New Soccer Center Ready for Action : 4,000 Attend Dedication of National Team’s Training Facility in Mission Viejo

America’s dream of becoming an international soccer power drew a little closer to reality Saturday at dedication ceremonies for the U.S. soccer team’s training center.

A crowd of 4,000 people, including U.S. soccer officials and local residents, were delighted as they took their first look at the immaculate, emerald green fields and state-of-the-art clubhouse that will serve the national team through the World Cup championships next year.

“This is beautiful, it is absolutely what we need to win the World Cup, a place of our own and blue skies year-round to train under,” Alan Rothenberg, president of the U.S. Soccer Assn., said of the $3.5-million complex.

“Before this, we were gypsies,” he said. “Now we have a home.”

In the audience attending the 90-minute ceremonies at Oso Viejo Community Park were a sprinkling of celebrities such as Olympic decathlon champion Bruce Jenner, double Olympic gold medalist Brian Goodell and model Kim Alexis.

But the spotlight was shared by the national team members and about 2,000 children from youth soccer leagues in Mission Viejo.

Dressed in brightly colored soccer uniforms, the children marched to the clubhouse and cheered loudly as the U.S. team was introduced.

After speeches from city and national soccer officials, team members mingled with the audience, signing autographs and posing for pictures.

“Hey, my kids got a huge kick, pardon the pun, out of meeting these guys,” said Ron Pohlman of Mission Viejo. “This is what sports is really about. I’m glad they came to Mission Viejo.”

Team members appeared equally happy to meet the community, but saved their highest praise for the brand-new training complex.

“It looks great and it feels great to have a home base,” said Marcelo Balboa, who has played with the national team since 1988. Having a training facility “will make a big difference in the World Cup.”

Many of the team members live with or near each other in South County, and “living together and practicing together brings us that much closer on the field. That’s where you’re going to see the payoff from building all this.”

It was a day of puffed chests and bragging rights for Mission Viejo officials and youth soccer organizers.

Past athletic glories were brought to the city by the Nadadores swim team, which has won several national titles and Olympic medals. The city also reveled in hosting several cycling competitions during the 1984 Olympics.

Smiling Mission Viejo youth soccer officials said the city is already getting a similar boost from hosting the national team.

“It’s a wonderful day for the whole community,” said Rick Toman, president of the Mission Viejo Soccer Foundation, which helped attract the national team to the city. “Our heritage is about sports and fitness and this fits right into that picture.”

Mission Viejo’s American Youth Soccer Organization program is the second largest in the country, with 3,600 participants.

City Councilman Joseph D. Lowe said that once the hoopla has died down and the soccer team has gone, the athletic complex will remain for the youth of Mission Viejo to use.

“This building and these fields are really an investment in our kids,” Lowe said.