ZODIAC TODAY

Opponent--El Paso Patriots.

Site--Santa Ana Stadium.

Time--5

Records--Zodiac, 0-0; Patriots, 0-0.

Zodiac update--The Zodiac’s final dress rehearsal was a 3-1 loss Thursday to the under-20 U.S. National team. The Zodiac was without its best offensive player, Jose Vasquez, who has been nursing a pulled leg muscle, and it lost stopper Peter Lak during the game to a red card. Midfielder Sergio Mengual scored the Zodiac’s only goal. Vasquez is expected to play today. “He could have played against the U.S. National team but he wanted to save himself for Sunday,” General Manager Joe Supe said. Defender Orlando Perez has a groin injury but should play.

Patriot update--One of the top teams in the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues (USISL) select league last year and the MLS affiliate of the Dallas Burn, the Patriots open the season with six games on the road. They played Friday night in Salinas against last year’s select league champions, the California Jaguars. Mengual played last year with the Patriots and was their most valuable player, but they chose not to re-sign him. The Patriots’ top players are Brazilian defender Rogerio Riviro, who is coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and forward Ricci Greenwood, who played for the Columbus Crew and Kansas City Wizards of the MLS.