Soccer / Seadog Preview -- Questions Loom Over Firepower

When the Seattle SeaDogs begin their second season of indoor soccer Sunday afternoon at KeyArena against Portland, the key question is if the '96 Dogs have firepower.

Coach Fernando Clavijo maintains that the SeaDogs are a "much stronger team" overall than last year's 12-16 club, but he has his fingers crossed about offensive explosiveness.

The SeaDogs lost their two top offensive players in the offseason. As expected, top goal-scorer Jean Harbor (40 goals) joined Major League Soccer. He has scored in four consecutive games for the Colorado Rapids.

Top point producer Michael Collins (24 goals, 39 assists) signed with rival Sacramento as a free agent.

"It's a concern of mine to find that special guy, that guy who is going to score a lot of goals for you," Clavijo said. "We lost that when Jean Harbor went to the MLS."

Rival coaches have their doubts about Seattle and picked the SeaDogs to finish last in the five-team Western Division of the Continental Indoor Soccer League.

The SeaDogs hope such newcomers as Mirko Castillo, Bruce Broughton and Ben Erickson can pick up the scoring slack. Castillo scored 23 goals for Arizona last year, Broughton had 22 for San Jose and Erickson 27 for Las Vegas.

Castillo was available because Arizona changed owners and won't field a team this year. Broughton, who starred at Redmond High School, and Erickson, a standout at Mount Rainier High School, were available because their franchises folded.

The SeaDogs thought they had solved a major piece of their offensive puzzle when they drafted Branko Segota this winter, but no deal was completed. Segota, 34, is one of only five players in the history of indoor soccer to score more than 500 goals. Clavijo said Segota's winter team, Baltimore of the rival National Professional Soccer League, gave him a big raise to prevent him from going to Seattle. Clavijo said he couldn't match the offer and still stay under the CISL team salary cap of $200,000.

The CISL has dropped from 16 teams to 11 this year, its fourth of operation. Franchises folded in Las Vegas, San Jose, Mexico City and Pittsburgh. Arizona is taking a year off. Indianapolis is an expansion team.

Eight of the 11 teams will make the playoffs this year.

Monterrey, Mexico - the only foreign entry - is the defending champion.

Sunday's televised game (live on Prime Network at 2 p.m.) is a homecoming of sorts for ex-SeaDog defender Ralph Black, who was traded to Portland in the offseason for defender John Purtteman (Arlington High School and Evergreen State) and Shannon Murray (Marysville High School and UW).

"I'm extremely happy with the trade," said Clavijo.

Clavijo said Purtteman is so team-oriented he volunteered to take a pay cut so other players could fit under the salary cap.

Clavijo said Black was unhappy in Seattle because he wanted a bigger contract. Clavijo acknowledged that he and Black "didn't click very well" off the field but said he admires Black as a tough defender.

Clavijo said he didn't get along with Collins and that "it was time for us to get away from each other."

Collins and Black were Seattle's representatives on the midseason all-star team. Collins and Harbor were honorable-mention all-league picks.

The SeaDogs, who are owned by Sonic owner Barry Ackerley, have gone to a one-price ticket system this year. All adult tickets are $9.50 and youth tickets (12 and under) are $6.50. The team played at Center Arena last year.

Notes

-- CISL coaches' poll predictions:

Western Division - 1, Anaheim, 2, Sacramento, 3, Portland, 4, San Diego, 5, Seattle.

Eastern Division - 1, Monterrey, Mexico (defending champion), 2, Dallas, 3, Washington, 4, Houston, 5, Indianapolis, 6, Detroit.

-- New SeaDog defender Gaston Pernia is the brother of SeaDog Leonel Pernia. Gaston paid his way from Argentina for a chance to make the team.

-- Portland defender Garrett Smith was a throw-in in the Ralph Black deal but has remained in Oregon, where he is on the coaching staff at the University of Portland.

SeaDog roster. . No.-Name Pos. Age 1995 team. 30-Tim Babcock M/F 26 SeaDogs. 10-Tim Bartro F/M 31 SeaDogs.

9-Bruce Broughton M 26 San Jose.

8-Camilo Casal F/M 33 SeaDogs. 20-Mirko Castillo F 33 Arizona. 19-Derek Crothers M 30 SeaDogs. 24-Juan De La O GK 29 Mexico. 11-Dion Earl M 24 SeaDogs. 13-Ben Erickson F 24 Las Vegas. 22-Marcelo Fontana M/F 22 SeaDogs.

0-Dave Gagner GK 27 SeaDogs.

1-Nat Gonzalez GK 25 SeaDogs. 14-John Hamel M 29 ---. 15-Glenn Howell F 28 SeaDogs.

6-Dave Mattson D/M 26 SeaDogs. 18-Shannon Murray M 29 Portland. 17-Brad Owens F 26 SeaDogs.

4-Leonel Pernia D 20 SeaDogs. 21-Gaston Pernia D 22 ---. 12-John Purtteman D 33 Portland.

5-Seth Spidahl D 23 SeaDogs.

3-Todd Stauber M 21 SPU.

2-Todd Woodhouse D 22 SeaDogs. . Head coach: Fernando Clavijo. Assistant coach: Brian Schmetzer. Trainer: Mike Fine.

SeaDog schedule

JUNE - 16, vs. PORTLAND; 23, vs. ANAHEIM; 26, at Monterrey; 28, at Houston; 29, at Dallas.

JULY - 6, vs. PORTLAND; 13, vs. INDIANAPOLIS; 19, at Indianapolis; 20, at Detroit; 24, vs. HOUSTON; 26, vs. SACRAMENTO; 28, at Sacramento.

AUGUST - 4, vs. DALLAS; 10, at Portland; 17, vs. SAN DIEGO; 21, vs. WASHINGTON; 24, vs. SACRAMENTO; 27, at Portland; 30, at Sacramento.

SEPTEMBER - 1, at San Diego; 2, at Anaheim; 4, vs. ANAHEIM; 6, vs. SAN DIEGO; 13, at Portland; 14, vs. SACRAMENTO; 21, at San Diego; 22, at Anaheim; 29, vs. DETROIT.