25 for 25
As the 12 Major Arena Soccer League teams prepare to play on the first weekend of the new year, here’s one writer’s list of personalities to watch at in 2025.
Not every team is represented. If your favorite player didn't make this list, it’s not the end of the world. I could have done a top 50, but I didn’t want to break the internet. Besides, I expect there will be plenty of pleasant surprises over the next four to five months.
1. Kelvin Oliveira
Few players have enjoyed such an impressive start in any indoor soccer league, let alone the MASL. The Brazilian recorded a hat-trick in his first four games for Utica City FC as he grabbed the goal-scoring (12) and point (17) lead. He did not play in a 6-5 home loss to the Baltimore Blast on Dec. 31.
2. Edgar Martinez
Martinez, who replaced Luis Jaime Borrego in the offseason, is tasked with trying to boost the defending champion Chihuahua Savage to a third consecutive league championship. So far, so good for Martinez as Chihuahua is a perfect 4-0-0, outscoring it foes by a 41-14 margin (the plus 27 goal difference is tops in the league). The last team to win three MASL titles in a row? The Baltimore Blast in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
3. and 4. Uzi and Franck, the Tayou brothers
They're back as teammates for the first time in several seasons. Uzi, a influential defender, and Franck, an standout forward who has made life miserable for opposing defenders and goalkeepers, were signed by the St. Louis Ambush with the hopes of boosting the team into the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign. Through the new year, Franck had recorded six goals and five assists in six matches, while Uzi had only two appearances after suffering a knee injury in December. The Ambush (2-4-0, 4 points) is in eighth place. The top eight teams will qualify for the postseason.
5. Marco Fabian
The former Mexican international made a seamless transition from the great outdoors to indoors for the Empire Strykers. The 35-year-old forward tied the Kansas City Comets' Zach Reget for the MASL Golden Boot with 35 goals. Fabian also recorded 12 assists to lead Empire with 47 points. This season, Fabian has accrued six goals and one assist in five appearances.
6. Zach Reget
He is coming off a career-best 35 goals and 48 points for the Kansas City Comets, tying for the league goal lead with Fabian. Reget, who ripped the nets for five game-winning goals, added several vital scores during the playoffs. He has gotten off to a decent start with six goals and two assists in six contests.
7. Diego Reynoso
While fans attend games to watch goals, we all know defenses win championships. Last year the Chihuahua Savage conceded a league-low 103 goals en route to the MASL crown. Reynoso backstopped a stingy defense - team and backline - by registering a 3.31 goals-against average and a 14-2-1 record. This season he is a perfect 3-0-0 with a 3.07 GAA.
8. Phil Salvagio
One of the winningest coaches in indoor history, Phil Salvagio is keen to get the San Diego Sockers back to the top of the MASL heap, after winning titles in 2021 and 2021-22 seasons. Salvagio has a winning percentage of 80.6 percent on the strength of a 175-42 regular season record in the Professional Arena Soccer League and MASL.
9. Ian Bennett
At the age of 41, the Milwaukee Wave forward continues to demonstrate that he has a leg up over Father Time. He already has nine goals in six contests after registering 22 goals and five assists last season. Bennett might be hard pressed in duplicating his career-high of 53 goals he tallied during the 2016-17 season, still is one of the most dangerous players in the league. Recently, Bennett cracked the 400-goal barrier. His next milestone will be 500 career points; he has 403 goals and 89 assists.
10. Nick Perera
Speaking of veterans who can bring their A game to the arena, Perera also has defied the calendar as the talisman of the Tacoma Stars. The 38-year-old forward has found the net six times in four games this year while doling out two assists. Perera is heading for a unique 250-250 milestone, with 228 career goals and 225 assists.
11. Luiz Morales
As one of the young stars on the rise, the 25-year-old Morales is the future of the league. He started his indoor journey with the Dallas Sidekicks in 2021-22 (22 goals) before joining the Mesquite (now Texas) Outlaws for the next two seasons (23 and 26 goals, respectively). He has notched seven goals in four appearances with the San Diego Sockers this year.
12. Robert Palmer
The Jamaica native and Park University standout returned to the Empire Strykers this season after winning MASL defender of the year honors with the Kansas City Comets. He isn't afraid of frustrating an opposing player by putting his body in the way of shots. In fact, he blocked 86 of them last year and has 291 and counting in 11 seasons.
13. Alex Sanchez
In his third MASL season, Sanchez is on the cusp of having a career season, already accruing seven goals and a league-leading eight assists for 15 points (third in the MASL) in six matches for the Milwaukee Wave. The 23-year-old forward tallied eight goals and three assists in 19 appearances in 2023-24.
14. Rian Marques
Another player who is headed toward a career season, the Kansas City Comets forward is off an excellent start with 10 goals and seven assists in only six games. Marques, who had a career-best of 21 goals in 2020-21 and 14 assists last year, has seven goals and three assists in four games against the St. Louis Ambush. The big question is whether he can keep that pace up against the rest of the league.
15. Chad Poarch
Poarch soared to fame over the summer when he scored the winning goal in winner-take-all The Soccer Tournament, final for La Bombanera (Del.). The 26-year-old defender has continued to fill the net for the Baltimore Blast, connecting for a team-high seven times this season, That included a hat-trick in a 9-8 overtime triumph over the Harrisburg Heat on Dec. 27 and the game-winner in the 6-5 road victory at Utica City FC on New Year's Eve.
16. Chad Vandegriffe
One of the most consistent and reliable defenders in the league, the 35-year-old entered this season second in all-time blocked shots. That total has risen to 314 as the 2022 defender of the year leads the MASL with 13 blocks, for the Kansas City Comets,
17. William Banahene
The 30-year-old goalkeeper is a big reason why the Milwaukee Wave is atop the league with a 5-1-0 record and 14 points entering this weekend's action. Banahene has a 3.69 goals-against average, good for third in the league.
18. Phillip Ejimadu
In only his second year in the MASL, the 25-year-old Ejimadu has been quite impressive in the net for the Kansas City Comets, recording a 3.37 goals-against average (and a 4-0-1 mark), good for second in the league.
19. Joey Tavernese
Regardless of his team, Tavernese exudes joy on and off the field. The Harrisburg Heat forward likes to call himself Peter Pan. It seems that the 35-year-old Tavernese has been playing forever, having played for six MASLs team in his 11-year career. After an injury plagued season in 2023-24 (five goals, seven assists in 13 games), Tavernese has bounced back with seven goals and two assists in five matches this year.
20. Chris Toth
One of the best MASL goalkeepers, Toth is in his 11th season. His goal-saving heroics have him in the league's all-time top five in victories (101), saves (2,020) and games played by a goalkeeper (171). It should come as no surprise that he was the 2023-24 MASL goalkeeper of the year and selected to the Elite 6 team. In the Tacoma Stars' season debut, the 35-year-old Toth produced 27 saves in a 5-4 home win over the San Diego Sockers. He leads all keepers with a 79.5 save percentage, while he is sixth with a 4.73 goals-against average. And oh yeah, Toth is a starter for the U.S. Beach Soccer National Team.
21. Cesar Cerda
Over the years, the San Diego Sockers' great goal-scorers have been lauded, including the likes of Kraig Chiles and Tavoy Morgan, to name a few, a defender can easily get lost in the headlines. Cerda, 31, has been a mainstay on the team for nine years with consistent play, whether it has been denying an opposing player a scoring opportunity or putting one home himself. He is coming off a 13-goal, nine-assist season.
22. Roberto Escalante
Whether it has been for the Soles de Sonora, Monterrey Flash or most recently with the two-time defending champion Chihuahua Savage, Escalante has been one of the most reliable backline players in the league. Because he has played for Mexican clubs for his entire MASL career, his exploits might be under the radar for many indoor fans. The 36-year-old defender has proven to be quite effective on both sides of the ball. He collected 11 goals and seven assists last season after notching career highs of 16 goals and 13 assists in 2022-23. He has four goals in as many games, and an assist, this season.
23. Tavoy Morgan
A key member of the Newtown Pride FC team that captured the 2023 winner-take-all The Soccer Tournament, Morgan looks to continue to fill the net with the San Diego Sockers. He joined the team on loan toward the end of the 2021 season and became a playoff hero as San Diego secured the title. Since then, he has tallied 39, 24 and 26 goals in the last three seasons. Morgan accrued a career-best 22 assists last year. He has two goals this campaign.
24. Blas Perez
The former Panamanian international forward's third season with the Dallas Sidekicks has been frustrating, to say the least, shooting blanks on eight shots in four games. He needs to step up his production if the Sidekicks want to reach the playoffs. In his first season with the team, he contributed 11 goals and five assists in nine matches. He added 20 goals and three assists last year.
25. Luis Genaro Castillo
The reigning MVP hasn't played a minute with the Empire Strykers as he is awaiting visa approval. With Monterrey Flash last season, Castillo was the overall league scoring champion with 50 points on the strength of 32 goals and 18 assists, helping the team to the MASL Shield in the regular season.
Michael Lewis can be reached at Soccerwriter on X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky.