With Future in Doubt, Nomads Play for Title

Tonight’s national title soccer game in San Jose matching the Western Soccer League champion San Diego Nomads and the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, champs of the East Coast-based American Soccer League, is being heralded as the first step of a merger between the two leagues.

But the game may be the Nomads’ last step, period. There is a question whether a merger’s resulting national circuit would have room for an amateur team such as the Nomads.

“That’s one of the nitty-gritty problems,” said Derek Armstrong, Nomads coach. “What happens to the teams that don’t want to go pro? Basically, we as a franchise have used amateur players. I would like to combine the two--I have no problem pitting amateurs against pros.”

He had better not, because tonight (7:30) he will be doing just that. The Strikers are loaded with veterans such as goalie Arnie Mausser, a 15-year pro. He has played every minute of the season for the Strikers, who enlist seven other players with either pro (NASL/MISL) or international experience.

All but four of San Diego’s players, on the other hand, have come up through the La Jolla Nomads youth club. All but three have no pro experience outside the WSL.

Because of this apparent imbalance, the Nomads are an underdog.

“If they (the Strikers) will buy that, I’ll be happy with it,” Armstrong said, laughing.

The Nomads’ offensive hopes rest on the performances of midfielders Rene Ortiz, one of only three pros on the team, and Thien Nguyen (team-high eight assists), both of whom had sub-par performances in the WSL championship game, a 1-0 victory over the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks last month.

Armstrong may be without top scorer Jerome Watson (10 goals, seven assists), who tore knee ligaments in the WSL title game.

Sweeper Arturo Velazco anchors a defense that has allowed opponents only two goals in the Nomads’ past six games.