All Signs Point to Competitive Season for New Soccer Team
Don’t expect the Orange County Zodiac to win the A-League soccer championship in its debut season. But based on the Zodiac’s 9-2-1 record in exhibition games and scrimmages, the team should be competitive.
If nothing else, the Zodiac should be fairly recognizable to most Southern Californian soccer fans. Every player on the 19-man roster has some Southern California ties. Seven grew up in Orange County, four are from Santa Ana.
The most notable and popular of the locals is former Galaxy and Splash forward Jose Vasquez, who was signed by the Zodiac after being cut by the Galaxy. Vasquez was offered more money to play for the Kansas City Wizards of the MLS but he chose to play for his home team.
Zodiac Coach Tony Cerna is glad he did.
“This is the guy we wanted,” Cerna said. “He’s been playing pro soccer for three years and he’s an influence on all the kids, on and off the field.”
Vasquez, who has also played in the Mexican First Division with Guadalajara and Atletico Celaya, scored four goals and had two assists for the Galaxy last season before breaking his foot. Vasquez is easily the team’s highest paid player and has played well in the exhibition season, though he missed the Zodiac’s final exhibition game, a 3-1 loss to the under-20 U.S. National team Thursday night, because of a pulled leg muscle.
Cerna said he will be ready for the Zodiac’s opener at 5 p.m. Sunday against the El Paso Patriots at Santa Ana Stadium.
“He’s one of those guys that will keep the defense busy,” Cerna said. “At any minute he can decide the game. He’ll give us more chances to penetrate.”
Other top scorers in the exhibition season have been midfielder Carlos Farias, who played with the San Diego Sockers of the Continental Indoor Soccer League and grew up in Bell Gardens, and midfielder Sergio Mengual, a Santa Ana native and a former Patriots player.
The defense will be led by stopper Peter Lak, who grew up in Huntington Beach and played at Cal State Fullerton. He played last year for one of the A-League’s best teams, the Colorado Foxes, and led them to the playoff’s semifinals.
Cerna’s son, Marco, and Mike Gartlan, a former UC Irvine and Los Angeles Cobras player, are battling for the starting goalkeeper job. So far, both have played well. The Zodiac has recorded eight shutouts, three against Division I college soccer teams at a tournament in San Diego.
But Cerna said people shouldn’t read too much into the Zodiac’s exhibition games and scrimmages.
“We have to be realistic,” Cerna said. “Most teams in our league have been around for five or six years already. It’s going to be tough. It’s quite a challenge.”
The Zodiac will serve as the farm club to the Major League Soccer Galaxy. Six teams from the existing A-League are combining with 15 teams already in the United System of Independent Soccer Leagues system and three expansion teams to form the 24-team A-League, which is the highest level of competition in the USISL. Each team will play 28 games, 14 home and 14 away.
The Zodiac will play in the Pacific Division with the Patriots, California Jaguars of Salinas, Colorado Foxes, Vancouver 89ers and Seattle Sounders, the two-time defending A-League champions.
How much interest there will be in the Zodiac is hard to gauge. The team didn’t draw well for its game against the under-20 U.S. National team at Centennial Park, but General Manager Joe Supe said the match wasn’t promoted. The March 15 exhibition game against the Galaxy was marketed to the Latino community and the game drew more than 4,000 people.
Cerna said the team is hoping to draw 5,000 on Sunday. To keep them coming back, Cerna realizes he will have to put a good product on the field.
“Winning is going to be how this team succeeds,” he said. “Fans know soccer in this area. We are going to have put on a good show for them.”
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A Look at the Zodiac
The county’s newest professional soccer team begins its inaugural season Sunday. The Zodiac will play in the A-League and will serve as the farm club of Major League Soccer’s Galaxy. Founded by Octavio Zambrano, a Galaxy assistant coach, the Zodiac will play its home games in Santa Ana Stadium, which holds 8,500 people.
* Roster: No. 12 Dave Beall; 4 Kyle Berger; 8 Jose Botello; 15 John Bovetas; 24 Marco Cerna; 9 Carlos de La Rosa; 7 Carlos Farias; 1 Mike Gartlan; 6 Kevin Grimes; 5 Peter Lak; 11 Gustavo Leal; 19 Candido Lopez; 14 Danny Macedo; 10 Sergio Mengual; 16 Alex Mingo; 2 Rafa Moran; 21 Sebastian Pato; 3 Orlando Perez; 18 Mike Robles; 13 Felipe Rodriguez; 17 Jose Vasquez; 20 Oswaldo Williams. Head Coach: Tony Cerna.
* Schedule: Sunday--vs. El Paso; Friday--vs. Vancouver; April 30--at Vancouver; May 16--vs. Colorado; May 21--vs. California; June 1--vs. New Orleans; June 7--vs. El Paso; June 13--at El Paso; June 15--at Colorado; June 22--vs. Milwaukee; June 27--vs. Nashville; July 4--at Atlanta; July 6--at Nashville; July 11--at Milwaukee; July 12--at Minnesota; July 20--vs. Orlando; July 27--vs. Minnesota; Aug. 1--at California; Aug. 3--vs. California; Aug. 8--vs. Atlanta; Aug. 10--at El Paso; Aug. 15--at Seattle; Aug. 17--at Vancouver; Aug. 22--at California; Aug. 24--vs. Vancouver; Aug. 29--at Orlando; Aug. 31--at New Orleans.
* Tickets: $6 for adults, $4 for students, $2 for children under 12. Season ticket packages are $84, $56 and $28, respectively. Tickets available at Santa Ana Stadium box office and various locations throughout the county.
* Information: (714) 479-0880.
