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Fuego! ready to strut its stuff Liga Del Valle all-stars will take on semi-pro team from Salem By KEVIN GOFF Hugo Gonzalez rests comfortably with his bruised leg wrapped in an Ace bandage and propped up on a bench beside him. Gonzalez won't be able to participate in the practice held at the Ashland Middle School on a recent evening. His right leg took a beating in the showdown between the top two adult soccer teams of the Liga Del Valle the previous day. The game, which featured the Medford Samoras and the Ashland Fuego!, was won by Gonzalez and the Samoras. But even more is at stake for the 1995 Phoenix High graduate. Gonzalez and 17 other members of the Liga Del Valle, known as the Mexican League because of its large makeup of Hispanic players, are preparing for a showdown with the Cascade Surge of Salem on Tuesday. The game between the locals and the semi-professional team from Salem is a chance for the Mexican League to showcase the kind of soccer talent that has been running through the veins of the Rogue Valley since the league was formed 12 years ago. The Surge is considered one of the best teams in Oregon, and the intent of the exhibition is to attract enough attention through the game so that a professional squad may kick up in the Rogue Valley. "That's our primary goal," nods Iman Siadat, a Fuego! player. "I came up with the idea (for the game) and since then the whole town has been very receptive and supportive." The exhibition will be a multi-cultural event and is expected to draw a large audience. The matchup with the Surge will be the highlight for the Mexican League. But even if the game fails to attract a pro team to the area, the league will go on. Since the beginning, the Mexican League has had a 10- to 14-team base. The majority of the teams hail from Medford and Ashland, but the league reaches as far south as Crescent City, Calif. Each squad is made up of 15 to 20 players and plays about 30 games per season, not including playoffs. The season runs from March to November and is split into two halves. The teams face each other twice in a round-robin format, then the top four teams square off in the playoffs. The league is self-financed and has a board made up of four members that meets once a week. Each team has a representative that enforces suspensions and takes whatever action may be necessary during the season. "It's pretty well organized," says Siadat. "We govern ourselves." Most of the team members have been involved with soccer in the Rogue Valley their entire lives. Gonzalez played in the Rogue Valley Cup and was on a U-19 state squad after his career ended at Phoenix High. Ashland High's Matt Sharp, 16, is the youngest member of the 10 Fuego! players on the all-star team. The junior-to-be earned second-team all-Southern Oregon Conference honors as a midfielder with the Grizzlies. His older brother, Eric, who just finished his freshman year at the University of Portland, is also on the squad along with fellow Ashland High graduate Will Dolan, a first-team all-SOC defender in 1999. Despite his youth, Matt Sharp isn't too worried about his performance come game time on Tuesday. "I think it'll be pretty tough," says Sharp, "but as long as our team plays tough and smart, then we'll be all right. "I think I can hold my own." While the league was primarily Hispanic from its outset, players of other races are also involved. "I'd say the league is now about 70 percent Hispanic," says Siadat. "A lot of other people have taken notice of the league and are interested in playing. We have a larger number of European players taking a look and some of the high school-aged kids are becoming interested." The fan support has never dwindled in the 12 years of existence. Each game, played on Sundays at Fichtner-Mainwaring Park or at venues in Ashland, draws about 200 people. "Each field is usually packed and the crowd is really into the game," Gonzalez says. Many of the competitors have played professionally or have coaching responsibilities in the area. Siadat, 31, is one of the older players in a league that has a minimum age requirement of 16. He came to the Rogue Valley after a stint with the Connecticut Wolves of the USLA League. "I came here and was released from my two-year contract (with the Wolves)," says Siadat, who now coaches the Ashland High girls soccer team. "Then I started working with the girls at Ashland and played in the Mexican League with the (Ashland) Fuego!. It's very competitive and everyone is out here to compete hard." Jose Chavez, the coach of the all-star squad pitted against the Surge, also came here straight from the professional ranks. Chavez bounced around from his playing days at age 16 and now heads the Southern Oregon University women's soccer team. He played for Colton High in Southern California then eventually landed a coaching position with the Houston Hurricanes, a Division III professional squad. "I worked with some world-class coaches while I was there," says Chavez of his experience in Houston. "Two of the players on that team were on the El Salvador national team that played in the World Cup in 1998." Chavez got away from coaching club teams in the area to focus on his duties with the all-star team. "We have a strong and talented team," says Chavez, of his team. "But we are also very young and haven't had the experience in front of big crowds. That's why our captains, like Iman, are going to be very important." Besides drawing interest for a professional team, the Firecracker Soccer Game will also bring together different cultures in the community. "It's really a chance for people to see the different segments of this community," says Ashland Soccer Club's Bill Greenstein. "They (Liga Del Valle) are the best players in the valley and have been playing their whole lives in all different places. They are serious, good players." Reach reporter Kevin Goff at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.