California Emperors

American Professional Soccer League (1990)

Tombstone

Born: 1989 – The California Kickers relocate to Redlands, CA
Folded: January 1991¹

First Game: April 27, 1990 (L 2-1 @ Portland Timbers)
Last Game: August 25, 1990 (L 2-0 vs. Los Angeles Heat)

APSL Championships: None

Stadium

Ted Runner Stadium (7,000)²

Marketing

Team Colors: Blue & White

Ownership

Owners: Dan Foley, Dean Foley & Jaime Legaspi

Attendance

Print Download

Source: Evans, Dan. “Foley says Emperors not moving”. The San Bernardino County Sun. October 24, 1990

Background

The California Emperors were a One-Year Wonder pro soccer club that played at Ted Runner Stadium on the University of Redlands campus in 1990. The franchise began under different ownership in Los Angeles as the Hollywood/California Kickers in 1986. In late 1989 Los Angeles-area real estate developer Dan Foley purchased the Kickers for a reported $175,000, moved the club out to the Inland Empire and entrusted it to his 26-year old son Dean to operate.³

Re-branded as the “Emperors” ahead of the 1990 American Professional Soccer League season, the club hired Rildo da Costa Menezes, a veteran of Brazil’s 1966 World Cup squad, as Head Coach. After a dreadful 0-6 start, the Emperors found their form and won their division with a record of 8 wins, 7 losses and 5 shootout decisions. Despite the division title, former U.S. National Teamer Mike Fox was the only Emperor recognized on the APSL West post-season all-league teams, earning a 2nd Team nod at the midfield position.

The Emperors fell to the Los Angeles Heat in a single-leg playoff at the end of August. This proved to be the club’s final match. The APSL’s Western Conference disintegrated during the following winter, shedding eight of its eleven clubs, including the Emperors.

Epilogue

Several former Emperors would re-group with the Fullerton-based Los Angeles Salsa of the APSL in 1992 and 1993, including head coach Rildo and his Octavio Zambrano and midfielders Mike Fox and Rich Ryerson.

Zambrano would go to head coaching stints with the Los Angeles Galaxy (1997-1999) and MetroStars (2000-2002) of Major League Soccer and the Canadian Men’s National Team (2017-2018).