Jason Leopoldo leaned over the railing in street clothes and yelled, "Hey Grandpa!"

The 38-year-old Hall of Famer looked up with a smile.

Not even the presence of Eric Wynalda, the U.S. men's national soccer team's former all-time leading scorer, on the other bench could inspire the Ventura County Fusion to a breakthrough goal in its season-opening scoreless draw with the Bakersfield Brigade on Friday night at Buena High.

"How can you have that much possession and not turn it into goalscoring opportunities?" lamented head coach Graham Smith. "They've got to look at themselves and ask the question."

With former top scorer Mark Draycott home in England and prolific newcomer Jaime Ambriz knocked out of the startling lineup with a sore hamstring, the Fusion (0-0-1) looked very much like the team that, with a playoff berth on the line, finished last season with a bitter scoreless draw at home against the former Los Angeles Storm.

"Like last year," said captain Alfonso Motagalvan. "We couldn't score."

"It seems like we've started just where we left off," said goalkeeper Logan Frank.

There were plenty of opportunities. Set up by midfielder Anton Peterlin, Michael Farfan clipped a 12th-minute chance over the bar. Midfielder Rodrigo Lopez, inspiring in his Fusion debut, stole a clearance 10 minutes later, beat the goalkeeper from an impossible angle and watched as his shot tightroped the goalline before being cleared by sliding Bakersfield defender John Gore.

The best chance might have been Motagalvan's goal-mouth follow of a teammate's shot.

"It was too easy," said Motagalvan. "I thought I had it."

Without goals, Wynalda provided the entertainment. The Westlake High product is seven years beyond his professional retirement, but he brought to mind his free-kick goal against Switzerland in the 1994 World Cup when he whipped in 30-yarder just past Frank's right post minutes after coming on in the second half.

"He's a little heavy," said Motagalvan, "but it was fun because he still has it."

"It was nice," said Frank of staring down U.S. Soccer's Player of the 1990s. "It's another memory that I'll be able to take to the bank."

The same is true for defender Lee Stevens and fullback Armondo Guerrero, who traded tackles and shoves with the aging forward.

"That was the plan," said Wynalda. "(Stevens) and I appreciate that part of the game. When you get hit, you get up. It hurt, but I wasn't going to show them that."

Wynalda expects to start and play the full 90 minutes at the Lancaster Rattlers tonight.

The Fusion have to wait until next week's visit by its local rivals, the San Fernando Valley Quakes.

One bright spot was the return of Frank, who missed the last seven games of last season with a shoulder injury. He didn't see too much action in his return, but he did make a fine, sprawling save on Bakersfield's Leonardo Munoz in the 17th minute.

"I had butterflies," said Frank. "We're in the season now."