Zodiac Closes Home Schedule With 1-0 Victory
If you measure success in numbers of players signed to Major League Soccer contracts, the Zodiac has had a wonderful inaugural season.
On the field, however, results have been spotty, partly because of the absence of the five players now on MLS rosters. But Sunday the Zodiac closed out its home schedule at Santa Ana Stadium in a positive way, defeating the Vancouver 86ers, 1-0, in front of an announced crowd of 750.
Vancouver, 15-11 and tied for second with California and Colorado in the Pacific Division, has clinched a spot in the A-League playoffs.
The 86ers were playing without three starters--goalkeeper Paul Dolan, leading scorer Domenic Mobilo and defender Steve MacDonald, who are playing with the Canadian national team. The same three were missing in the last game between the teams and Vancouver had little problem winning 3-1 Aug. 17 in British Columbia.
But Zodiac Coach Tony Cerna said his team dominated the second half of that game--after falling behind 3-0--and he expected the trend to continue.
“I told the guys before the game, ‘I want you to go out and play the same way you did in the second half at Vancouver,’ ” Cerna said. “And I think they did it.”
The Zodiac (10-16) was aggressive from the first whistle and quickly got a couple opportunities, thanks to Brad Wilson and John Jones--two players Orange County picked up after they were released by the Galaxy, the MLS team with which it’s affiliated.
First, Wilson hit the side of the goal with an open shot, then Wilson’s crossing pass narrowly missed a connection with Jones.
But in the 39th minute, Jones got his head on a free kick by Felipe Rodriguez and scored. Rodriguez’s kick from about 35 yards out on the left side found the well-marked Jones about 10 yards from the goal on the right. Goalkeeper Paul Shepherd had no chance to get to Jones’ looping shot into the far corner.
“I didn’t have a clear shot at it,” Jones said. “I had to jump over one of their defenders.”
Strong play by Shepherd, who made five saves, made sure Vancouver stayed close. He stopped two breakaway chances, coming out to foil Jones and Adan Villalvazo late in the game.
Zodiac goalie Marco Cerna (three saves) also played well. He dove to stop a hard shot by Oliver Heald late in the first half and in the 88th minute came out to punch away a dangerous ball.
Vancouver was threatening up to the final whistle but the Zodiac’s makeshift defense--made up of forwards and midfielders--held firm.
Vancouver learned this week that its owner of eight years is putting the team up for sale--for $1--making this an uncertain time for the team. If an new owner cannot be located, the 11-year-old franchise could fold after the season, but player/coach Carl Valentine didn’t point to that as a reason the Zodiac stopped the 86ers’ winning streak at four.
“We have some players missing and we’ve had a traumatic week,” Valentine said, “but we were beaten by a better team today.”
Notes
The Zodiac will finish its season with games at Orlando and New Orleans Friday and next Sunday. . . . The team averaged 1,278 in announced attendance for its 14 home games, not including the 5,000 who watched an exhibition with Pumas UNAM of the Mexican first division in July.
General Manager Joe Supe said Sunday the team had hoped to do better but is confident that attendance will improve next season because of efforts to involve local soccer leagues. He said the Zodiac is negotiating with the city of Santa Ana on a new contract for Santa Ana Stadium. The team might change its name to the Santa Ana Zodiac, but not until its third season--in 1999, Supe said. “We are trying to cement a solid base for the team,” Supe said. “We’re trying to make sure the team survives in Santa Ana.”
