Match Preview // vs St. Louis // Semis #2
The San Diego Sockers—presented by Kaiser Permanente—conclude the Ron Newman Cup Semifinal round by hosting the St. Louis Ambush for Match Two (and a deciding Knockout Game if necessary) on Sunday evening at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside. The Sockers lead the best-of-three series 1-0 after a 6-5 win in Match One on Friday in St. Louis. The match is set for a 5:05pm PDT kickoff, and will be televised exclusively on the CBS Sports Golazo Network in the United States. International TV coverage will take place on Sportworld, Fox Sports Mexico and the Unbeaten Network. If the Ambush win Match Two and tie the series, the Knockout Game will kick off 15 minutes after the conclusion of the match, a 15-minute contest (with overtimes as needed) to decide the series winner.
The Ron Newman Cup have seen three-of-five series already completed, with the Milwaukee Wave awaiting the winner of Sunday’s action in the Ron Newman Cup Finals. If the Sockers prevail on Sunday, the Finals will begin with Match One in Milwaukee on April 22, with Match Two on April 24 in Oceanside, and Match Three (if necessary, a full game) to be played on Monday, April 27. If St. Louis wins, the series will begin in Missouri on April 24 or 25 and continue to Milwaukee on April 26 or 27, with the Knockout Game in play. Different formats for the Finals, depending on arena availability, have been part of the league’s plans all season, with the higher-seeded team getting the option of playing with a Knockout Game or a third full game based on desire and arena availability.
Match One of the semifinals on Friday at The Family Arena in St. Louis was a tense affair that went back and forth, with three ties and three lead changes, and no club ever leading by more than two goals. The Sockers built a first-quarter 2-0 lead behind goals from Cesar Cerda and Nick Perera, but the Ambush answered back with three straight goals across the first, second, and early third quarters, taking a 3-2 lead. The third quarter opened up offensively, with five total goals scored in a timespan of 6:17. San Diego potted three of the five to take a 5-4 lead, with Charlie Gonzalez providing the go-ahead tally on a set piece, off a Nick Perera assist. Leonardo de Oliveira’s goal early in the fourth quarter rebuilt a two-goal cushion for San Diego at 6-4, and the club survived Christian Briggs’ hat-trick goal for St. Louis to see out the final score of 6-5.
Some storylines to watch between Friday and Sunday involve the health of the respective clubs, particularly for St. Louis in the goalkeeping position, where likely MASL Goalkeeper of the Year Paulo Nascimento was a late scratch for the Ambush on Friday and unavailable for selection. Paulo’s health will determine if he starts the critical Sunday games, or if backup Eduardo “Pollo” Cortes gets the nod. San Diego has had multiple players return from long-term injuries recently, and will be tracking the recovery of Leonardo de Oliveira and Charlie Gonzalez before Sunday.
This is the first-ever playoff meeting between the Sockers and the Ambush. The all-time regular-season series favors San Diego 4-3. The clubs met once in 2025-26, with San Diego prevailing 5-4 (OT) at Frontwave Arena.