By Wendy Pintor 12/4/23
A new signing for Empire Strykers has been made and we’re expecting him to play for January 6th away game, against Dallas Sidekicks, in Texas, with a new piece added to the team for the purpose that they are struggling in defense this new signing will make the team stronger. This new signing also happens to be an Olympic gold medalist and a former Chivas de Guadalajara championship player. Ontario is literally brining Chivas back, or it could even be the Mexico team from the 2012 team.
Miguel Ángel Ponce, also known as “el Pocho”, happens to be from Sacramento, California and formerly was the defender and midfielder who was last seen playing back in 2022. These two friends and former teammates, Marco and Pocho will be taking on a new challenge, both rookies to the MASL are looking to seal the deal in their new project in California. “ I feel happy and thankful for a new opportunity to play, happy that my family and I will be adding to this team.” Ponce a somewhat local player returns to the stage to help light up Ontario colors.
Ponce, has been on loans with other team in Liga MX , like Necaxa, and Leon and started off with Tapatio in the Mexico’s second division, but with a little amount of teams he has the experience to play and be a great enchantment to the Empire Strykers that are looking a little soft in the back these few past games. And not at all as a setback in the MASL.
Empire is 5-1 leaving them in second to last placed for the majority of the the beginning of 2023-2024 season, and for that reason most likely being why a new signing has happened yet again. “ He’s my old time friend and teammate and of course I’m more than happy to play alongside him again.” Said teammate Marco Fabian “ he’ll be a good piece to the table, with experience and speed he’ll do great things for the team like we’ve seen at training this week so far, and in the years he’s played on Liga MX.
Despite signing Marco Fabian back in early December, the team has not looked so great in the final minutes of the matches, like in last weeks game against Tacoma Stars, 7-5 where it looked to be that they would come back and win, but with the momentum this team has had so far, the potential to put them in the top positions in the their region is guaranteed to surprise everyone. “ Something has been missing and whether it’s a better connection between the players or themselves believing and being patient is how we will get back the reminder of the season.” Added Head Coach Paul Wright of Empire Strykers.
It is possible to say that now that they have a beloved and knowledgeable Defender like Miguel Ángel “ Pocho” Ponce, the team will have more of a teammate mentality by embracing two former players who played in the passed together. We all know by now that Empire Strykers has gone through many changes and the team never seems to know one another, but perhaps with the connection these two being to the team, both playing in the National team and Chivas de Guadalajara, they’ll bring the synergy the team has been longing for.
Strykers prepare to face Dallas Texas this upcoming up Saturday and will fight to prove if with another interesting signing they’ll have what it takes to comeback from their losing streak and win the MASL championship promised by some of the players. “ coming to this team I said I wanted a championship, I’ve been in this league for a while now and the pieces are finally coming together to win a championship with this team, now we just have to put in the work like we didn’t against Ambush. ” said Defender, Stefan Mijatovic.
Dallas Sidekicks will be a weaker opponent but even so a challenge for the boys as they continue to find the teams identity, so we’ll have to see what coach Paul Wright has for us, as this new signing emerges. The team does have new advertisteis, with players who were already established possibly losing time or even get cut from the team because of the newer changes this week—Which would be Dallas way through back home.
With new talented players every week, Empire faces more adversities to but nonetheless is this going to be a set back for the team. “ With the new players, rookies and experienced ones we are brining, we’re being patient and know that we have to reel them in slowly.” said, Head Coach, Wright, “ We’re doing the work closed doors and although there isn’t any wins yet we are building up the teams identity and we all know that we are moving forward.”