Empire Faces Trial by Fire in Season Opener at Chihuahua
Ontario, Calif. — The mood has been one of nervous anticipation inside Empire Strykers camp this week, with the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) side preparing to open its 2024-25 season away to defending champion, Mexico's Chihuahua Savage, on Friday. After a campaign in which the Southern Californians put up the worst record in their history at 3-19-2 (wins-losses-overtime shootout losses), the club's roster rebuild will be tested early against the side that defeated the Kansas City Comets in the spring to make it back-to-back league crowns.
The Empire Strykers take on host Chihuahua Savage on December 6, 2024, at 6 PM PST. The match will be streamed live in English on the MASL's official YouTube channel (@MASLtv).
One of those who were relegated to runners-up in April is Robert “Berto” Palmer. The Jamaican, who rejoined Empire over the summer after previously spending three seasons with the organization, led the Comets into the final series against the Savage, earning MASL Defender of the Year honors in the process.
“Chihuahua has really grown as a team by having a clear idea of what they want to do and executing their plan extremely well,” Palmer said. “All of their players understand their responsibilities. As a result, the younger guys have really come into their own and have started to make names for themselves. If you want to have a chance at their venue, you have to be at your best for four quarters or more. Even when teams do well for one half, Chihuahua often comes back in the second half and wins. They're relentless.”
If the official roster provided by the Savage is to be believed, the club may be without a couple of key performers from their 2023-24 triumph, as well as without their marquee addition on attack. Following the departure of Genoni Martinez, Chihuahua will also feature a new head coach in Edgar “Chebo” Martinez.
Inspite of it all, Palmer cautioned against thinking Empire's first opponent might be likely to hand out any gifts on its home turf. While offering a cautiously optimistic assessment of his side's preparedness, the 35-year-old veteran stressed the importance of Friday's fixture at Arena Corner Sports.
“We've been working hard, and training has been detail-oriented and productive,” he said. “The energy is very positive right now, but most teams feel pretty good about their preseason. The real test comes when we actually take the field against Chihuahua, the best team in the league. It's a measuring stick that we have to be ready for. After the game, we can look at it and analyze what we did well or not so well.”
Back in 2023, the Strykers parted ways with nearly all of their established veterans and replaced the vast majority with young, hungry converts from the outdoor game. The experiment did not pan out, as 2023-24 saw the side outsmarted on more than a few occasions by opponents of superior experience. In response, the Empire front office has made a slew of moves to try and address the unintended consequences of the previous roster overhaul.
In addition to Robert Palmer, two more key contributors from the side's best ever finish rejoined in midfielder Jorge DeLeon and backstop Claysson De Lima. While DeLeon missed just one of nine playoff games as he helped the Ontario Fury (today's Strykers) reach the final of a 2021 campaign shortened by the Covid-19 pandemic, De Lima took home MASL Goalkeeper of the Year honors courtesy of his standout performances in the regular season.
In the wake of last month's ownership and roster shakeup within the Texas Outlaws organization, Empire also managed to snatch up club icon Andy Reyes and fellow defender Emmanuel Aguirre. Reyes played 77 times for the Fury between 2015 and 2021, making six appearances in his final campaign before missing much of the team's run to the championship series due to injury. Mexico native Aguirre spent 2021-22 with Ontario.
Like Reyes and Aguirre at Texas, the Strykers' Momo Gueye, Justin Stinson and Alan Perez last season set career highs in several major statistical categories.
In addition to securing the services of Palmer, De Lima, DeLeon, Reyes and Aguirre, the Strykers front office lured ex-Fury defender Jose “Bebe” Gonzalez out of retirement and managed to finalize two more major acquisitions during the offseason.
While reigning MASL MVP Genaro Castillo has been waiting to learn whether he will be granted the necessary visa, the Mexican will be eligible to take the field in his native country on Friday. The addition of Englishman Alex Bradley has been more straightforward, as the Milwaukee Wave legend has played professional indoor soccer in North America for the past seven years.
Staying true to the overarching theme of the past few months, Empire in November opted for a familiar face at the head coaching position, Onua Obasi replacing Paul Wright. An MASL veteran who played for the Fury in 2021-22, Obasi is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young coaches in the sport. The native of England guided Newtown Pride FC to a 2023 triumph and a 2024 semifinal run at The Soccer Tournament (TST), a high-profile 7v7 competition with a prize pot of a million dollars.
In order to get a result against the Savage, the Strykers' new man in charge will need strong defensive showings from club legend and long-time captain Israel “Izzy” Sesay as well as Robert Palmer and Momo Gueye. Palmer led the league in blocked opposition shots last season (86), with Gueye (26) finishing atop the Empire roster.
On offense, Onua Obasi's side is spearheaded by two-time FIFA World Cup veteran Marco Fabián. Despite Empire's struggles in 2023-24, the Mexican star's lightning-fast transition to the indoor game saw him claim MASL Newcomer of the Year and Elite Six honors after sharing the Golden Boot for most goals scored (35). Fabián also ranked tied for first in power play goals (6), tied for fifth in points-per-game average (2.2 in 21 games) and sixth in total points (47).
At Chihuahua, the visitors' midfield maestro could form a lethal attacking duo with his compatriot Genaro Castillo, who topped the league in points (50) in 2023-24 while with the Monterrey Flash. The Mexican finished tied for third in goals (32) and ninth in points-per-game average (2.1 in 24 games). His 18 assists would have seen him lead all Empire players.
Attacker Justin Stinson finished last season on loan with the Tacoma Stars. As Castillo was a member of Monterrey's squad, Stinson's combined totals saw him place second on Empire behind Fabián in goals (23), points (38) and points-per-game average (1.8 in 21 games). The Missouri native also claimed runner-up on the roster in assists (15) behind Stefan Mijatovic, who was traded to Tacoma two weeks ago. Alan Perez ranked third-highest in the category (13) among all Strykers players.
The Chihuahua Savage, which finished 2023-24 at 16-7-1 (wins-losses-overtime/shootout losses), good for second in the Western Conference, are led on defense by goalkeeper Diego Reynoso. The 35-year-old topped the MASL in goals-against average (3.31) last season while placing second in save percentage (.750).
According to the current Savage roster, the club can no longer rely on the services of another veteran, Roberto Escalante, who finished tied for sixth in the league in blocked opposition shots (41). He was trailed on Chihuahua by Brandon González and Arturo Valle (21 each).
Recent signing Edgar González also appears to be unavailable for the Savage, as he is currently listed as part of the side's inactive roster. The forward, who spent 2023-24 with Monterrey, had more goals (25), assists (14) and points (39) as well as a better points-per-game average (1.7 in 23 games) than anyone on Chihuahua. Last season's top Savage attacker was Hugo Puentes, who led the side in goals (21), assists (13), points (34) and points-per-game average (1.4 in 21 games).
Erick Tovar was Chihuahua's second-most impactful player on offense. In addition to placing tied for eighth in the MASL in power play goals (4) and finishing runner-up among his teammates in points-per-game average (1.3 in 16 games), the forward also tied for second on the Savage with Miguel Angel Diaz in points (21 each) and with both Diaz and Enrique Cañez in goals (15 each). Like Roberto Escalante, Cañez is not currently listed as part of Chihuahua's squad. Carlos Hernandez had the team's second-most assists (8) in 2023-24.
Having lost April's Ron Newman Cup final series to the Savage as a member of Kansas City, Empire's Robert Palmer put his experience and calm demeanor on display as he shared his final thoughts on the Strykers' opener in Mexico.
“I'm not holding a grudge” said the defender. “I'm on a totally different team now, and my state of mind is different as well. In a sense, it's just another game, but it's a very important one because it sets the tone for the season. We play Chihuahua three times total. The goal is to get at least two and hopefully three wins against them. Friday is our first chance to take a step in that direction, so we have to be mentally sharp and focused on our performance. That's the only thing going through my head.”
The Empire Strykers kick off their 2024-25 campaign with a trip to Mexico and a December 6 clash with defending champion Chihuahua Savage. The team's home opener against Utica City FC is scheduled for Friday, December 13. Season tickets and single-game tickets are available at www.TheEmpireStrykers.com.