AROUND THE LEAGUE: WEEK 9

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


Kelvin Returns for the Riggies

It’s been nearly a month since Utica’s new sensation touched the turf of an MASL field, following his hugely rewarding trip to Italy for the Kings World Cup Nations tournament. The 29-year-old willed Brazil to victory, earning the top goalscorer award, and was deservedly named the tournament’s best player to boot. It truly is not an overstatement to say that Kelvin Oliveira might just be the best small-sided soccer player in the world, and this weekend, he led the attack for the Utica Riggies.


With the high-flying Wave visiting the Adirondack Bank Center for a weekend double-header, Kelvin put the league on notice, scoring five goals and assisting a further three for one of the best individual performances of the season. Milwaukee’s net rippled from his long-range screamers and futsal-inspired flicks, each goal more delicate and deft than the next. He scored at will and truly brought Joga Bonito to the turf. 


On a night when all 12 teams were in action, Kelvin commandeered the headlines. His reward? A 10-6 win over the Wave, a spot atop the league’s goal-scoring chart, and perhaps most importantly, a piping hot bowl of pasta served fresh to him on the field. How can you not be romantic about indoor soccer? 


Looking forward, Utica and Kelvin have a bit of a mountain to climb for the rest of the season. After beating the Wave on Saturday, Milwaukee managed to win their Sunday matinee thanks to Alex Steinwascher's chaotic, last-second, long-range goal. Through their first nine games, Utica has just four wins and sits seventh in the league table, 15 points off league leaders Chihuahua. They’ll need to win some big games this month to build momentum if they want to jump Empire in the standings.


So far we’ve seen Kelvin thrive in Utica, Harrisburg, San Diego, and Empire, but one question remains: can he do it on a brisk night at the Mesquite Arena? Tune in this weekend to find out as Utica travels to face both the Outlaws and Sidekicks. Game one against Texas is Saturday, Feb. 1 at 8:05 PM EST, and game two against Dallas will be Monday, Feb. 3 at 8:00 PM EST.

Can Chihuahua Put Their Road Struggles Behind Them?

With the first half of their season in the books, the Savage sit two points clear of San Diego and Baltimore atop the MASL standings. They’re returning home after a difficult road trip to Kansas City and Milwaukee with just two points, far from what we’ve come to expect from the two-time defending champions.


Of their twelve games played, eight have been at their insurmountable fortress, Corner Sport Arena, and the hosts have defended their turf perfectly. They take an average of 48.5 shots per game at home, twenty more than the league standard, and have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 101 to 40. It’s genuinely noteworthy if one of their games ends with a margin of victory lower than three. However, their away record has been far less favorable. 


So far this season, Chihuahua has squeezed past the Stars in an eight-round shootout, lost to the Sockers by two, lost to the Comets by three, and beat the Wave in overtime. Kansas City created acres of space for their superstars to weaponize in attack, including Chad Vandegriffe who ended the game with a brace. Defensively, they stayed compact, tracked their runners, and forced the Savage into less dangerous shooting opportunities, helping Phillip Ejimadu steal the show with 19 saves and a staggering 95% save percentage. On Tuesday, the Wave attempted to follow a similar script for much of the game, even leading 5-2 early in the third quarter, before the Savage roared back, eventually claiming the crucial golden goal in overtime. 


To help put this frustrating record into perspective, the Savage dropped just five points during their nine trips to the United States last season. Those games included inspiring wins over San Diego and Kansas City, so either the chasing pack has caught up, or Chihuahua has regressed. The Savage boasts one of the most talented rosters in the league, without a doubt, but they need to turn some more of these good performances into three points instead of two. Championships are the standard and eight dropped points in four games will not cut it.


They’ll have more than a few chances to turn their luck around for the rest of the season with eight of the remaining games coming away from home. They’ll open this weekend at Corner Sport Arena on Friday, Jan. 31, at 9:00 PM EST to take on the Tacoma Stars before traveling to California to take on Empire. Kickoff against the Strykers will be Sunday, Feb. 2, at 7:05 PM EST, live on the CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Late Ambush Earns Three Critical Points

At this point, nearly halfway through the season, four teams are in a dogfight for the eighth and final playoff position. Dallas, Tacoma, Harrisburg, and St. Louis are separated by just two points in the standings, and it looks like this fight may go down to the wire. Despite their shortcomings, this weekend proved huge for St. Louis and their hopes of staying with the rest of the pack.


There’s been a lot of noise surrounding the Ambush as of late. From the Comets clinching the I-70 Rivalry last month to Franck Tayou’s suspension and return, it's fair to say this season has been far from smooth sailing. However, St. Louis is still very much in the hunt with 12 games left. This weekend, they faced the buzzsaw that is Baltimore at the TU Arena but then managed to win a thriller against the Heat. 


In Harrisburg, head coach Jeff Locker’s side trailed by three goals with just over six minutes remaining before their sixth-attacker unit found the net four times, including thrice in the final two minutes for a 5-4 finals score. The game-winning goal, scored by Lucas Almeida with just two seconds remaining, could be a galvanizing moment for this team going forward. Walking away from that game with three points was crucial for St. Louis as it saw them leapfrog both Harrisburg and Tacoma in the standings.


The Heat enjoyed 118 minutes of great indoor soccer this weekend, but that final two minutes will haunt them for the rest of the season. Three points there would have seen them climb to eighth, one point clear of Dallas and just three points off Utica City FC. Instead, they’re firmly on the outside looking in, especially when you consider the difficulty of their upcoming schedule. 


Head coach Pat Healey has done a great job of roster building this season, bringing in young guns and indoor soccer veterans for them to learn from. They play a disciplined brand of soccer that focuses on finding the best opportunity to score, maximizing their attacking return. They still have some work to do defensively, as they give up far too many dangerous opportunities, but there is a tangible improvement on display and this weekend showed that their playoff goal is within reach.


On Saturday, Feb 1, the two sides will face off once more, this time in St. Louis. Both sides will see this as a crucial opportunity, not just to secure three points, but to take three points away from a rival in this playoff dogfight. Kickoff for this massive showdown at the Family Arena is scheduled for 7:05 PM EST.