Aguirre, Strykers “Believe We Can Beat San Diego”

Confident Empire travels to take on SoCal rivals Saturday

Ontario, Calif. — Coming off their first back-to-back wins since the later part of their 2022-23 Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) campaign, the Empire Strykers players have had little time to celebrate, as they’re readying themselves for the most stern test to date of their budding on-field chemistry. After defeating the Tacoma Stars at home and then the Texas Outlaws on the road, both victories coming by 10-5 score lines, Head Coach Onua Obasi and his squad travel south this weekend to battle long-time Southern California rivals San Diego Sockers.

2-2-0 (wins-losses-shootout/overtime losses) Empire takes on 2-1-0 San Diego on Saturday, December 28, 2004, at 7:05 PM PST. In the U.S., the meeting at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside will stream exclusively in English on CBS Sports Golazo Network. Tickets are available here.

Last season, the worst in the history of the Strykers organization, saw pro indoor soccer novice Marco Fabián take the league by storm. Perhaps the biggest difference thus far in 2024-25 is that the two-time FIFA World Cup veteran has been a bit quieter on the attack while his team’s overall output has significantly improved. Among Empire’s greatest strengths over the past two games has been its unpredictability going forward, with nine players having made noteworthy contributions relative to their positions, including a pair of defenders and even two goalkeepers.

In the recent win at Texas, one of the Strykers’ six Mexican nationals made headlines in former Outlaws ace Emmanuel Aguirre. Despite being a nominal defender, the 30-year-old bagged a goal and two assists, matching the points total put up by his attacking teammate Justin Stinson. Having previously spent the 2019-20 campaign with the Ontario Fury (today’s Empire Strykers), Aguirre rejoined the club amid last month’s dramatic roster shakeup at Texas, which resulted in Empire on Saturday facing an opponent who featured mainly rookies and players with limited experience lacing up in the MASL.

“Although I worry first about doing a great job keeping the opposition attackers at bay, I have always considered myself someone with qualities on both sides of the ball,” said veteran Aguirre in Spanish, with his wife acting as translator. “I like to take every opportunity I can to go forward, but always making sure the team can count on me to get back quickly when I’m needed.”

While the Outlaws’ Erik Macias and Billy O’Dwyer each bagged three points against the Strykers, their team found itself unable to withstand a dominant second-half display by the visitors, who outscored their opposition 7-1 after the break. Over the course of the entire encounter, Empire’s two netminders, Brian Orozco and Claysson De Lima, were only forced into making a combined eight saves.

“Adding victories is important in order to get more confidence for the season,” offered defender Aguirre, a former youth prospect with Mexico’s Atlas. “I think we played a strong game, considering Texas had so many unfamiliar players and we didn’t know what to expect. We lost our focus defensively a few too many times, but I was happy with the way we kept possession throughout the game. That’s something to build on.”

Empire’s next chance to keep fine-tuning the approach introduced by first-time MASL head coach Obasi comes in Saturday’s clash with the mighty Sockers. Emmanuel Aguirre ranks among a trio of Strykers who possess superior insight on the rivalry fixture, all three having played against San Diego many times and having also suited up for the two-time MASL champions. The other two are Andy Reyes and Gerardo Jurado. During the 2019-20 season, Mexican Aguirre was a mainstay with the Sockers, appearing in 15 matches before running into visa complications.

“Having been a part of that club, I know many of their players very well,” offered Aguirre. “We work very hard for every game and believe we can beat anyone. That includes San Diego. We have an excellent coach, and he has given us a great tactical system. We know getting an away win at their venue won’t be easy, but we feel ready to face any team in the league.”

Like Empire, Head Coach Phil Salvagio’s Sockers are currently riding a two-game win streak, which has them sitting seventh in the standings. Both sides may be eyeing second place come kickoff time, provided they get substantial help from other teams over the next few days. After a 6-5 overtime victory in which many felt visiting Utica had unfairly had their would-be golden goal chalked off, San Diego claimed three points in yet another nail-biter at home, downing Tacoma 5-4.

As the fifth-place Strykers aim to present the Sockers with their next major challenge, they will be led defensively by captain Robert Palmer. Palmer ranks tied for sixth in the MASL in blocked opposition shots (7), and fellow defender Aguirre (4) is runner-up on Empire in the category. Meanwhile, the team’s attack has been spearheaded by Justin Stinson, who is tied for third in the league in both points (8) and goals (6) as well as tied for eighth in points-per-game average (2.0 in 4 games) along with teammate Alex Bradley (2.0 in 1 game).

Marco Fabián, Mounir Alami and Andy Reyes jointly sit second on the Strykers in points (6 each), with Reyes tied for third in the league in assists (5) and Alami tied for fifth (4). Fabián ranks tied for seventh in the MASL in goals (5), and fellow midfielder Randy Martinez ranks tied for the ninth-most helpers (3).

Notably, Reyes is far from being Empire’s only defensive player with a sizable offensive output, relatively speaking, as his backline partner Emmanuel Aguirre (1.0 points-per-game average in 4 games) and goalkeepers Brandon Gomez (0.5 in 2 games) and Claysson De Lima (0.3 in 3 games) have kept opponents on their toes with their effective excursions into the attacking half.

The Strykers’ weekend foe will once again bank on the defensive prowess of Ben Ramin, who is tied for tenth in the league in blocked opposition shots (6), with Felipe Gonzalez (3) sitting as second-best on San Diego. Meanwhile, former Texas standout Luiz Morales has dominated offensively for the Sockers. The first-year San Diego forward ranks second in the league in goals (7), tied for third in points (8) and tied for fourth in points-per-game average (2.7 in 3 games).

Morales will look for continued support from defender Luis Ortega and veteran of Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A, Keko Gontán, with the pair jointly ranking tied for second on their side in points (3 each) and points-per-game average (both 1.0 in 3 games). Gontán shares Sockers runners-up in goals with club legend Felipe Gonzalez (2 each) and in assists with former Ontario Fury star Charlie Gonzalez (2 each).

With both San Diego and Empire seeming to field competitive squads this season, the matchup between the two Southern California outfits easily ranks as one of the most intriguing since both met in the 2021 Ron Newman Cup final series. As the Strykers attempt to return to the playoffs for the first time since then, an away victory over an MASL postseason regular could prove key in setting the tone for a successful endeavor.

The Empire Strykers’ next home game is a clash with the Tacoma Stars on Sunday, January 5. Tickets may be purchased here.