Palmer, Strykers Aim to “Step It Up” in Home Opener vs. Rivals

Empire hopes to make it back-to-back wins over San Diego Friday

Ontario, Calif. — When the Empire Strykers face off with the San Diego Sockers this coming Friday in their Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) home opener, they will do so with the confidence of having recently bagged a rare away victory over their longtime Southern California rivals. In front of what is expected to be a raucous crowd at Ontario’s Toyota Arena, the Strykers look to open an MASL campaign with back-to-back victories for the first time since 2021-22.

1-0-0 (wins-losses-overtime/shootout losses) Empire takes on 0-1-1 San Diego on December 12 at 7:05 p.m. PST. Tickets may be purchased here.

The video broadcast will air exclusively in the U.S. on CBS Sports Golazo Network (English) and in Mexico on FOX Sports 2 (Spanish). International viewers in many other countries can watch live in English on Sportworld, Unbeaten Network and Apex Sports, with a video broadcast in Spanish also being made available globally (except in Mexico) via the MASL’s YouTube channel. Around the world, fans will be able to listen in English via the exclusive radio broadcast on FOX Sports 1270AM.

In their November 28 season opener away to the Sockers, the Strykers started out with a bang, as they downed their mighty opponents 5-4 in overtime.

While Empire forward Mounir Alami bagged a brace in the dramatic victory at Frontwave Arena — including the winner — a pair of the Moroccan’s teammates had even more impactful performances. Most prominently, backline anchor Robert Palmer made a stunning eight blocks, a feat that would later earn him MASL Defensive Player of the Week honors. Goalkeeper Brian Orozco not only recorded an impressive .769 save percentage but contributed a spectacular assist on the game’s golden goal.

Sockers defender Cesar Cerda put up three blocks, with his teammate Boris Pardo registering a .750 save percentage in net.

After his dominant display, Robert Palmer shared how he approached the back-to-back encounters with the Sockers during preseason.

“Most of my preparation is the same whether it's San Diego or anyone else in the league,” offered the Jamaican. “I just kind of work on little things that I know I will have to do — for example, reading long balls off the boards in the corner and fighting for those.”

However, Palmer did reveal special work he’s been putting in to gear up for Sockers star forwards Tavoy Morgan and Nick Perera, both of whom he kept without any goals or assists in part one of the consecutive meetings with San Diego.

“I work on my angles and my movements around the top of the box,” said the MASL veteran. “Tavoy especially likes to operate there, like a big post-up player in basketball. He’s dangerous in that spot, so I get ready to battle with him.”

Palmer continued, “With Nick, it's been a battle over the years, so I know what to expect with him. I remind my teammates with both Tavoy and Nick, but especially with Nick, that it’s just me versus him. Don’t come to help. Stay with your mark, because Nick is very good at passing the ball and finding an open teammate.”

First-year MASL Head Coach Onua Obasi last season engineered Empire’s first playoff participation since 2021. For doing so, and for implementing an exhilarating and highly innovative system that frequently sees his goalkeepers join the attack, Obasi was voted MASL Coach of the Year.

While the core of the Strykers squad returns, the task at hand has been to compensate for the departure of several veterans while integrating a minimum of six new arrivals.

In club legend and former captain Israel Sesay, Empire loses an inspirational figure in the locker room who saw limited playing time prior to his retirement at the end of the previous campaign. Another outgoing natural leader, MASL mainstay Alex Bradley, struggled to get on the field due to persistent injury issues. Significant roster minutes have become vacant via the retirements of midfielder Quenton Swift and defender Emmanuel Aguirre, who finished last season ranking second on his side in blocks (15).

While the difficulty of obtaining a P1 visa kept former MASL MVP Genaro Castillo from ever donning the Empire crest, a total of nine offseason departures saw the turf for the club in 2024-25. Six open slots have been filled by new additions, including those of MASL veterans Ant Powell, Lucas Ramalho and Steven Chávez. Arriving as a free agent from the now defunct Texas Outlaws, Chávez comes off a breakout campaign that saw the midfielder jump from one career point to 29 while also setting personal bests in goals, assists and points per game.

The offseason turnover presented an additional challenge heading into the Strykers’ clash with a highly-experienced, well-oiled San Diego team. Having come close to beating the Sockers on several occasions in 2024-25, Empire finally managed to snap a 14-game losing streak against the two-time league champions.

Despite some early growing pains, the predominant feeling among players and staff was one of excitement about the result.

“A win is a win,” said Robert Palmer. “When you look at it over the years, and especially last year, there’s a lot of times where we’re right there until the fourth quarter, and then we lose. It almost happened this time. They took the lead in the third quarter, and we were like, here we go again. In the past, they would explode and score another goal or two. But this time, we tied it and got the win, so that was a relief.”

The Strykers captain went on to provide a more detailed assessment of his team’s performance.

“It was the first game, so we didn't always play our best,” he said. “We didn’t always do what we’ve been practicing. I think we could have scored more goals and kind of blown the game up. We started really well, but then the second quarter was too transitional. It was kind of like, shoot me and I’ll shoot you, and we’ll see who’s left standing.

I still felt that we had a lot of good moments. A lot of our guys played well. We just have to learn from this game and step it up a notch. The key is to stick to our game plan through four quarters.”

The Empire camp is hopeful that the victory at San Diego can begin reversing a historical trend of narrow rivalry losses. While Onua Obasi’s side dropped all six of its encounters with the MASL giants in 2024-25, five of them were decided by margins of two goals or less. The only one that wasn’t — a March 22 meeting in Oceanside — was claimed 10-7 by the Sockers after the Strykers had led 7-5 early in the final period.

Empire suffered an even more gut-wrenching loss to San Diego in the two teams’ final clash of the regular season back on March 23 in Ontario. At the time needing a win in order to secure their playoff spot, the hosts came agonizingly close to completing an electrifying rally from 6-1 down in the third period, as they fell via golden goal after finishing tied, 8-8, at the end of regulation.

In the game, the Strykers bid farewell to retiring club legend Israel “Izzy” Sesay, with a boisterous crowd of 7,387 honoring the long-time team captain and shattering records for highest ever home attendance in franchise history as well as for the highest attendance of the season around the entire MASL.

Less than two weeks later, the Sockers ousted Empire in the first round of the elimination stages, prevailing 4-2 in a bitterly contested affair in front of their home fans.

Despite the early playoff exit, the Strykers’ 2024-25 season was widely considered a success, as the organization reached the knockout rounds for just the fourth time in its history, which dates back to 2013. The previous time took place during the MASL’s “COVID season” in 2021. Still playing as the Ontario Fury then, the Southern Californians made a run to the championship series and came within a hair’s breadth of lifting the trophy, as it took San Diego a 2-1 win in the decisive 15-minute mini game to emerge victorious.

While notably ranking tied for second in the league in assists (21) for the 2024-25 regular season and boasting 1.2 points per game (in 23), Robert Palmer is also Empire’s undisputed defensive leader. The 36-year-old finished fifth MASL-wide in blocks (51), with new arrival Steven Chávez having registered the second most (15) of all current Strykers.

2025 All-Stars Marco Fabián and Justin Stinson form a lethal attacking duo for Empire. While Fabián placed tied for eighth in the league in points per game (1.95 in 21 games) last season as well as eighth in both points (41) and goals (25), along with claiming runner-up on the Strykers in assists (16), Stinson finished second in the MASL in goals (32), tied for fifth in points (43) and for sixth in power play goals (3), and second on his side in points per game (1.79 in 24 games).

A big part of what made the Empire attack so unpredictable were the contributions by the team’s three goalkeepers. While Brian Orozco scored three times and added an assist in 22 appearances, Brandon Gomez put up two goals and two helpers, and Claysson De Lima collected four assists, the latter two each having played in 13 games.

For its part, San Diego ranks among the most successful clubs in league history, having never missed the knockout rounds and having claimed the title in both 2021 and 2022. Last season, the side led by Head Coach Phil Salvagio reached the final series against the Chihuahua Savage and won the first game at home before falling twice on the road.

Like the Strykers, the Sockers managed to keep most of their roster together this offseason while adding quality in former Baltimore Blast midfielder Jesus Pacheco as well as two of indoor soccer’s biggest legends, goalkeeper Chris Toth and target forward Nick Perera. Toth and Perera are area natives who join from fellow MASL side Tacoma Stars. Pacheco and Toth are among several San Diego players who have previously represented Ontario/Empire.

Notably, neither defender Kristian Quintana nor midfielder Luiz Morales are expected to play for the Sockers this season, as both appear to be weighing their career options. While Quintana ranked ninth in the MASL in blocks (36) last season, Morales finished tied for sixth in power play goals (3). With midfielder Christian Gutierrez also out for all of 2025-26 due to visa issues, the absences may have taken an early toll for San Diego, which fell 8-4 to visiting Milwaukee after its overtime loss to the Strykers.

Among the Sockers’ main strengths remains the fact the team can lean on several key contributors on both defense and offense. Ben Ramin and Cesar Cerda make up a formidable duo in the back, protecting veteran ‘keepers Boris Pardo and Chris Toth. While Pardo finished 2024-25 atop the league in goals-against average (4.39 in 16), Toth ranked first in save percentage (.752) and second in total saves (279). Ramin finished eighth in the MASL in blocks (37), with Cerda (33) coming in at tenth.

The San Diego attack is powered by a quartet of players.

Last season, Nick Perera earned the most points (38) and points per game (1.90 in 20) of all current Sockers and tied for fifth in the league in assists (20) alongside former Ontario Fury man Charlie Gonzalez, who placed second among all

current San Diego players in points (36) and in points per game (1.64 in 22).

While Tavoy Morgan finished seventh MASL-wide in goals (26) and recorded the third-most points (33) and points per game (1.57 in 21) of all current Sockers, legendary forward Kraig Chiles tied for sixth in the league in power play goals (3) and placed runner-up on his team in goals (24). Ex-Fury ace Leonardo De Oliveira tied for eighth in the MASL in helpers (19).

The Strykers hold an all-time record of 10-47 against San Diego, which includes a 3-9 record in shootout/overtime decisions and a 2-3 record in postseason matches. Not included in the record are two 15-minute mini games. Prior to the one being used to determine the Sockers as the winner of the tied 2021 final series, Empire’s rivals had already advanced from a tied 2016-17 MASL Pacific Division final series via a mini game victory — that time by a score of 1-0. The two sides’ first-ever meeting dates back to the 2013-14 season in the Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL).

In looking ahead to Friday’s home meeting with his side’s rival, Strykers defender Robert Palmer offered his keys to the match before drawing a cautiously optimistic conclusion.

“We’ve got to have a good balance between coming out with high intensity and staying level-headed and cool in key moments — especially when we're in transition,” said the 36-year-old. “Also, we gave up a lot of set pieces in the first game. They’re dangerous with those. That’s something we’ve talked about. Once we limit blue cards and set pieces, especially from the yellow line, our winning probability from the run of play is really high.”

Information on Empire Strykers season tickets can be found here. Single-game tickets to all matches at Ontario’s Toyota Arena are available here.