Soccer Preview : Young Guns : World Cup fever may have died down, but the stars of tomorrow are playing here in our backyard
The soccer fever that swept the city and the nation during World Cup ’94 is still cooking at the local high school level.
The sport is growing, with 11 schools in the Los Angeles area fielding new boys and girls teams this season, including Eagle Rock’s arrival in the City Section Northern Conference, and LaSalle’s entrance into the Santa Fe League, where they will battle traditional rivals Cathedral and Salesian.
Jefferson, meanwhile, moves to the tough Southeastern Conference.
But amid the changes, as the season moves into its second week of the 1994-95 season, established powers Belmont, Bell, Garfield and Bell Gardens retain their status as local teams most likely to dominate. Strong Lincoln and Fremont squads should also challenge.
Here is a closer look at some of this season’s better local high school boys programs. A look at girls soccer will appear in an upcoming issue.
Bell Gardens
The Southern Section Division III defending champion Lancers (21-5-3 last season) will be shooting for their 15th consecutive playoff appearance.
Coaches Orlando Brenes and Bob Osegura have built a veritable dynasty in Bell Gardens. Last year’s 3-1 victory over Burbank Burroughs in the CIF final sealed their third such title in 10 years.
Up front this season, the Lancers will field seniors Cesar Reynoso and Gustava Garita. The pair combined for 20 goals last season and they should even be stronger this year. Joining them on the flank will be Costa Rican newcomer Juan Carlos Balonos, a sophomore who also plays basketball.
Senior David Vasquez will lead a solid defense from the sweeper position. Vasquez is a strong tackler who takes on the opposing squad’s scoring threat. Seniors Simon Oliveras and Moises Calderon round out the defensive backfield, and Lancers football quarterback Victor Lopez, a junior, returns as goalkeeper.
Salesian
When you can call a 14-2 record a rebuilding year, you know the Mustangs must be good. “This year’s team is much stronger,” Coach Sal Sarmiento said. Finishing second to archrival Cathedral in the Santa Fe League really irked Sarmiento, and he’s itching for revenge.
The Mustangs’ 5-5 ball-control offense is directed by the league MVP, senior defender Moises Delgado. Sophomores Oscar Barrajas and Saul Flores will provide the 1-2 punch on offense. The younger Flores is a deadly finisher.
Cathedral
Things will be a little tougher for Cathedral in the Santa Fe League this year, as LaSalle and Bell-Jeff enter an already tough field.
“We will have to get accustomed to playing at a higher level,” assistant coach Art Lopez said.
Making life easier for the Phantoms will be the return of senior forward Eli Seobaltazar, who scored 12 goals last season. He will be set up by sophomore Daniel Solis, a crisp passer, and senior midfielders Rene and Richard Barrogon, twin brothers with a scoring touch.
Senior Tommy Delatorre is a great sweeper and provides leadership on the back line. He is supported by senior Albert Gonzalez and junior Joel Guttierez on defense. Consistent senior Ernie Jimenez returns in goal.
Belmont
Still smarting from last year’s disqualification for an ineligible player after defeating Bell in the City Section championship, the Sentinels (10-1-2 last year) will find the going a bit tougher this year.
Returning starters Eric Hernandez and Jose Salmeran scored 27 goals between them last year and are being counted on again to provide the bulk of the offense. Senior midfielder German Gonzalez and speedy sophomore Hector Alvarado will feed them the ball. Junior defender Edwin Barahora returns as the corner- and free-kick specialist.
The main task for the Sentinels is to fill holes at goalkeeper and on defense, where Coach Nancy Carr-Swain said “lack of skill and maturity” are the main problems.
Lincoln
The Tigers may just be the surprise team to watch this season. Building upon last year’s strong second-half showing and a narrow 2-1 loss to Chatsworth in the playoffs, coach Richard Velez is aiming to topple Belmont.
The Tigers’ 4-5-1 attack may be one-dimensional, but what a dimension in senior forward Melvin Hernandez, who caught fire in the summer league and scored 17 goals. Hernandez’s cousin, sophomore Edwin Argueta, is a natural sweeper who will be counted on to get the ball downfield. Sophomore goalie Jose Guevara plays linebacker for the Tiger football team.
Garfield
Coach Gerardo Campos returns with a stacked squad (8-1-3 last season) that was undefeated until they ran into Belmont in the playoffs last season.
Senior Romeo Cordoba returns as the Garfield finisher with new junior Oscar Fuentes joining him at forward. The Bulldogs are solid in the midfield, with seniors Gerardo Gomez (the passer) and Junior Romero (the scorer) manning those roles. Solid senior defender Armando Rosales will play the sweeper role.
Untested junior Angel Martinez is penciled in as the starter at goalkeeper.
Huntington Park
The Spartans, 1-4-3 last season, seek to improve upon that record by returning an experienced squad this year.
“Last year, we had no time to prepare the team,” Coach Herman Waller said. “This fall, we had a lot of practice time together.”
Waller will rotate senior forwards Jesus Cadenas (a 4.0 student), Leobarto Guttierez and Juan Cortez in the striker position, as the Spartans will go with a 3-3-3-1 formation.
“I want to keep the striker fresh to the opposition,” explained Waller. Speedy senior Ricardo Esqueda (All-City Cross Country) will quarterback the offense from the sweeper position. Sophomore Antonio Zuletta will start in goal.
Roosevelt
Coach Miguel Roura will field a seasoned Roosevelt team.
“Last year’s 3-2 loss to Granada Hills in the second round of the City Section playoffs was a heartbreaker,” Roura said. “I think with the experience of this team we can go farther this year.”
Senior captains Juan Ruiz and Cesar Rodriguez set the tone offensively from the midfield with a ball-control attack. Senior Fernando Jimenez is the center forward, flanked by seniors Jesus Perez and Jefferson transfer Gilberto Gomez. The Roughriders will not be able to lean on outstanding senior sweeper Geraldo Sandoval much early in the season, as he is just three months removed from a broken leg. Senior goalkeeper Hector Hernandez makes opponents work hard for their goals.
Manual Arts
The Toilers return only five players to a squad that failed to qualify for the playoffs last year. But new coach Juan Quintanilla says he will not play a conservative, defense-oriented game to compensate for the lack of experience, but use an attacking 4-4-2 rotating system.
Sophomore Jorge Mejija is a deadly finisher and freshman Arturo Ayala is, as his coach puts it, a great shooter and a thorn in the opposition’s side. Senior forwards Murizio Lopez and Arturo Pidera will bring the ball up the middle.
Junior Walter Osario and sophomore Raul Estrada are attacking defenders who support the offense whenever possible, leaving sophomore Henry Mendosa, a strong, complete sweeper, to guard against any counterattacks.
Los Angeles
The Romans (8-2-1) look to improve upon a side that lost in the first round of the playoffs.
“We are stronger in every facet of the game,” Coach Jose Mendez said. “We have depth, we have guys that could start on 90% of other teams.”
Mendez will field an international team this season: Skilled sophomore forward/setup man Brook Berhanu is from Ethiopia, and solid senior sweeper Isiah Harvey is from Jamaica.
Rounding out the Romans’ 3-3-3-sweeper formation are sophomores Julio Chavez and Sergio Escalante.
Senior Osman Romero and junior Jovan Vasquez shore up the defensive front.
The only question mark is at goalie.
Bell
Eagles coach Oscar Mercado has his work cut out. Bell (12-1-1) was a favorite to win it all this season--until the L.A. Salsa professional team came along and took his three best players for their under-19 squad.
This leaves Bell, who lost last year’s championship game to Belmont, severely short on proven talent.
“I’m not afraid of the challenge,” Mercado said. “I’ve got skilled newcomers, I just have to get them together and into shape.”
The defense is still solid: junior Jose Urena is an excellent goalkeeper and defenseman, and he is supported by a fellow junior defenseman with a scoring touch, Luis Garcia.
Fremont
The Pathfinders slipped and fell last year, not making the playoffs only a season after being in the championship.
“We’ve got a younger team than last year, but far more skilled,” said coach Luis Rosales.
The Pathfinders return 10 players. The key will be the Alex Sandoval-to-Pablo Gonzalez connection. If these two juniors click, the offense will be set.
Fremont is loaded at forward, with juniors Oscar Monroy and David Sanchez flanking Gonzalez in the middle. Helping Sandoval in the midfield is freshman Primativo Cruz, already being touted as the best ever at the school.
Locke
The Saints face a rebuilding year after losing players who combined for 28 goals last season to graduation. Last year, the Saints made the quarterfinals.
But not all is bleak. Senior forward Orlando Ortega scored five goals in a limited role last year and senior striker Jimmy Benitez hopes to get more of an opportunity to finish this season. Senior goalkeeper Gustavo Lambera and sophomore sweeper Edwin Mira will be asked to shore up a defense that will be leaned upon more heavily.
The Saints will be implementing a 3-4-3 formation this season with an accent on the long ball.
South Gate
Coach Tony Dauer faces his usual problem: His soccer team has been tied up with football until its loss last week in the quarterfinals of the City Section playoffs. Still, Dauer will try to improve upon a Ram team that struggled to a hard-luck 5-6-2 record, then was disqualified in the playoffs because of ineligible players.
Senior forward Carlos Aguilez and junior defender Freddy (Puma) Orillana are the only sure starters the Rams have.
“After those two, there is a considerable talent drop,” Dauer said. “Hopefully, some of the kids will develop.”
Dorsey
Dorsey returns almost all the pieces of its 4-2-3 playoff team of a year ago. Unfortunately, the most important piece, Nelson Gavidia, is playing pro soccer in Spain. Still, the Dons have enough firepower to remain respectable.
Junior goalkeeper Frank Figueroa has matured into a fine player over the summer, said Coach Gervin Sanchez.
Senior sweeper Marvin Gonzalez will hit forwards David Villatoro and Edgar Gonzalez with long passes downfield as Sanchez will attempt to bring the “English style” long ball offense into the Dons’ arsenal. Solid junior defender Lionel Duarte keeps opposing forwards at bay.
