Soccer’s L.A. Heat Cools Off the Emperors, 1-0
On the hottest day of the year, a pair of former South Bay soccer teammates put on a stifling defensive display here Saturday night.
Mike Littman, formerly of El Camino College, and Chris Wilson, last year’s goalie at Cal State Dominguez Hills, put on torrid exhibitions in goal-tending for their respective American Professional Soccer League teams at Ted Runner Stadium before the Los Angeles Heat defeated the California Emperors, 1-0, in overtime before 3,546 spectators.
Wilson, of the host Emperors, gave a steady performance, stopping five shots in regulation and four in overtime before getting beaten by forward Bobby Brook’s game-winner one minute into the second overtime.
But it was the Heat’s Littman, whose job is rumored to be in jeopardy, who was the crowd-pleaser. The 21-year-old former all-state player from El Camino also stopped five shots in regulation and provided some booming punts that helped hold the Emperor offense in check for all but the final eight minutes of the game.
Both players formerly played on the Torrance United team under Heat Coach Bobby Sibbald.
Littman paid for his heroics with a couple of body-crunching stops, both against speedy Emperor left wing Mahnutie Reeves. Finally, he survived a last-gap offensive thrust from the Emperors after Brook’s goal.
The APSL is just getting into the meat of its schedule, and many of the team rosters are not set yet. Littman may have used the Heat’s third game of the year to build a case for himself.
His second consecutive shutout came at an opportune time. Heat management is known to be coveting Olympic goalie David Vanole, whose picture has even been put into the Heat media guide. However, Vanole appears to be headed back to the U.S. National Team.
The Heat also signed Cal State Dominguez Hills soccer Coach Marine Cano earlier in the week. Cano, 35, a former professional goalie, is expected to be activated later this week.
Wilson is among Cano’s proteges. Another half-dozen players once affiliated with Dominguez Hills are playing or expected to sign before the season ends. That includes U.S. National Team player and Cano assistant Paul Krumpe, who signed late last week to play with Real Santa Barbara when his World Cup commitment ends.
