Kickers Make Most of 1 Goal to Stay in First

As the final seconds ticked off the clock during the Western Soccer Alliance match between the Hollywood Kickers and F.C. Portland on Saturday night at Birmingham High, the public address announcer begged the crowd to show a little enthusiasm.

The request met with sprinkled applause, but mostly blank stares and yawns. Even though their Kickers were ahead, 1-0--they eventually won by that score--the fans looked like they wished they were home settled into easy chairs watching Airwolf reruns.

It wasn’t that the match didn’t have any highlights, however.

Early in the first half, Portland forward Brent Goulet drilled a high kick that passed about 30 feet above the cross bar. It never had a chance, but it would have made for a successful field goal in American football.

And there was, of course, the Kickers’ lone goal, which came at the 15:16 mark of the first half. Forward Steve Ledezzma took the ball to the left of goal, juked Portland goalie Todd Strobeck left, then right, and while Strobeck did what looked to be the funky chicken, Ledezzma fired a shot into the upper right corner.

“That was exciting,” Ledezzma said.

But the game itself was boring.

It marked the eighth time in 12 games this season that Hollywood had scored one or fewer goals. Still, the Kickers are in first place in the WSA with a 6-2-4 record.

Throughout the season, Hollywood’s defense has carried the team. Against Portland, Hollywood backup goalie Mike Page, getting his first start because a hamstring injury Lorenzo Caccialanza, made a number of saves.