A NIGHT FULL OF STARS
UTICA, N.Y. - Some of the sights and sounds of the Major Arena Soccer League All-Star Game:
The Kelvin factor
If there was anything that we were reminded about at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium on Wednesday night, it’s that it's Kelvin Oliveira's indoor soccer world and we're just living in it.
The Utica City FC forward was the star of the match, just about having the first and last words of Team Kelvin's 7-3 win over Team Perera.
Oliveira scored the first goal only 23 seconds after the opening kickoff. He added two more for a hat-trick, assisting on another in which he could have scored, but decided to pass the ball to Alex Sanchez (Milwaukee Wave) instead.
Needless to say, Sanchez appreciated the gesture, calling it his most memorable moment of the match.
"Give it to Kelvin. I run to the back post. He finds me. Tap-in," he said.
"He just makes the game easy. Obviously, he opens up the game. Just feeding off him, all his energy, one of the greats of the game already."
Oliveira was captain of Team Kelvin, while Tacoma Stars forward Nick Perera was captain of Team Perera.
Sanchez wasn't the only player who was impressed with the 29-year-old Brazilian.
Empire Strykers forward Marco Fabian, who won an Olympic gold medal, competed in the 2014 World Cup and scored nine goals in 43 international appearances for Mexico, among other accomplishments, had this to say about Oliveira:
"I think Kelvin was born with the magic to play this type of sport. Everyone has a different talent. He has a big talent. He played amazing. He is a really good player. We have to enjoy what he plays."
Strykers teammate Justin Stinson joined in the praises.
"It's his first season indoors and not a lot of people can come first season and have MVP status," he said. "He's one of a kind."
They weren't alone.
"It’s so easy to play with him," said Texas Outlaws midfielder David Ortiz, whose second-quarter goal lifted Team Kelvin into a 4-1 halftime advantage. "The game plan is to pass to Kelvin and enjoy. It's fun playing with him. He has lots of knowledge. You learn off of him, for sure."
Thanks to player Kelvin, Team Kelvin broke open a close game in the fourth quarter, connecting for three goals over the final 70 seconds.
Sanchez scored twice and Oliveira added one to turn a close match into a final, four-goal margin.
"I am really happy. I am happy to be here to have this experience," Oliveira said after he finished signing autographs for fans on the field during a post-game FanFest. "It is a new experience for me. It is my first all-star game, indoor soccer. It was a lot of fun. It was a good experience. It is a different sport, but I love it. I love it."
Entering this weekend's games, Oliveira leads the league in goals (24) and points (34) and is tied for ninth in assists (10).
Oliveira started the season on a roll and hasn't stopped. In fact, he's still learning the indoor game after transitioning from futsal. That is a scary proposition for someone who has accumulated such impressive numbers in only nine games.
"He's learning our type of game every and each day," said Utica City FC head coach Hewerton Moreira, who also directed Team Kelvin. "He's extremely professional. He comes early. He tried to learn the angles off the board, all the ins and out aspects of the game. I think in that aspect, he improved. I think Kelvin is so special. Like I mentioned before, it's not only offensively, but defensively, special teams. He shoots; he passes. One of the only left footers that I see that really can strike the ball the right foot as well. He just needs to learn the game to improve."
Yes, scary, indeed, for the All-Star MVP.
In case you were counting
Utica City FC, the host team, had more participants (seven) than any other club. Besides Oliveira, the host team boasted goalkeeper Andrew Coughlin, defender Juan Alava, midfielders Nate Bourdeau and Nilton de Andrade and forwards Gordy Gurson and Vini Dantas.
The game rules were different than regular season play. Four quarters were 12 minutes of running time each instead of 15 minutes and the usual stoppage of plays for goals, fouls and time outs. The clock was able to be stopped for final two minutes of each period.
A first for two stars
For two all-stars, Wednesday night's game was a unique experience. Where Kelvin Oliveira (Brazil) and Marco Fabian (Mexico) come from, they don't have all-star games.
"That was my first," Oliveira said. "In Brazil, we don't have this culture to do this game. but it was really fun. I hope I can bring this to Brazil."
Fabian has played in Mexico, Germany and with the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer in 2019.
"I think it’s unique," he said. "It's a little bit like MLS [which has an all-star game]. The U.S. is different. They love sports. I love sports. I follow every single sport. I know about the NFL, NBA ... I am really proud to be part of this day. This is a new experience."
Enjoying the night
The unofficial theme of the all-star game:
It didn't matter if you won or lost, as long as you enjoyed the game.
It was difficult, if not impossible, to find a player who didn't.
When asked what his highlight of the evening was, Texas Outlaws midfielder David Ortiz replied: "Obviously, my goal came at the right time to pull ahead on the scoreboard. Obviously to be around a bunch of ballers, a bunch of friends. It's good seeing players you play against and having a chance to play with them.
"It was a beautiful experience, coming to a fantastic facility, fantastic fans. I love it. As soon as I saw my name on the list, heck, yeah, I'm going."
He wasn't alone.
"Just spending time with these guys, spending time with some former teammates, Will Eskay, Dom Francis, and being able to connect with some of the guys" Kansas City Comets forward Rian Marques said. "It was just awesome throughout the whole week."
Eskay plays for the St. Louis Ambush, Francis for the Harrisburg Heat.
"Definitely we have rivalries," Marques added. "Everyone's competitive and wants to win but outside of the field, it's always nice to see each other. Some great guys throughout the league. We always want to win, but the All-Star Game is different."
Added Sanchez: "Oh man, this is an unbelievable experience, being able to say that I got to play with some of the top players in the league always is a privilege."
Milwaukee Wave goalkeeper William Banahene agreed.
"I think it's an awesome honor to be selected for the all-star team, the legends of the league that are here and up and coming guys."
It was payback in the best way possible.
"It means a lot to me," Kansas City Comets defender Chad Vandegriffe said. "This is my 12th season. So, a lot of these guys are my teammates or opponents. It's really nice to come together, be in one arena at the same time, and just share this with all of them.
"Just like all the other players, we put so much work into it. Being selected to an all-star game. It means a lot because we put a lot of hours into this. It gives value to all the blood, sweat and tears."
Enjoying the moment
At the age of 41, he might have been the oldest player on the field, but getting an opportunity to play to play with the MASL's best never gets old for Milwaukee Wave forward Ian Bennett, one of the legends of the indoor game.
"Especially myself, being in the league for so long, it's great to see some of the young guys come up in the ranks, and obviously having the veterans presence there, it's just been cool to see how everybody's progressing in their career," Bennett said. "Everybody's kind of watches everybody's career. So, you've got to have that bond within the game too, as well. We kind of build these friendships over time, and just a lot of good people, a lot of good players in this league."
Bennett said he enjoyed his experience.
"It's great. Obviously, kudos to Utica and Tommy [Tanner, Utica City FC general manager] for putting it on," he said. “We know how much work it is to get all these players here in one place. It's a blessing to be around these great players. You have some of my teammates too, and some of my former teammates. So, it's kind of cool to play and get to meet all these guys again."
Bennett, who has 12 goals in 13 matches, has not slowed down. But he said that he will know when it will be time to call it a career.
"I always said to myself, if I can't play the same way I played since I was 22, then that's when it's time to retire, because I don't want to change the game. I don't want to cheat the game, I don't want to cheat myself," he said "So, if I can't play the same mentality, the same way I grew up playing, that's when I know it's time to retire. But right now, I'm doing pretty good chasing around these 22-year-olds. I'm keeping up with them."
Commissioner's pick
Joey Tavernese couldn't participate in the 2020 All-Star game, a match that heralded the league's return from the COVID-19 pandemic, because Florida Tropics players weren't allowed to participate. They were in preseason and didn’t want to suffer any injuries. Five years later the Harrisburg Heat forward got an opportunity to compete in this year's contest, after he was a pick by commissioner Keith Tozer.
"This one is cool,” Tavernese said. “I was hoping to get picked. I appreciated that. Keith Tozer had a lot of nice things to say and about me as a commissioners pick. It's been a good first half of the season for me. So, I'm excited to share the field with some talented, experienced veterans and some of the new and up and coming future players."
Tavernese has scored 16 goals, good for sixth in the league, and added four assists in 11 games this season.
Late addition
Baltimore Blast goalkeeper Mike Zierhoffer turned out to be a late addition to the All-Star game, after Tacoma Stars keeper Chris Toth could not play due to an injury.
Zierhoffer said that he felt "fortunate" to be called in.
"I feel bad for Chris Toth," he added. "He's done so well this year. He's done so much for the game. He plays the position really well. So, I hate to see him have to miss out, but very proud to fill in for him."
Saving the celebrations for later
Many players have a special goal celebration they like to use after they score a goal.
Goalkeepers don't have that luxury because after making a save, many of their stops are shots that they knock out of harm's way. They need to be ready for a rebound or the next shot.
Still, the guardians of the goal have learned when to celebrate their special moments, even if they are delayed.
Milwaukee Wave's William Banahene
"I try to stay alert the whole time. I probably won't celebrate until after the game, just like as a goalkeeper, your job’s not done until the game. The only time you see me celebrate is when players doing my job save to me [blocking shots]. That's why I get the most excited, because just taking a shot without pain, you're really into this. It gets me hyped making saves."
Baltimore Blast's Mike Zierhoffer:
"I see some guys do, but for me, this game is crazy. A saved ball is still in play. I'm always jumping back. I try to see where the ball goes even if it goes out of play. The first thing I'm thinking is to set up for the set piece, not necessarily to celebrate what's happened. It's our job to do that. We're happy when it happens. I am looking for anything on the next play."
Kansas City Comets' Nicolau Neto:
"I mean, we keep going. We keep that attention and alertness right throughout the play until the ball is either on the other side of the field out of bounds or dead. We can actually have a little proud moment right for the saves. But I would say the celebration actually comes after the game, after wins."
Utica City FC's Andrew Coughlin:
"There's some guys in our league that when they make a big save, they have a little celebration. It was never in my DNA. But I've become more of trying to be that guy, because I think it does instill some of that energy into the team. If there's an opportunity when the ball is away or goes out of play, you get to celebrate a little bit. The fans are celebrating with you. But I enjoy when guys throw their bodies in front of shots and they block it. I'll celebrate that immediately because I've gotten hit so many times. For those guys to take it away from me is great, and I appreciate that sacrifice."
Finders keepers
There is no formal goalkeepers' union, but when they get together, they will talk about the nuances of the sports, and their personal lives. While waiting to get their picture taken on Media Day, Utica City FC's Andrew Coughlin and Milwaukee Wave's William Banahene had a long discussion.
Both goalies have a few things in common.
"Will's from, from Rochester, not too far away," Coughlin said of the city, which is 135 miles west on the New York State Thruway. "Just connecting on some things and chopping it up with Neto and Mike about just things that go on. We suffer all the same throughout the games and throughout the league and the season. Just getting everybody's different perspectives and how they're doing, what they have going on. Everybody has so many different things going on in their life. It's just cool to see all of the different backgrounds and perspectives of what makes up a goalkeeper in this league."
Teammate beats teammate
In last week’s Inside the Indoor Game piece, Kansas City Comets forward Rian Marques talked about scoring against his own goalkeeper in the All-Star Game. KC keeper Nicolau Neto was selected by Team Kelvin, Marques was picked by Team Perera.
Marques said then: "It'd be nice to play against Neto. That would be fun to score some goals on him, other than in practice."
Earlier on Wednesday, the subject was brought up to Neto. He replied, "He's going to have to work a little bit harder. As he knows, in practice, I always win our bets. But that's what makes him really good. He has good competition in practice that he's used to, and he's able to perform that at games, which is great. He's helping us tremendously. His best season yet. Well, he's going to have to bring that to the All-Star game too."
Which Marques did, firing a bullet from inside the penalty arc, pulling Team Perera within 4-3 with 3:14 left in the third quarter.
"I kept my promise," he said with a big smile.
Even coaches enjoy it
Comets head coach Stefan Stokic, who directed Team Perera, said it was special to participate in the game.
"It's an honor to be here, even if it's a player as a coach, … recognition for all the hard work they put in that they've done for this league,” he said. “It's just a reward for all of us."
Stokic had six Comets participating. That included goalkeeper Nicolau Neto, defenders Chad Vandegriffe and Nacho Flores and forwards Leo Acosta, Rian Marques and Zach Reget.
"It just tells you that the organization side of the Kansas City Comets, that we're doing things well, at least trying to do it the right way," said Stokic, whose fourth-place team (9-1-2) is one point away from the second-place San Diego Sockers. "Just having six guys here is a proud moment as a coach and as well for [managing partner] Brian Budzinski as a club organization."
Stokic sounded like a coach who wanted to be in two places at once. He certainly enjoyed his experience at the game, but he wanted to be in KC as well, training his squad.
"I would love to be home practicing for the game on Sunday," he said about the Comets' home game against the St. Louis Ambush. "But I think it's just fun being here around all these great players. I think Utica has done a great job with the way they have organized this. It feels like a privilege being here and being part of it."
Michael Lewis can be followed at @Soccerwriter on Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter).