Ex-Dominguez Hills Coach Set to Play in World Cup : Soccer: While his broken foot healed, Paul Krumpe helped coach the Lady Toros. Whether he returns may depend on how the U.S. team fares.

Paul Krumpe’s participation this weekend in soccer’s Marlboro Cup in the Orange Bowl in Miami is an opportunity to start over.

The former U.S. National Team captain, who lives in Redondo Beach, is making making only his second appearance in international play since a fracture of his right foot last March kept him out of all but the final game of World Cup qualifying.

Of course, that one game for Krumpe was against Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain, Trinidad--a 1-0 U.S. victory that sent shock waves through the international soccer community. It marked the first time that a team from this country qualified for the cup finals.

“The excitement of it really didn’t hit me right away,” Krumpe said before leaving for Florida to play in the Marlboro Cup. “Other guys had gone through seven more qualifying games than I. It meant more to them.”

Krumpe may have been shocked when asked to pose for the photo of the starting lineup for the Trinidad and Tobago game, which appears in this month’s issue of Soccer International. Because of the severity of his injury and the short time allowed for rehabilitation, Krumpe would have settled just for being on the sidelines. But he started and played 62 minutes of a 90-minute game.

That took a toll.

“I was not 100%,” Krumpe said. “It was a lot more humid than I expected.”

His appearance was important to his teammates.

“I was considered one of the team leaders,” Krumpe said. “My playing was a morale builder. Just because I showed up on the field, it was an emotional thing.”

Not until he went to La Jolla to train with the team in early January did Krumpe feel the importance of what the U.S. team had done.

“Now I’m ready to take on the world in (World Cup play in) Italy,” he said.

Krumpe’s importance to the team can be measured in many ways, said U.S. Coach Bob Gansler.

“He feels very comfortable at all ends of the park,” Gansler said. “I’m very glad he has come back from that stress fracture. I look for good things from him.”

Gansler classified Krumpe, who plays right wide position (once known as the outside fullback), as smart and a leader.

“He’s a steadying influence,” the coach said.

A graduate of West Torrance High School and UCLA, Krumpe suffered the rare break in the navicular bone of his right foot while playing a game in Paraguay. He tried to come back, but the pain increased. It required surgery, and his foot was placed in a cast last summer.

He took a job as assistant coach for the women’s soccer team at Cal State Dominguez Hills, which advanced to the national Division II finals. The job was a boon to both the school and Krumpe’s soccer credentials.

Krumpe received a lot of credit from Coach Marine Cano for the team’s performance--so much that Krumpe, an engineering major at UCLA, said he was considering a career change to coaching.

Dominguez Hills Athletic Director Dan Guerrero explained at the time: “Paul brought a level of expertise to the coaching staff that enhances the ability and skills of Marine Cano. He has great interpersonal skills and communicates well with the athletes.”

But Krumpe’s mind was on a return to the national team.

Although he had doubts about his ability to play again, he returned to training camp with the national team last November, about the time Dominguez Hills began preparing for the women’s Division II finals. It is unclear whether Krumpe will return as an assistant in the fall. Much will depend on how well the United States does in the World Cup.

Krumpe’s return wasn’t without pain, perhaps forced by his desire to get back to international competition too quickly. Krumpe was noticeably limping when the cast came off, and he was not in top condition. He felt it in the Trinidad and Tobago game.

“I was exhausted,” he said.

Ordinarily, Gansler said, Krumpe is known for his superior physical conditioning program. He worked hard at La Jolla, the coach said, and the Marlboro Cup will give him a chance to reacquaint himself with international tournament play. The United States lost its opening game Saturday to Costa Rica, 2-0, and plays Uruguay today in the third-place game.

“Our main priority,” Gansler said, “will be to see, so to speak, who works well with whom. Paul will make his way.”

Krumpe is confident.

“I’m about 90% right now,” he said. “I can feel myself improving every day. I have absolutely no pain in the foot.

“I want to start and play a full 90 minutes. Realistically, I think that is what will happen.”

Gansler has come under fire because the United States had trouble scoring in the qualifying games, coming up with just six goals in eight games. But Krumpe defended his coach.

“You can blame the coach for what goes on down on the field, but whoever is on the field, it is their responsibility to score. (Gansler) gives us a lot of freedom on the field. You can’t blame (him) for our not scoring. It’s a team sport, and that’s what makes soccer great.”

At La Jolla, Krumpe also demonstrated what Gansler calls a “very cool head.” His roommate was Paul Caligiuri, who scored the goal against Trinidad and Tobago. Caligiuri was the most sought-after interview on the team, and the phone in their hotel room never seemed to stop ringing. Finally, the pair asked the hotel management to delay their calls so that they could have privacy.

In addition, Caligiuri is the only player not to sign a contract with the U.S. Soccer Federation, an act that generated much controversy. Caligiuri later said he would play for his country for free rather than sign a contract. The federation would prefer that he sign.

“The pressure on Caligiuri is unbelievable,” Krumpe said.

The contract dispute threatened to break up the team for a while, he pointed out.

“There were no negotiations at all. We were given contracts and told to sign them,” Krumpe said. “Most players, because of their financial conditions, had no choice but to take it.

“Honestly, we were backed into a corner. Everyone was disappointed in the way the whole situation was handled. Not fairly. (the federation) knew we were not going to walk away from a World Cup.”

Krumpe said the team has put the contract dispute behind it for now, because June 8, the start of the World Cup, is not far away.

“On the field, our focus is soccer,” Krumpe said. “The pressure is on, and it’s time to play the games now.”