DeLeon, Aguirre Rejoin Empire from Texas Outlaws

Pair were Ontario Fury teammates in 2021-22

Ontario, Calif. — The Empire Strykers today announced they have obtained the rights to midfielder Jorge DeLeon and defender Emmanuel Aguirre from fellow Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) side Texas Outlaws. Signed through the 2026-27 season, both players return to Empire after previous stints with the club. DeLeon, who has been acquired in exchange for financial considerations, first suited up for the Strykers (then named Ontario Fury) in 2021 and 2021-22, sharing the field with Aguirre during his second campaign with the club.

“Last year, we were so eager to improve that we took our emphasis on youth a bit too far,” offered the Strykers’ executive vice president, Jimmy Nordberg. “Bringing back Jorge DeLeon and Emmanuel Aguirre is another step toward reversing some of the unintended consequences. There’s a reason Jorge and Emmanuel were among our fan favorites in the past. Both are incredibly smart indoor players, and both exhibit the kind of maturity and professionalism needed to help guide a young locker room. We look forward to their contributions on and off the field.”

DeLeon, 31, played for Richland College and Midwestern State University in his native Texas before embarking on his MASL career with the Mesquite Outlaws (today’s Texas Outlaws) in 2019-20. During the 2021 season, which was shortened due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he saw the field in nine of Ontario’s ten regular season games and in all eight playoff matches, proving pivotal in the team’s run to the finals. After subsequently logging 22 regular season games for the Fury in 2021-22, DeLeon helped Mesquite/Texas reach the MASL playoffs in each of the following two campaigns and appeared in all six postseason encounters.

“After coming so close to winning the championship with the Fury three and a half years ago, it feels like unfinished business,” said the midfielder. “That’s one of the reasons I’m incredibly excited to be back in the Inland Empire. During my first time here, the organization and the fans treated me very well, which makes it feel like coming home. I want nothing more than to repay everyone by winning the trophy.”

Hailing from Guadalajara, Mexico, 30-year-old Emmanuel Aguirre rose through the ranks of Atlas, lacing up for the storied club at the youth level between the ages of 12 and 19. A left-back in the outdoor game, he made the move to Toluca in the early 2010s and went on to appear in the domestic topflight and cup competition. As an MASL rookie in 2018-19, the defender then appeared in all 24 regular season games with the Rio Grande Valley Barracudas, earning the most blocked opposition shots of all players around the league (41). Aguirre went on to play in both of his team’s playoff matches.

The following season, the Mexican took to the turf 15 times for the San Diego Sockers before encountering visa-related issues. Having married a U.S. citizen, he returned to competing in the MASL with Ontario in 2021-22, making 16 appearances with the Southern Californians. Over the course of the two most recent campaigns, Aguirre managed the impressive feat of not only playing in all 48 regular season games with Texas/Mesquite but also seeing the field in each of the club’s six playoff matches. Last season, he recorded a career-high 14 attacking points.

“I’ve thought about coming back here ever since I left the Fury in 2022,” said the defender in Spanish, “which is why I’m extremely happy it has finally worked out. I’m looking to continue growing as a player and help the team reach its full potential. My goal is to win the MASL championship.”

Season ticket packages for the Empire Strykers’ 2024-25 MASL campaign are available now and may be purchased here. Single-game tickets will go on sale soon.