Young Nomads Need to Keep Minds From Wandering to Retain Title
Last year, in only their second season in the Western Soccer Alliance, the San Diego Nomads won the league and postseason titles. They did so with one of the league’s youngest teams.
Not much has changed so far this season. The Nomads are still one of the youngest teams in the WSA, and they are still atop the standings of the semipro league.
But last Sunday’s 2-1 loss on penalty kicks at San Jose and a number of injuries have raised questions as to whether the Nomads can repeat.
A newsletter released by Nomad Coach Derek Armstrong might help find the answer. It says: “Seattle (has) an experienced side and (they) are the favorites to win the championship in 1988.”
Indications are that Armstrong fears that success has gone to his young players’ heads.
“We’re going to be made to understand how competitive this league is,” Armstrong said. “We have got such good kids. This group could play anybody in the country at this age group and do very well.”
They have done very well in a league in which the average age is the mid-20s (the Nomads’ average age is just 22). In fact, the loss to San Jose was their first in 10 games dating back to May 10 of last year.
“I guess we were getting too big-headed,” said Arturo Velazco, one of the team’s top defenders. “I think we were. We were thinking, ‘You can just take it easy from here,’ but you can’t do that, especially in this league.”
Sunday’s 7 p.m. match with undefeated F.C. (Football Club) Seattle Storm at Southwestern College may indicate the direction in which the Nomads are heading. They are 6-1 with 51 points to lead the WSA. The Storm is 5-0 with 41 points in second. This match could foreshadow the WSA leader at the end of the season.
“(Seattle) is coming on strong,” said Brian McManus, assistant coach. “The are an experienced team. Their average age is 28, 29 years old. But we don’t worry so much about the other team. We try to control and run the game and try to take the game to them. We’re going to have to overcome our injury problems, and the players will have to give a little bit extra than what they’ve been giving, and they’ve been giving 100%.”
As for the injuries, forward Lucas Martin is out for the season with a torn ligament in his pelvis. Goalkeeper Bryan Finnerty, who helped lead San Diego State to the college national championship match this past season, has two broken bones in a hand and will be replaced in goal by Tony Hernandez, from the Nomads’ under-19 youth team. Velazco cracked his collarbone but played with the injury against San Jose and will play Sunday.
Forward Paul Wright, the key to the Nomads’ aggressive offense, has been suffering from a pulled groin muscle but says he is ready to go. Wright, who is just 18, plays for the Sockers’ reserve team and suffered the injury making the transition from the indoor game to outdoors.
“We play together as a team really well,” he said. “(The loss of) one or two players won’t really hurt the team.”
Wright’s advantage for the Nomads is speed.
“We generally frighten people to death with him,” Armstrong said. “He’s so quick. He is just about unstoppable when he gets going.”
Although Wright’s contributions are vital for success, continuity is the reason success is possible.
Velazco, Steve Boardman, Mario Gonzalez (who leads the team with 4 goals) and Jerome Watson (3 goals, 1 assist) have never played against each other. They were on the original Nomad all-star youth team 12 years ago and helped lead La Jolla High School to San Diego Section soccer titles in 1980, ’81 and ’82.
“That first all-star team was really hard to get into,” said Velazco, 23. “People came from everywhere to try out. From there, people started liking the Nomads so much, it became a club, and that’s when all the age groups started forming.
“We always play for the Nomads. We’ve been asked to play for other teams, but we grew up with the Nomads, and they made us what we are right now.”
Velazco is talking about accomplishments, and not just with the Nomads.
Central defender Marcelo Balboa has been selected to play for the U.S. national team (and will miss the Seattle match), and Velazco is trying out for it. Steve Black was a two-time Parade All-American at Poway High, and Boardman, who played for the Los Angeles Lazers of the MISL, was a first-team All-WSA choice last season. Balboa, Velazco, Black and John Sissons all were second-team selections.
Although the Nomads have 15 of last season’s 18 players back, Anton Nistl, another first-team All-WSA pick last season, now plays for the California Kickers.
With Nistl gone and Finnerty out, Hernandez will be in charge of stopping the Storm. Seattle has allowed only three goals in five matches. The Nomads lead the WSA with 15 goals. Seattle’s most recent WSA win was a 5-0 rout of Los Angeles, a team the Nomads beat, 3-2, in overtime April 16.
“We have a lot of young players,” Velazco said. “We are young, but we like to fight a lot, we like to work a lot. It’s a good team. Last year was a great team.”
McManus feels that despite the injuries and absence of Balboa, the Nomads have a good shot to beat the Storm.
“Provided the players can get in their heads that this is a big game,” he said. “And get their attitude right, we can give them a game.”
Said Velazco: “That is what we needed--one loss--to get our heads right. Come Sunday, I’m ready to start working. That (loss) is going to help us get back on track again.”
