But don't expect the atmosphere during these road matches to be as aggressive as it was during the Sockers last trip across the border.

Tijuana's home stadium, Estadio Furati, features smaller field dimensions and a rock hard surface. The Revulucion also like to use a darker ball on field that causes odd bounces in front of officiating that players call "sketchy."

"It's a battle every time we come down here. We know that they are in the refs' ears a little, and we're in the refs' ears, bitching and crying and it probably doesn't help us at all," said Sockers attacker Kraig Chiles. "If we just came and had our mouths shut, just know we're going to get hosed a little bit and came to play we'd probably be better off, but it's tough when you're out there to keep your mouth shut."

The Sockers decided to keep some of its starters in San Diego and didn't make the trip to Tijuana. But unfortunately, the Sockers couldn't prevent injuries.

Chiky Luna had to be carried onto the team bus and helped over the border after suffering an ankle injury on a hard foul on the final play of the game, Medina's game-clinching goal. Luna was taken to the hospital for X-rays, which were negative.

Luna's availability against the Louisville Lightning and Cincinnati Kings is doubtful.

But the trip goes on.

The Lightening (1-3) are coming off a 25-3 win against Evansville in a

U.S. Open Cup match.

Cincinnati (5-1) leads the Eastern Division and has scored more goals than any Premiere Arena Soccer League team with 50 this season. This will perhaps be the Sockers toughest attack it will face this season.

The Kings have not played in a league match since December 8, a heartbreaking 6-4 loss to the Detroit Waza to break a five-game win streak. The loss kept Cincinnati from taking a four game lead in the standings. As a result, the Sockers remain as one-of-two undefeated teams in the league. The Illinois Piasa are 2-0.