MASL 2024/25 Season Preview
Congratulations. You made it. Almost seven months have passed since the Chihuahua Savage clinched their second consecutive MASL title, but those days are long gone.
Though much has changed, much has stayed the same, and soon, ball will meet turf for another beautiful dance between the boards
Thanks to blockbuster trades and roster overhauls, there is much to cover before the season kicks off tonight, when the St. Louis Ambush host their cross-state rivals, the Kansas City Comets for the first leg of their spectacular I-70 series. So much has happened this offseason, so let’s look at what to know and expect about all 12 teams going into this season.
Harrisburg Heat
-2023/24 Record: 2-19-3 8 pts
While last season left a lot to be desired for Heat fans, there were signs that a solid structure was being built. Head coach Pat Healey’s side won just two games, the fewest in the MASL, but when you watched many of those contests, the team put together gritty, determined performances that had several teams on the ropes.
They were also immensely disciplined. Last season, all other teams combined for an average of 38.25 short-handed opportunities conceded, or 1.59 per game. Harrisburg gave up just 10, all season. That ability to not shoot themselves in the foot will be crucial to returning the standard they would like to uphold within the league’s standings.
This season, keep an eye on Dominic Francis. A true one-of-one attacking talent, the Huddersfield, England native led his side in points last season while scoring or assisting over 45% of the Heat’s goals. With combine-draftee Noe Favilla alongside him, don’t be surprised if this team takes a step forward in 2025.
Harrisburg opens its season on the road against the Baltimore Blast on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 3:00 PM EST.
Empire Strykers
-2023/24 Record: 3-19-2 10 pts
Many neutrals watching the Strykers last season would be forgiven for their sense of confusion. It frankly was just that, confusing, to see a team littered with some of the league’s best talent unable to put the pieces together. Although their season featured a more-than-healthy dose of the Sockers, Stars, and Savage, there was little escaping the fact that Empire was a few pieces away from competing more regularly.
Skip forward to today and the Strykers have signed several players since the end of last season including Andy Reyes from Texas and last season’s Defender of the Year Robert Palmer from Kansas City. Add in a new coach in Onua Obasi and his side has every reason to be excited in 2024/25.
All that and we still haven’t mentioned Marco Fabian, who, despite joining Empire roughly a month into the season, scored the joint-most goals in the MASL with 35 and directly contributed to just over 40% of his side’s goals. There was no learning curve for the former Mexican international. Straight away, he proved he belonged and now, if his new pieces fall into place, Empire could be in the hunt for a playoff spot.
The Strykers travel to Chihuahua for their first game on Friday, Dec. 6 at 9:00 PM EST.
Dallas Sidekicks
-2023/24 Record: 6-18-0 16 pts
Easily one of the most exciting brands in the league, Dallas took strides forward last season after a dismal 2022/23 campaign. In last season’s preview, I called for the Sidekicks to specifically target their rivalry games against the Outlaws after losing all six meetings the year prior and they followed through on that by taking not one, but two of the games in 2023/24.
Led by new head coach Terry Woodberry, the Sidekicks showed some promise towards the back end of last season, accumulating 9 of their 16 points from their final four games. They’ll hope to keep that momentum going into 2024/25, but they’ll face an uphill battle based on the difficulty of their early season schedule.
Starmen Blas Pérez, Jamie Lovegrove, and Oscar Romero all finished the season averaging over a point per game, but unfortunately, none of the trio managed to feature in more than 75% of the Sidekick’s games. Having those three available more frequently will be crucial if they want any hope of climbing the table this season.
Dallas will visit Kansas City for their season debut on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 6:05 PM EST.
St. Louis Ambush
-2023/24 Record: 4-14-6 17 pts
Hands down, this year’s offseason winners are the Ambush. Last season’s hardships hardly feel worth dwelling on because this team’s potential has skyrocketed, thanks to some of the best business indoor soccer has ever seen.
We’ll start with their former Uticans, Dylan Hundelt, Mohamed Ndiaye, and Franck Tayou, who were instrumental to their former side’s success last season. They also signed Uzi Tayou and Eduardo "Pollo" Cortez from Texas, Jeff Michaud from Empire, and re-signed Raphael Araujo and Lucas Almeida. These new signings, alongside William Eskay, Robert Kristo, Richard Schmermund, and the incomparable Paulo Nascimento in goal, will no doubt be electric to watch.
To have any hopes of making the playoffs, this team will need to find its identity, and fast. They’ll open the season at home against the Comets before immediately traveling to Kansas City for the reverse fixture. Seven of their first nine games are against the Comets, Wave, and Savage, so if they find themselves in a hole, it’ll be difficult to dig their way out of it.
St. Louis hosts Kansas City for the first game of the MASL season this week on Friday, Nov. 29. at 6:05 PM EST.
Baltimore Blast
-2023/24 Record: 11-11-2 32 pts
Though it started in turmoil, last year was defined by determination and adversity for the Blast. After losing several key players before the season and then starting their campaign with just one win in five games, Baltimore found a way to keep pace with the rest of the pack thanks to some key wins against Kansas City and Utica.
Baltimore missed out on the playoffs in the end, but they finished just one point behind Texas in the West, giving us a better indication of their true quality level. Led by the ever-present Tony Donatelli’s 20 goals and 19 assists, the Blast will look to firmly rebound this season and resume their position among the league’s best.
To do this, they’ve re-signed veterans Juan Pereira, Mike Diesel, and Mike Zierhoffer as well as Victor Parreiras and Ricardo Diegues who both joined last season and proved to be key fixtures in their lineup. To make the jump to playoff contenders, the Blast may need one or two more pieces, but this is already a massive step up from last year’s team.
The Blast will host the Heat for the first game of their season on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 3:00 PM EST.
Texas Outlaws
-2023/24 Record: 11-12-1 33 pts
The Outlaws ebbed and flowed through last season, with a side that heavily prioritized offense. Their attacking quad of Vinicius Dantas, Sebastian Mendez, Luiz Morales, and David Ortiz managed to accumulate a combined 92 goals, nearly 58% of the team’s total output. Their defense, though lacking at points, was solid enough to beat Kansas City and Milwaukee during the regular season and the Sockers in the playoffs.
This season, the focus looks to be on rebuilding in Texas. After their relative successes in 2023/24, there have been several changes off the field, including new ownership and the announcement of Ed Puskarich as the team’s new head coach.
Despite this, there is a looming possibility that this may not be their year. Now that Dantas has moved on, along with Uzi Tayou, Eduardo "Pollo" Cortez, Andy Reyes, Sebastian Mendez, and numerous others, this team will need to find that output elsewhere.
Their first test will be at home against the Empire Strykers on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8:05 PM EST.
Tacoma Stars
-2023/24 Record: 16-6-2 46 pts
The Stars forged a new path in the second half of last season and proved that with the right combination of talent, this roster had the potential to shock the rest of the league. Now, they’re ready to take their chance.
Stefan Mijatovic will join Tacoma this season as part of a three-way trade involving Andy Reyes. The 28-year-old bagged six goals and six assists in his seven regular season games with the Stars and will hope to keep that form going into 2024/25. He’ll join Micheal Ramos, Román Torres, Chris Toth, and Jamael Cox, as a key part of this hungry, returning squad.
While Nick Perera’s injury sidelined him late last season, Cox managed to put together a quietly incredible campaign with 44 points in 22 appearances. If he can continue that form alongside Mijatovic and Ramos, the Stars have every chance of making it back to the playoffs.
The Stars will open their campaign at home against the Sockers on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 9:05 PM EST.
Utica City FC
-2023/24 Record: 16-7-1 48 pts
A spectacular season left a bitter taste in many fans’ mouths after Utica’s disappointing dismissal from the first round of the Ron Newman Cup Playoffs. Utica finished the regular season with the exact same record as Chihuahua but fell short in the playoffs thanks in large part to circumstances outside of their control.
Head Coach Hewerton’s side lost both games in the conference semi-finals to the high-flying Comets, however, they managed to sign a few players last season that indicated better times were ahead. Specifically, Kelvin Oliveira, who played his first MASL games in that postseason series, managed to score twice and bag an assist in those two games, giving fans a tangible reason to hope.
However, during the offseason, Utica’s locker room was raided, rather than bolstered. Dylan Hundelt, Mohamed Ndiaye, and Franck Tayou, all left for St. Louis, leaving a giant hole behind. In their place, Utica managed to sign Vinicius Dantas and Kervin Kenton while re-signing Andrew Coughlin, Nelson Santana, and Nate Bourdeau to name a few. They’ll feel the absences, especially in defense, but this is still an extremely skilled team with plenty of upside.
Game 1 for Utica will be on the road against Empire on Friday, Dec. 13 at 10:35 PM EST.
Milwaukee Wave
-2023/24 Record: 15-7-2 44 pts
The Wave is in a strange spot following last year’s up-and-down campaign, but fortunately for them, they have one of the biggest game-changers in the MASL at their disposal. Though he won’t spend a second of game time on the turf, head coach Giuliano Oliviero proved himself to be invaluable several times last season, but his impact became impossible to ignore in the playoffs.
Against Monterrey, he masterminded one of the biggest upsets in league history and then followed it up with a second sixth-attacker masterclass of the season against the Comets. Despite his side ultimately coming up short in Kansas City, there is little doubt that Oliviero’s coaching kept his side alive significantly longer than expected.
His team lost key pieces towards the end of last season, none more important than defender Marcio Leite, who finished the season as their top points-scorer while only featuring in 16 games. And yet, they managed to finish the season as Eastern Conference runners-up. Since then, they’ve added Robert Williamson and Alex Steinwasher to help speed up their play, so don’t be surprised if the Wave employs a faster brand of soccer than we’ve seen from them in recent years.
Milwaukee will host Kansas City to open their season on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7:05 PM EST.
San Diego Sockers
-2023/24 Record: 18-6-0 52 pts
Last season was a bit of a wake-up call for the Sockers who lost six regular season games for the first time since 2015/16. They still managed to top the Western Conference regular season standings, but Phil Salvagio’s side couldn’t turn that into another trip to the Ron Newman Cup Finals after losing to the Savage for a second consecutive year.
The organization made great strides off the field this year as they opened their own venue, Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, CA. The team will benefit greatly from playing their home games in front of a packed crowd at a building designed with indoor soccer in mind.
On the turf, the Sockers retain much of the experienced core group that has made them so formidable for years. In addition to their star studded returning cast of Kraig Chiles, Boris Pardo, Gabriel Costa, Tavor Morgan, and so many other superstars, they’ll add the likes of Ben Ramin, Taylor Walter Bond, and Sebastian Mendez, so it's fair to say San Diego will be seriously in contention for the title this season.
The Sockers will hit the road for their first game in Tacoma on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 9:05 PM EST.
Kansas City Comets
-2023/24 Record: 14-6-4 45 pts
It’s the hope that kills you. Getting so close to the precipice and falling just short is an almighty blow for a team to take, but the Comets seem to have taken it as proof that this team is ready to compete at the next level.
By far last season’s streakiest side, Kansas City started well, faded away, and then found their feet again just in time for the playoffs. First-year head coach Stefan Stokic proved that he belongs in this league thanks to several key tactical shifts and a leadership style that brings the best out of his players.
He took the offseason to bring in several key pieces that fit his system; a faster, more intense brand of indoor soccer that seemed to flourish across the league last season. He also bolstered the defense by bringing Guerrero Pino back to KC from San Diego after the Comets lost Robert Palmer to Empire. If this team can clean up their second-half defensive mistakes, there is every chance they could wear the crown come the end of the season.
The first step is a road trip to St. Louis for the first game of the MASL season tonight at 6:05 PM EST.
Chihuahua Savage
-2023/24 Record: 16-7-1 48 pts
The extremely valid, but slightly tired take regarding Chihuahua is to see whether they can win a third consecutive Ron Newman Cup title, but I’m more interested in how their squad handles the challenges this regular season poses. They are no doubt built for success from top to bottom and have proven that they can deliver, but the rest of the league has strengthened heavily this offseason.
It slipped off the radar last season, but their mid-season overhaul completely changed the make-up of this team and turned them from potential posers, back to genuine championship contenders. Their style of play, though somewhat similar to before, adopted the strengths of their new-found talent and brought the best out of everyone thanks to the bold and iconic Genoni Martínez as head coach.
So far, their only incoming signing is Edgar González who registered 25 goals and 14 assists last season. As the champs, they don’t necessarily need to get stronger, but it absolutely couldn’t hurt. Don’t be surprised if the Savage brings in more talent as the season rolls on and players need rest. They should be a lock for the playoffs, but you never know in the MASL. We’ll have to wait and see.
The reigning champions begin their title defense at home against Empire on Friday, Dec. 6 at 9:00 PM EST.