Sockers Drop Four Players but Delay a Decision on Deyna

The Sockers began the process of rebuilding Thursday, but not without some confusion.

First, the team announced that the contract of Kaz Deyna, the fourth-leading scorer in team history, would not be renewed. Then, a few hours later, they announced that they would wait until November to decide on Deyna’s status.

Deyna, 39, scored only one goal during the regular season and one during the playoffs last season. His contract runs out in November.

Coach Ron Newman said Thursday that it’s all but assured that Deyna will not play with the team next season. But, since Deyna has been one of the Sockers’ all-time great players--he played on all five championship teams--Newman said the team wants to give Deyna the proper send-off.

“It was a miscommunication that led to us announcing we would not renew his contract,” Newman said. “I want to sit down with him and see what he wants to do.”

The Sockers made some moves Thursday that did stand up, however. The team announced that contracts will not be renewed for midfielder Raffaele Ruotolo and forward Njego Pesa, who was acquired from the defunct New York Express.

Tim Bartro, a midfielder, and Carlos Melian, a forward, were given their outright releases. Bartro, brought up from the Sockers’ reserve squad at midseason, had five goals in 24 games for the Sockers last season. Melian, who came to the Sockers from Uruguay’s junior national team, scored four goals and had one assist.

Pesa scored just five goals in 17 games after coming over from New York. Ruotolo had seven goals and three assists in 33 games.

“This gives us some room on our roster to bring in some new people,” Newman said. “That is what I wanted. Pesa did not produce for us the way we had hoped and Melian was just in his first year and very young.

“Raffaele had a clause in his contract that would have made it impossible for us to cut him next year. That way he wouldn’t have had to compete hard with the new players coming in and I didn’t want that. If he’s not able to join on with somebody else, he can come back here and try to make the team.”

It is unclear, Newman said, what Deyna will do.

“I’ve made it clear to Kaz that it is time for us to give an opportunity to some other players,” Newman said. “But I want him to leave in a good situation.”

Deyna is interested in getting into coaching, but Newman said it would not be with the Sockers.

“I’m very happy with (assistant coach) Johan (Aarnio),” Newman said. “Kaz had an opportunity to join the Tampa Bay team in the American Indoor Soccer Assn. and maybe do some coaching with them. We said we’d let him out of his contract so he could go do that. But he said he didn’t want to leave. I don’t know if that option is still open to him or not.”

Deyna could not be reached for comment Thursday night.

Deyna scored 118 goals for the Sockers in six seasons and had 114 assists. He finished third in the balloting for the Most Valuable Player of the 1974 World Cup. In 1983, he had the greatest scoring night in North American Soccer League outdoor history with four goals and five assists in a 9-1 San Diego victory over Tampa Bay.