Kickers Turn Backs on Hollywood, Keep Same Cast

For the sake of geographic accuracy, the Hollywood Kickers of the Western Soccer Alliance are now the California Kickers.

And Donald Burris, president of the team that begins defense of its league title March 1, hopes that’s the only major noticeable change during the season.

How successful were the fledgling Kickers in 1986?

“I have to break for a breath before I answer it,” Burris said. “I think we responded to the needs of the community and, essentially, learned. Certainly, on the field we were a great success. We were entertaining. And we won.”

But financially, the franchise was not as successful as it was on the field.

“We lost some modest money--I’m not sure how much--but I would hope to break even this year,” Burris said.

“We’re back, which is more than a lot of soccer teams can say,” he said, referring to a history of failed leagues in the sport.

After winning the WSA with 9-3-4 overall and 8-2-4 league records, the Kickers are back with the same basic makeup of a year ago:

Deiter Hochheimer, a former pro player from Germany and a former coach of the Edmonton Brick Men in Canada, returns as the team’s coach.

Most of the team’s 18 players return, including steady midfielder Rudy Ybarra--”the old man of the team” at age 29--a former player in the North American Soccer League, and leading defensive player Jens Knudsen. One notable loss is that of Paul Krumpe, a league all-star who plays for the Chicago Sting of the Major Indoor Soccer League.

The Kickers will face mostly the same competition. The teams returning are Football Club Seattle, Football Club Portland, the San Diego Nomads, Los Angeles Heat and San Jose Earthquakes. Edmonton has joined the Canadian Soccer Alliance.

In addition, the league will feature the same regular-season and playoff formats. In the regular season, each team will play each other twice, alternating home sites. The second- and third-place finishers then will play to meet the first-place team for the championship.

Burris is hoping to complete arrangements for the Kickers to play teams from England, Scotland, Mexico and Denmark in late May and June.

“My hope is to bring about several thousand for every game,” a “cautiously” optimistic Burris said, referring to his prospects for attendance at Devonshire Downs. The team’s 1986 home site was Birmingham High. “Last year, we had a great variation. I’d like to make it more steady. Two thousand is my modest projection.”

The Kickers, who averaged about 1,500 fans per home match last season, developed a local support base because soccer is a “grass-roots” sport, Burris said.

“I think we played good soccer,” Burris said. “This is not just another local soccer league. This is an American league trying to develop talent and give them a place to play.

“We need to let the community know more about the clinics. I would say community involvement and community events are the two areas that we need to improve on.”

The Kickers will open at home against the Los Angeles Heat.