Titans’ Franchino Back on Track : Colleges: Play of Cal State Fullerton soccer player improves when he gets out of the after-hours fast lane.

When Joey Franchino decided to play soccer at Cal State Fullerton, Coach Al Mistri regarded him as a breakthrough recruit, someone who eventually could help lead his team to a national championship.

Franchino didn’t disappoint during his freshman season.

Fullerton reached the NCAA Division I playoffs for the second consecutive year and Franchino was a big factor. Only a 2-1 loss at Indiana kept the Titans out of the NCAA’s Final Four for the second season in a row.

Mistri was delighted with Franchino’s play. His aggressive, attacking style as a midfielder quickly won praise.

Franchino was chosen to Soccer America’s freshman All-American team. He also made the U.S. under-21 national team. That gave him the chance to compete last spring in international competition in France. He also was chosen to play in the Sports Festival this summer, and that kept him on track for consideration for the 1996 Olympic team.

Franchino had everything going his way.

But this fall, something changed. Franchino wasn’t the same player. Mistri noticed, and wondered why. Some of his teammates also saw the difference. Finally, one of them, his friend Matt Bradbury, telephoned Franchino’s father.

Bradbury decided to talk with someone he knew would help: Franchino’s drinking and partying, he said, might be affecting his play.

Because Bradbury, his father and Mistri all were concerned, Franchino said he realized he needed to change.

“I didn’t think it was that bad,” Franchino said. “But when I got back from the Sports Festival, I know I was partying a lot . . . Other people saw a problem. My family saw it. My dad saw it . . . and that’s when it hit me.”

Said Bradbury: “Joey and I have been friends for a long time, and I know his family. I was worried about him. I wanted to see him maintain his high level of play. He’s always played with great heart for the game, just like I do, and he didn’t seem to have the same enthusiasm. I was concerned about that.”

Mistri said Franchino’s father came to him a little more than a month ago, and the two of them laid down the law: The drinking would have to stop. If it didn’t, Franchino would be dropped from the team.

“Joey has made the first step by recognizing the problem,” Mistri said. “It’s a difficult thing, with things being as they are sometimes at colleges. But I’m satisfied now that he’s doing all he can do to take care of it. He’s had tremendous help from his family and his teammates.”

Mistri underlined the point by asking Franchino to discuss it in a team meeting.

“I think what happened with Mickey Mantle and what he said should serve as an example to young athletes,” Mistri said. “When you’re young and athletic, you think you can do everything, but you really can’t.”

Mistri said he believes that the drinking might have been a factor in Franchino’s below-par play early in the season.

“Joey had a phenomenal season last year, and he did very well in the tryouts for the national team, but I could see the difference this season,” Mistri said. “Joey is the type of player who plays with great gusto, and this fall the difference was so glaring that I thought he must have gotten out of shape somehow. His game just didn’t have the same zest as before.”

In a sport that demands almost constant movement and top conditioning, Franchino said he had noticed that he was feeling tired more quickly.

But just a week after the confrontation, Mistri said he could see a significant improvement in Franchino’s play, and he believes he’s returned to top form again.

“There’s been a constant improvement all along,” Mistri said.

Mistri is pleased to see Franchino his old self again.

“I know it’s been a traumatic thing for him, but when you’re an athlete with high visibility, you give up some of your privacy, and I think he understands that too,” Mistri said.

Franchino, 19, said he appreciates the interest shown by Mistri. The two have been meeting privately each Monday to discuss how things are going.

Franchino has been hopeful the team can make it back to the NCAA playoffs this season after a slow start, although it appears to be a long shot after the Titans were beaten Friday by second-ranked UCLA, 4-0.

Fullerton is 9-7, after defeating UC Irvine, 3-0, Sunday, and Mistri believes the team will need to win all four remaining games to be considered for the playoffs. The Titans’ four losses in seven Mountain Pacific Sports Federation games hurt those hopes.

Although Franchino says he’s playing better, he also believes some of the new players are beginning to have more of an impact.

“I think that’s one of the big things,” Franchino said. “We had several players who hadn’t played Division-I soccer before this season.”

Mistri is happy he’s done everything he can to help Franchino get back on track.

“I think he’s potentially as good as they come in that under-21 group,” Mistri said. “And I’m sure he will still be under consideration for the Olympic team, although whether he makes that team may depend a lot on just how his style fits in with what those coaches like and want. He also has the ability to play pro soccer eventually.”

And maybe Franchino can help give Fullerton another shot at that national championship after all, if not this year, possibly in 1996.

There’s no doubt about one thing. “He’s the kind of player who can make a huge difference,” Mistri said.