AROUND THE LEAGUE: WEEK 12

by Joseph Reina

**The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoints or positions of the Major Arena Soccer League.**

@josephreina21

Savage and Sockers Split the Spoils

Several of the league’s leaders took a hit this weekend, causing a shift at the top of the standings. San Diego, Chihuahua, Baltimore, and Milwaukee all tasted defeat while Kansas City cruised over their in-state rivals. Now, with the season ticking away, points are at a premium, and dropping them could be costly for seeding.


The week's marquee matchup saw the Savage and Sockers exchange hosting duties for a home-and-home series. Before the game, San Diego signed several new faces including Jhon Ponce, Ismael Rojo, and Iván Muñoz who added another layer of familiarity and depth to Phil Salvagio’s side. Despite this shakeup, the hosts emerged victorious in both contests, adding to their respective unblemished records on their turf. 


The Savage dominated at Corner Sport Arena as they often do, winning 8-5 with Jorge Ríos leading from the front with a pair of goals and assists. Two more goal contributions during his side's 5-2 loss on Sunday put the 30-year-old just one point behind Rian Marques atop the league’s points standings. Gabriel Costa bagged five points across the two games for an impressive weekend of his own. As the dust settled, San Diego and Chihuahua each walked away with three points, but those dropped points may come back to bite them.


Just north of San Diego, the Blast came up just short in the first leg of their west coast swing after  Empire Strykers goalkeeper Brian Orozco scored a game-winning overtime goal from behind the yellow line. This is now two consecutive losses for the Blast, who previously won nine straight games dating back to Dec. 20. As a result, they’ve dropped down to fourth in the standings, though they do still have two games in hand over the Sockers and four over the Savage. 


While all this chaos unfolded, the Comets managed to see out their trap game at home to the Ambush. St. Louis put together a good performance, but four points from Marques sealed the deal as Kansas City ran out 8-5 winners. They now sit third with 32 points behind San Diego with 33 and Chihuahua with 40, but crucially, the Comets also have two games in hand over the Sockers and four over the Savage, meaning they’re in a prime position to challenge for the MASL Shield if they can stay healthy during their deluge of games in March.


The end of the season will be here before too long and these sides know their goal. Winning the Shield and clinching the top two seeds will make the route to the Ron Newman Cup Finals much easier, but their rivals in hot pursuit will revel in these slips.


The Savage and Sockers will meet one final time on Mar. 14 at Corner Sport Arena, with an opportunity to control their own destiny on the line. Before that, both sides will need to continue their good form. Chihuahua will travel to Utica this weekend for a pair of games while the Sockers stay home and host the visiting Wave. Kickoff from Utica will be Saturday, Feb. 22, at 7:05 PM EST, before Milwaukee and San Diego begin at 10:05 PM EST.

Outlaws Make Waves in Milwaukee

The biggest result of the weekend, and maybe even the season, saw Milwaukee drop two points in an overtime loss to the visiting Outlaws. Texas entered the game with just one win all season, having already lost to the Wave in Mesquite last month, but Ed Puskarich and his side didn’t let that get in their way.


Texas jumped out to an early lead and maintained it for the majority of the game. This young, raw side forced Milwaukee into difficult shots and managed to keep the ball away from their stars like Mario Alvarez and Alex Sanchez. The Wave finished the game with their second-worst Goals Per Shot record of the season (.125), and defensively, they conceded on over 41% of their opponent’s shots, more than double their average in 2024/25. 


Despite all that, Giuliano Oliviero’s side scored three goals in the fourth quarter including an equalizer with just nine seconds left in regulation, to force overtime. While the result hung in the balance, Texas dug deep, stayed calm, and grabbed the goal they so desperately wanted to win 7-6 on the road.


Nine different players earned direct goal contributions, but the night truly belonged to David Stankovic. The 24-year-old Texan bagged an impressive brace and assist, including the game-winning goal, but that was a surprise to anyone but his team. Despite having just 13 MASL games under his belt, he currently leads his side with 14 points this season, and it's clear that he has the poise and wherewithal to deliver when the pressure is on. 


It’s fair to say that at this point in the season, a playoff berth is likely a bit out of reach for Texas, but they’ve shown that they can play the role of spoiler effectively. There’s still a lot of soccer to be played and this Outlaws side has shown they’re not a doormat. This week, they’ll welcome the Strykers on Thursday as they prepare to renew their in-state rivalry the following week. Kickoff against Empire will be Thursday, Feb. 20, at 8:05 PM EST.


For Milwaukee, this loss will sting, but they need to focus on regrouping. They’ve lost four of their last six games, dropped ten points during that spell, and as a result, they’ve lost ground to Utica who now trails the Wave by just five points with two games in hand. This weekend, they’ll travel to California to face San Diego and Empire for a difficult road test that could exacerbate their current issues if they’re not at their best. Kickoff from Frontwave Arena will be Saturday, Feb. 22, at 10:05 PM EST.

A Night To Remember In Upstate New York


Last week, Utica, NY welcomed the indoor soccer world to celebrate our shared love of the sport with a gathering of the game’s best players. The MASL All Star Game brought these athletes, coaches, general managers, owners, referees, league officials, and talking heads together, under one roof, for a night of individual brilliance and collective enjoyment.


From the minute this international gathering commenced, be it at the airport, hotel, or arena, the players embraced each other. They chatted about anything and everything under the sun, while eagerly pulling up old highlights from the glory days. While donning their team’s gear during the media sessions, they continued to laugh and joke with smiles from ear to ear, a recurring sight that only grew more prevalent when they touched the field. 


Warm-ups were a sight to behold as an overwhelming hoard of different jerseys flooded the blue turf, chomping at the bit for their first chance to meet and interact with their fans. Utica’s All Stars were in high demand, but their adoring fans shared the love with all the players throughout the event, as they celebrated the greatness on display.


The Skills Challenge began with an intense goalkeeper showdown. Players on both sides seemed to forget they weren’t really teammates as they screamed and chanted wildly after every shot and save. Kansas City’s Nicolau Neto emerged victorious and was promptly swarmed by a charging stampede from Team Kelvin. The players immediately bought in and it became clear that this energy and enthusiasm would only grow as the night went on. 


Team Kelvin clinched the Skills Challenge after an impressive display and followed that up by winning the All Star Game itself, 7-3. Kelvin Oliveira was named the Capelli Sport Man of the Match thanks in large part to his three goals and one assist. More importantly, he and his team celebrated wildly with an enthusiastic and deserved trophy celebration. To help them celebrate, the fans in attendance joined the field for a fan fest few will soon forget.


We rarely get an opportunity to take a step back and celebrate this wonderful sport, but Utica City FC’s ownership, the league, and the players deserve a massive amount of gratitude for doing just that. As an indoor soccer sicko, this was a lifelong dream and a wildly fun event that will live long in the hearts of everyone involved.