Around The League With Joseph Reina
**The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoints or positions of the Major Arena Soccer League.**
Kelvin.
There’s a new star gracing the turf this season, and his name is Kelvin Oliveira. Coming off a solid debut for Utica City FC in the playoffs last season, many questioned his ability to translate his undeniable futsal talent into success between the boards full-time. Well, doubters be scorned, and goalkeepers be scored upon. Kelvin is the real deal.
The Brazilian featured heavily during his side’s two-game road trip to California, tallying six goals and an assist to boot. His fourth-quarter hat trick put the nail in Empire’s coffin as Utica ran out 9-6 winners. Against San Diego, he spread his goal contributions out a bit more and bagged another hat trick, including this outrageous equalizer that sent the game to overtime.
Though Utica went on to lose a heartbreaker, their weekend can still be considered extremely successful. Four points from a difficult pair of matches, on the other side of the country no less, is a positive starting point for head coach Hewerton Moreira, who lost some key pieces over the summer.
Continuing this promising run of form will be key in their upcoming fixtures. Utica faces Harrisburg and Baltimore in all their next five games, so taking as many points as possible from that stretch will put them in a great spot to make the playoffs and earn a good seed.
While the single league table has slightly dampened the intensity, of each team’s regional rivalries, their importance remains. Given that Utica, Baltimore, and Harrisburg will face each other six times this season, half of their total games come in those matches. In other words, 36 points are up for grabs. Utica will start their regional run when they travel to take on the Heat this Saturday, Dec. 21 at 7:05 PM EST.
Offseason winners hit a brick wall
While it’s still very early in this MASL season, two teams are just starting peek over their shoulders at the panic button. St. Louis and Empire both attracted lots of attention during the off-season for their hoards of promising acquisitions, and yet, three and two games in, respectively, neither team has managed to earn a point.
The Ambush opened their season with a home and away series against the Comets, in which they scored just seven goals and conceded 16. Against Milwaukee this week, several individuals stood out, but the team as a whole felt tough to pin down.
The likes of Franck Tayou, William Eskay, and Mohamed Ndiaye showed how good they can be when their strengths are utilized, but those moments were far too fleeting as the group of individuals struggled to function as a cohesive unit. There’s clearly a well-oiled machine in there, but head coach Jeff Locker must put the pieces together and develop a clear identity to unlock it.
Similarly, Empire opened their season on the road against the Savage and didn’t put up much of a fight losing 10-3 to the reigning MASL Champions. Against Utica however, they weren’t just in the game, they led it into the fourth quarter. Then, the wheels fell off and the Strykers conceded four goals in the final frame to lose 9-6.
Marco Fabián and Justin Stinson continue to shine, but it’s become increasingly clear that they need some serious help. This is reminiscent of the Empire team we saw last season that never had enough gas in the tank to keep up with the teams around them.
This weekend, Empire will host Tacoma before traveling to Texas to face the Outlaws, while the Ambush will host the Sidekicks in Missouri. If the Strykers lose to Tacoma, all four teams will enter those two matches looking for their first win. Given that eight teams will qualify for the playoffs this season, a win this early could be vital to claiming those final spots, so keep an eager eye on all three of those games.
Empire opens the weekend at home against the Stars on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 9:35 PM EST. The next day, St. Louis will play the Sidekicks on Friday, Dec. 20 at 8:05 PM EST, before the Strykers hit the road to face the Outlaws on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8:05 PM EST.
The Savage bend, but don’t break
To be the champs, you gotta beat the champs, and Tacoma learned that the hard way on Sunday night. The Stars and Savage squared off on Sunday evening and gave us an early contender for game of the year as Chihuahua escaped with a tense shootout win.
Tacoma jumped out to an early lead before the Savage clawed their way back with a pair of goals from Pedro Castaneda and Hugo Puentes. Nick Perera completed his brace with this stunning solo effort that sailed past Reynoso in goal to give his side the lead going into halftime.
Castaneda secured a brace of his own to equalize in the third quarter, but neither team could secure a winner in regulation, or indeed in overtime, becoming the first game this season to require shootouts.
It took eight rounds of shootouts, but ultimately Chihuahua prevailed after Perera called his own number and failed to convert while utilizing an audacious juggling technique. To be fair, he had converted a similar try earlier in the shootout against Reynoso, who swapped places with Luan Teles for the remainder of the contest, a decision which potentially won them the game.
Five points from two games would normally be a good start, but the standard in Chihuahua is championships and every point will matter as they continue their charge towards the playoffs. Their goal for this season will no doubt be the MASL Shield and the top playoff seeding that comes along with it.
These dropped points could open the door for their rivals to keep up, but for now, they’re still the favorites for a reason. Their stacked lineup has all stepped up and embraced the tactical shift that accompanied their new head coach, Edgar Martinez.
The Savage, known last season for their high-octane style of play that at times felt like playing against a Hadron collider, have embraced a calmer approach. Players like Puentes and Casteneda are taking their time, surveying their options, and then flying in to take their chances. In defense, Roberto Escalante kept Tacoma fairly quiet, letting his teammates work on offense.
This team is set up to repeat and it’s looking increasingly difficult to find anyone to take their crown. Their next challengers are Texas, who will travel to Chihuahua for a two-game swing on Friday, Dec. 27 at 9:00 PM EST and Saturday, Dec. 28 at 8:00 PM EST.