Fabián, Ponce, Castillo, Gomez Called up for USA vs. Mexico

El Tri roster additions boost historic implications of September clash

Ontario, Calif. — The Empire Strykers today announced four of their players have been called up to the Mexican arena soccer national team for the upcoming rivalry clash with the United States in Ontario. The high-profile affair holds historic implications in two different ways. While FIFA World Cup veterans Marco Fabián and Miguel Ponce will represent their country together for the first time since 2014, the occasion will also mark the first time the duo takes the field with recent Empire signing and reigning Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) MVP Genaro Castillo.

Since the September 29 event is not part of an official competition, eligibility rules are flexible. Among the beneficiaries is Strykers goalkeeper Brandon Gomez, who is American but has been invited by El Tri because family ties could allow him to apply for Mexican citizenship.

Tickets to the doubleheader featuring both countries’ men’s and a women’s teams are available exclusively on Ticketmaster and may be purchased here.

A former star of the outdoor game, Marco Fabián, who boasts 43 senior caps, played in both the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups. In the early stages of his professional career, the attacker impressed at the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London, scoring five goals and winning the gold medal alongside his current Strykers teammate Miguel Ponce.

In addition to both being selected for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, midfielder Fabián and defender Ponce also played together for over a decade at Mexican giants Chivas de Guadalajara, combining at the youth and senior levels between 2004 and Fabián’s transfer to Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt in 2015. To this day, the pair enjoys legendary status with Chivas, Fabián having suited up nearly 200 times for the first team and Ponce having amassed close to 250 appearances by the time he retired from the outdoor game in 2022.

While both “Rojiblancos” icons won domestic and international titles during their time with the club, Fabián added silverware with Cruz Azul as well as the 2011 Gold Cup with his national team. The gifted attacker has also played for Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit Philadelphia Union and two other Mexican first division teams in FC Juárez and Mazatlán FC. After joining Empire in early December 2023, he took the league by storm and crowned his maiden season with three major accomplishments, sharing the Golden Boot and earning Elite Six as well as Newcomer of the Year honors.

Like Fabián, Genaro Castillo has enjoyed an impressive transition to a smaller field, as the most recent campaign was only his second in the MASL. Having signed with the Monterrey Flash ahead of 2022-23, the former Tigres UANL prospect rose to fame in 2023-24, playing in all of his side’s 24 regular season games and finishing as the MASL leader in points with 50. As the Flash achieved its historic feat of going undefeated, Castillo contributed 32 goals, good for third-most in the league. His explosive performances throughout the campaign earned him a spot in the MASL Elite Six and the coveted title of MASL MVP.

Hailing from Southern California, goalkeeper Brandon Gomez is the son of a mother who was born in Mexico and a father who spent the majority of his youth south of the border. Gomez is an established entity in the local competitive soccer scene, as he played his college ball for Vanguard University in Costa Mesa before joining Spain’s CD Almuñecar City and returning home to play professionally for NISA outfit Los Angeles Force. Having signed with Empire prior to 2023-24, Gomez made rapid strides in adapting to the indoor game as he split the time in net with fellow MASL rookie Brian Orozco.