IT'S BECOME A REAL KICK WORLD CUP BOOTS UP NEW INTEREST IN SPORT.

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

Fans packed bars during World Cup play. Fans stripped shelves of World Cup garb. And soccer enthusiasts across the San Fernando Valley on Monday hailed the early morning U.S. match with Mexico as a boon to the sport.

With the NBA Finals over, the Stanley Cup history and the U.S. Open another notch in Tiger Woods' belt, they say more Americans are tuning into a sport once derided for its ``soccer moms'' and low scores.

``Soccer's caught on,'' said British ex-patriot Paul Clifton, a West Valley Soccer league coach who stayed up till 2:30 a.m. to watch Monday's game. ``It's creeping into American culture, especially younger age groups. Kids are keeping up, you ask them and they know the scores.''

The score early Monday, in case no one heard, was America 2, Mexico nil.

The U.S. men's team upset launched it into the World Cup quarterfinals and a chance to beat Germany on Friday for what could become the first American semifinals contention since 1930.

Success breeds success. And for soccer fans, the U.S. team's wins over Portugal and Mexico push local interest in the sport beyond the fervor over the U.S. women's World Cup victory in 2000.

``I think that the success of the (U.S.) team is definitely getting infectious,'' said Adnan Tezer, bartender at The California Broiler sports bar in Northridge, where almost 100 fans screamed themselves hoarse after midnight Monday during a house divided by U.S. and Mexican team colors.

``We had a pretty good crowd,'' he said. ``For soccer, it's pretty impressive.''

Same at Yankee Doodles in Woodland Hills, where 65 fans divided into English and Spanish-speaking sections during the tense penalty-ridden match.

``People are getting more into it,'' Yankee Doodles manager Isabel Castro said of World Cup soccer. ``But compared to the Lakers'' - which can draw up to 500 fans - ``this ain't nothin.' ''

For late-night soccer fans, however, it meant more than baggy eyes.

``I'm worn out. Man, oh man, oh man, is it exciting,'' said Howard Fink, president of West Valley Soccer. ``We were proud of the (U.S.) women, but with the men we're really excited.''

On Monday, soccer fans continued to strip sporting goods stores during what has amounted to a stampede on World Cup mementos.

``It's just huge,'' said Marco Rossi, manager of the Soccer Depot in Woodland Hills. ``There's a lot of hype - we're sold out of all U.S. and Mexican stuff and any team in the World Cup. American T-shirts, gone. Mexican jerseys, gone.

``The kids are just excited about watching soccer.''

At the Soccer Depot, sign-ups for American Youth Soccer Organization play have doubled.

``The World Cup is going to be good for AYSO and soccer as a whole,'' said Lolly Keys, chief spokeswoman for the Hawthorne-based organization that has 200,000 participants in Los Angeles.

While soccer popularity spiked in 1994 with the United States hosting the World Cup, it took off with the U.S. women's team win two years ago. Soccer's popularity has also taken off across the Valley, where an influx of Latinos with futbol fever have helped fill every spare field day or night.

``We've certainly seen enrollment rise,'' said Dr. Samuel Fink, who coaches the West Valley Jewish Community Center's Macabee Youth Soccer League in West Hills.

``We've seen soccer come of age in America.''

West Valley Soccer recreation and club enrollment has doubled in five years, officials said, with whites, Latinos and Asians fleet-footing on the same field. And for kids under 12, soccer's the sport of choice.

``It's exploding,'' said Fink. ``It's across the board. We are a representation of a cultural melting pot, right here ... The level of play is getting better every year.''

At Pierce College, West Valley Soccer Samba clubs and other athletes dribbled and drove balls to bone up for their next competition - or World Cup match.

``I am going to be a soccer player for USA,'' said Alvaro Reyes, 13, of Canoga Park, skirmishing with friends in front of a large net.

``We're into the spirit,'' said Carlos Ramos, 18, of Canoga Park. ``More people are taking notice of soccer.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) U.S. soccer fans in red, white and blue celebrate America's 2-0 victory over Mexico on Monday in Jeonju, South Korea.

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

(2 -- color) Soccer fans cheering for Mexico react as they watch play in the televised World Cup match in Huntington Park.

Nick Ut/Associated Press

(3) At Pierce College in the Woodland Hills, kids in the West Valley Soccer Samba club program work on their ball skills.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News