UCLA Soccer Boasts All-American Look : The Defending NCAA Champion Bruins No Longer Depend on Foreign Players

Foreign players need not apply to the UCLA soccer team.

Coach Sigi Schmid doesn’t recruit foreigners. All 21 players on the Bruins’ 1986 roster were born in the USA, and all but one list a California hometown. The one exception is from New Mexico.

Of course, if a potential world-class star from another country wanted to play at UCLA, Schmid wouldn’t turn him away. It’s just that Schmid puts his emphasis on recruiting locally. UCLA won the NCAA championship last year and that title team had only two foreign-born or foreign-trained players.

“If I offer a scholarship to a foreign athlete and bring him over here to play, then I’m taking away an opportunity for an American player,” Schmid said. “We’re not going to turn away a foreign player, but an American player has no other option.”

Said UCLA senior captain Paul Caligiuri, America’s top gun in soccer: “Our coach believes in the American soccer player. He finds the best talent is in this country.

“I don’t think it’s discrimination. It’s better to give an American player an opportunity rather than a foreigner.”

Schmid, 33, was the first American citizen to get a soccer scholarship at UCLA when he came to Westwood in 1971 from Bishop Montgomery High in Torrance. He was born in Tuebingen, West Germany, but he has lived here since he was 9 and is a naturalized citizen.

“The team was very good when I was playing,” said Schmid, who played midfield at UCLA from 1971-75. “But it was a totally different makeup in composition. When I stepped on the team, we had six players from the Ethiopian national team that played for us. We had a couple of guys from Mexico and a couple from Colombia.

“Myself and the goalkeeper were the only two American starters on the field, and everybody else was foreign.”

Schmid played on NCAA runner-up teams in 1972 and 1973, and the Bruins made the NCAA final four in his senior season.

Schmid’s home-grown recruiting philosophy is based on economics, not ethnicity.

Last year, UCLA had five scholarships divided among 15 players. NCAA rules allow a maximum of 11 scholarships in soccer. Schmid said he has eight scholarships this year. His total recruiting budget wouldn’t cover football Coach Terry Donahue’s recruiting phone bill. Last year it was reportedly $2,000, and it was increased slightly this year.

So, Schmid goes after state players in a state that has more than 15,000 high school kids playing soccer. The American Youth Soccer Organization is based here, too. In fact, Schmid played for one of the four original AYSO teams.

Schmid has compiled a 104-17-14 record since he advanced from assistant to head coach at UCLA in 1980.

“I looked around when I became the head coach and I saw that there were a couple of good guys at Berkeley and a couple at Santa Barbara and a couple of good Americans here,” Schmid said. “I said, ‘All those guys have the grades to get into the UC system. So if I can bring all these players under one umbrella, I think we can put together a good American team.’

“When a foreign player comes here, he’s usually exhausted his soccer possibilities.

“For us to go after a quality out-of-state player is real, real tough. We’re out there trying to compete against Clemson and Duke and all the ACC schools. It’s going to cost a kid from Texas $6,000 to come to school here, and he’s got a free ride somewhere else. For in-state kids, we have more bargaining power because the price of coming to school (as a state resident) here is not as great.”

Schmid’s philosophy has already paid one handsome dividend.

UCLA won its first NCAA soccer title last December, beating American University, 1-0, in eight overtimes at the Kingdome in Seattle. The game, which lasted 166 minutes 5 seconds, was the longest in NCAA history. Andy Burke, who had not previously scored in his college career, got the game-winning goal.

The only thing American about American University was its name. Seven of the 11 players in American’s starting lineup weren’t citizens.

The Bruins finished the 1985 season with a 20-1-4 record, were unbeaten in their last 18 games and ended the season with a 12-game winning streak.

All five seniors on last year’s team were selected in the Major Indoor Soccer League draft.

Goalie Dave Vanole, who had 12 shutouts, including 7 in the final 12 games, midfielder Doug Swanson, an All-Far West choice and the only player to start every game last season, and forward Mike Getchell were drafted by the Tacoma Stars. All-American midfielder Dale Ervine, the team’s leading scorer the last three seasons, was drafted by the Wichita Wings. And defender Paul Krumpe was taken by the Chicago Sting.

The Bruins are off to a 2-0 start this season, have a 14-game winning streak and a 20-game unbeaten streak.

UCLA won its season opener, defeating Westmont College in Santa Barbara, 2-1 in overtime, then beat Santa Clara, now coached by Steve Sampson, Schmid’s former assistant, 5-0, Sunday. The Bruins will play at San Jose State tonight, then will open at home Sunday against Chapman College.

This year’s team is ranked first in the coaches’ poll and second behind Clemson by Soccer America magazine. Clemson beat UCLA in 1984 in an NCAA semifinal game.

“I think at this stage I’d probably be more comfortable if we were ranked fifth or sixth,” Schmid said before the season opened. “Clemson is an excellent choice. They return everyone down the middle. I think they’re a fair pick for No. 1. But I think we’re definitely there. I’d rather be the underdog for a while, although when you’re UCLA, it’s hard to sneak up on anybody.

“Defensively we’re going to be almost as good as last year. Offensively, we might even be a shade stronger than last year. The key is, we’ve got some changes in personnel in midfield.”

Said senior midfielder Hubert Rotteveel: “Of course there’s going to be a lot more pressure coming back from a national championship. People will be coming after you.”

The Bruins will have to get along for a while without two key players, both of whom are injured.

Starting goaltender Drew Leonard is out for probably another four weeks with a broken hand suffered in an exhibition game against Cal State Northridge last month. Leonard, a fourth-year junior, has had four shutouts during his career and has an 0.91 goals-against average. He didn’t allow a goal during one 215-minute span of five games last season.

Leonard’s replacement is redshirt freshman Anton Nistl. His father, Anton Sr., once was a teammate of Schmid’s.

Midfielder Steve Black, one of eight UCLA players who played in the Olympic Festival this summer in Houston, suffered a broken foot during the competition and is out indefinitely.