Saturday, June 17, 2006 | 7:44 a.m.
Former UNLV soccer player Bart Gallia spilled buckets of sweat and more than a few beads of blood onto the turf at Peter Johann Memorial Field.
He did not shed a tear, however, when an $800,000 asphalt scraper went to work on that shoddy grass surface two weeks ago. In less than three hours, the giant rig scalped three inches off the top of the 112-by-76-foot field.
"Like butter," Gallia said after the turf was removed and hauled away by three tractor-trailer rigs. "We're excited. We'll get it back to where it's once again a Division I field."
Gallia, now a vice president for Geneva Sports Surfaces, is in charge of installing a new irrigation system and laying 90,000 square feet of Bermuda grass on the field. There might not be anyone more qualified to do this job.
"It's personal," he said.
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Gallia started running around the UNLV campus as a tyke, when his father, Joe, was an assistant to Rebels football coach Harvey Hyde.
Gallia and his wife, Melissa, met when they were in the ninth grade. When it was time for college in the early 1990s, former UNLV soccer boss Barry Barto talked Gallia into staying rather then playing in Southern California. About 10 years ago, he started Las Vegas Premier, a youth club program that has won more than 50 state championships.
"I've spent a lot of time here," Gallia said. "I'm a Rebel. And as a fan and a club coach, I want this field to be what it was, the best field in Las Vegas."
The renovation will cost about $300,000, most of it coming from an endowment sponsored by Ken Johann. That endowment also has funded a scholarship for local prep players for years.
Gallia said the new field should boost recruiting efforts for second-year women's coach Kat Mertz and new men's boss Mario Sanchez.
Sanchez planted the seed of the renovation in Gallia's ear last winter. Then UNLV senior associate athletic director Jerry Koloskie got involved, and Johann pushed it forward. "He has a fiery passion," Gallia said of Johann.
The new field will have its own remote-control watering grid. The field's old irrigation system had also been watering two nearby practice fields and Wilson Stadium, UNLV's baseball field.
To keep it green year-round, Gallia said, school groundskeepers would need to cut it short in early winter and overseed it with rye. Six months later, they would have to overseed again with Bermuda. Koloskie couldn't be reached to find out whether UNLV plans to tackle the year-round seeding program.
"This is a step in the right direction," Gallia said.
Viva Mexico
Mexico's fans can watch the national team at the Suncoast on Wednesday when the Tricolores battle Portugal as they wrap up group play at the World Cup in Germany.
The viewing party at the South Coast for Mexico's first game was a success, said Chris Roman, general manager of local Entravision Communication Corp. properties Univision and Telefutura. It didn't hurt that Mexico played one of the best opening matches, a 3-1 victory over Iran.
No matter who plays in the championship game in Berlin on July 9, Roman said, his company will sponsor a viewing party at the Orleans Arena.
Belated high-fives
At the 14th all-star senior soccer games last month, the Sunset Division girls beat Sunrise, 3-1, on goals by Mandy Overall (Cimarron-Memorial), Aubrey Thompson (Centennial) and Kelly Gaughan (Bishop Gorman). The boys teams tied, 2-2. The games were sponsored by the Green Valley Rotary Club.
Rating the announcers
ESPN analyst Eric Wynalda did a superb impersonation of English midfielder David Beckham during Thursday's telecasts. We also hear he does a spot-on impression of Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
The rest of that network's World Cup package leaves much to be desired, though. We've grown weary of Julie "They Need Numbers" Foudy and Shep "Bang" Messing, among many others.
Our big screen is now locked on Univision, and our Spanish improves daily. That's where we heard Costa Rica's national slogan, "Pura Vida." And Ecuador goalie Christian Mora gets major points for his flag's colors on both cheeks. Bravo.
Semisuccess
Former UNLV assistant coach Frank D'Amelio won his first game as coach of the semipro Las Vegas Strikers on Saturday night on Joe Zaher Field at the Bettye Wilson Soccer Complex.
Ben Stott, a 22-year-old midfielder from Utah, punched in a worm-burning winner in the 65th minute against Arizona Banat-Storm. The teams are part of the National Premier Soccer League.
It's been a season of injuries and bad luck for D'Amelio. The Strikers play host to Denver at 7:30 tonight, then cap the season against Albuquerque on June 30 and July 1.
Match of the Week
Australia vs. Brazil, Sunday
Are the Socceroos for real? The world finds out at 8:30 a.m. Sunday.
Their awesome 3-1 comeback victory over Japan was the first World Cup victory for Oz. Now, their opponents are the five-time champs. Since Brazil goalie Dida has a penchant for not hanging onto shots, we believe the Aussies have a chance if Harry Kewell & Co. can slip in a rebound or two.
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