New-look V.C. Fusion ready for second season

The Ventura County Fusion, beginning its second year in the USL Premier Development League, has announced changes to its Opening Day soccer roster.

Head coach Graham Smith hopes that the addition of a new men's U-20 team and a new PDL roster, once again combining local talent with international flavor, will keep the Fusion's momentum building after an impressive inaugural year.

The Fusion will also field a women's team in the W-League, and is starting the Fusion Youth Academy.

The first game of the new PDL season will be Friday night at Buena High against the Bakersfield Brigade. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Smith reported that six familiar players will be missing on Opening Day, having moved on to professional careers at MLS clubs, including Chance Myers and Nelson Pizzaro (Kansas City Wizards), Johnny Alcaraz (Houston Dynamo), Eric Avila (FC Dallas) and Vardan Adzemian and Greg Folk (Los Angeles Galaxy).

"It's sad to lose some familiar faces from last year," Smith said, "but it's great to see them lining up in the MLS. That's what we're all about- development."

Smith has brought in replacements from around the globe.

Headlining the newlook Fusion will be goal-scoring midfielder Lee Stevens, imported from England, where he played in the 2007 FA Vase final at the new Wembley Stadium in London for defeated finalists AFC Totton of the Wessex League.

Stevens also played for Swindon Supermarine, the club where last year's Fusion favorite Mark Draycott now plies his trade.

Henrique de Paula of Itauna, Brazil, will line up behind Stevens in defense.

De Paula has appeared in his home country's Second Division but more recently was a key member of the Marshalltown (Iowa) Community College men's soccer team that claimed a third-place finish in the 2007 National Junior College Athletic Association national soccer tournament.

A second Brazilian defender joins the squad in Guilherme Mitorvitch of Santos, Brazil, who now lives in Santa Clarita and plays with the men's team at Los Angeles Masters College.

Midfielder Jean Alexandre arrives from Verrettes, Haiti, by way of Lynn University, Fla., where he was named the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Week after scoring his team's gamewinning goal in double-overtime in the regular season finale.

Twenty-year-old midfielder Rodrigo Lopez joins the Fusion from Chivas USA, where last season he made five appearances in the MLS after signing from Club Deportivo Guadalajara (Mexico).

Jamaican Sylan Wignal, who made the NCAA AllDivision I team in 2007 as a defender with Los Angeles Masters College, can also use his 6foot4 frame to play centerforward.

Jaime Ambriz highlights a group of new signings with local connections.

Ambriz is a former Rio Mesa High student whose goalscoring talents have taken him from UC Santa Barbara, where he was leading scorer three years in a row, to Switzerland's First Division (Concordia Basel, FC Winthertur, FV Lyss) and to the USL Division One with Portland Timbers.

In Switzerland, Ambriz scored a league-leading 24 goals for Lyss during the 2002-03 season.

Midfielder Brian Jones, twice a winner of the Marmonte League championship (2005 and 2006) with Westlake High and a state championship winner with Samba in 2005, now plays at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Fillmore High and Oxnard College product Sergio Garcia starts his first year with the team after scoring the winning goal against Columbus Crew during the Fusion's winter season.

Jones and Garcia are joined by Jones' Cal Poly teammate Anton Peterlin, the versatile Chris Pontius from UCSB, central defender Joe Buppert from Santa Barbara City College and attacking fullback Armando Guerrero of Lompoc.

Goalkeeper Logan Frank, who was lost to injury midway through last season, is one of the returnees, along with Bryan Hill, an Oxnard resident who took over the goalkeeper position.

UCLA stars Brad Russin and Jason Leopoldo, who sat out most of last season with injuries, will both be back.

Fusion fans should also recognize Gabe Chavez, Gabe Gonzales, Dillon Barna, Dylan Riley, Hagop Chirishian, Gurgen Adzemian, Richie Alcaraz and Danny Barrera, who recently came back after playing six months in Europe.

The Farfan twins, Mike and Gabe, will also return. Alfonso Motagalvan, who played 730 minutes for the Fusion in the PDL last season, is club captain for the 2008 campaign.

Another development is the introduction of Ole Mikkelsen as Smith's assistant, replacing Rudy Ybarra, who has other commitments.

"Ole has done it all, from being the top scorer in UCLA history to playing professionally in the old NASL. He's an A-licensed coach and a great mentor for the young players."

For ticket information, visit the Fusion's website at www.venturacountyfusion.com.

Courtesy of Ventura County Fusion.