BOYS’ SOCCER PREVIEW : Teams to Watch

BIRMINGHAM

1997-98: 17-2-5, second in Northwest Valley Conference

In August, 10th-year Coach Jose Freire predicted a City title for his team. Now, he’s just hoping for some cooperation.

With a loaded roster that includes 10 returning starters, two talented transfers from North Hollywood and several promising freshmen, Freire certainly has the players to fulfill his prediction. However, practices have not gone smoothly and the coach must right the ship before the conference opener Monday at Cleveland.

“The good players want to run the team and do what they think is good for them,” Freire said. “They get too smart and they don’t listen.”

Goalkeeper John Wall anchors a defense that includes junior transfer Mike Erush, a member of the under-17 national team who attended North Hollywood but never played for the Huskies. Center midfielders John Ortega and Jonathan Moreno will feed forwards Jaime Gomez and Adonay Jovel.

EL CAMINO REAL

1997-98: 17-6-2, Northwest Valley Conference champion

The Conquistadores were supposed to rebuild after a trip to the City final in 1996-97 but advanced to the semifinals last season and return 10 starters.

“We want to be like the baseball program here, steady with no ups and downs from year to year,” fifth-year Coach David Hussey said.

Senior forwards Jose Rivera-Otero and Jimmy Choto combined for 35 goals and 20 assists last season and the back line features sophomore fullbacks Jason Burbidge and Zach Feldman.

Chris Johnstone, a junior who started two seasons ago before missing the 1997-98 campaign with health problems, will play stopper and team with All-City sweeper Jeff Soll.

HARVARD-WESTLAKE

1997-98: 19-7, Mission League co-champions

The Wolverines were one of the region’s biggest surprises last season and advanced to the Southern Section Division IV quarterfinals after missing the playoffs in 1996-97.

Harvard-Westlake hardly overwhelmed opponents, however, winning eight of its 10 league games by a goal, and even the return of 10 starters can’t make Coach Josh Budde cocky.

“We’re cautiously optimistic but people are going to play us differently this year,” Budde said.

Sweeper Zach Schwartz graduated and will be replaced by senior Ryan Kim. Midfielders Danny Sable, Fred Post and Mark Tobias must continue their offensive prowess but strengthen their defense. Junior strikers Lerato Simelane and Matt Thayer combined for 20 goals last season.

RESEDA

1997-98: 16-2-3, Valley Pac-8 Conference and City Section champions.

The Regents return 13 of 17 players from last season but assistant Terry Davila said repeating will be difficult.

“It’s much easier going after the title [the first time] than defending it,” Davila said. “We’re everybody’s biggest game now and teams will get up for it like it’s the City final. But if we can match that intensity, we think our athletes will take over the game.”

The team’s best player might be junior sweeper Edwin Miranda but the spotlight tends to find seniors Carlos Morales, Oscar Sims and Juan Vega, and junior Jesse Servin.

Morales, a playmaking midfielder, scored eight goals and Servin had 11. Sims scored 21 goals, including two in the second half of a 3-2 victory over Bell in the City final.

Vega, a transfer, scored 14 goals for Poly last season.

ROYAL

1997-98: 20-7, second in Marmonte League

It’s a rare team that can return three starters from a 20-victory season and expect to be better. But that sort of reloading is why the Highlander program is the region’s best.

Returning starters are stopper Justin Semsch and forward Jake Van Sloten, both seniors, and junior Evan Kay, who moves to fullback after playing forward and scoring 13 goals last season.

Kevin Corley, Royal’s eighth-year coach, is enthused by the emergence of junior sweeper Victor Bozinovski. Senior Nelson Jimenez, who played goalkeeper and forward as a junior, has found a home at fullback.

The Highlanders lost six games by a goal last season, but Corley predicts Van Sloten will team with sophomore forwards Bryan Brooks and David Duncan in an improved attack.