On March 23, the Empire Strykers hosted the San Diego Sockers in a tense Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) match at the Toyota Arena. The two Southern California rivals played each other the previous day at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, with the Sockers earning a back-and-forth 10-7 victory.
The win cemented the Sockers’ status as one of the premier teams of the MASL. Meanwhile, the result represented a missed opportunity for the Strykers to punch their ticket to the MASL playoffs. Fortunately, the second half of the home and home series provided the Strykers with one more chance.
However, that wasn’t the only thing the Strykers were playing for. The game was Fan Appreciation Night and the Strykers faithful didn’t disappoint. The match set a new attendance record and crowd noise in the arena was deafening.
In addition, the game was likely to be club legend Israel Sesay’s last home match with the Strykers. The Sierra Leone-born defender has spent over a decade with the Strykers and wore the captain’s armband in his last match at Toyota Arena.
Sesay leads a squad headlined by two of the top scorers in the MASL. Midfield duo Justin Stinson and Marco Fabián power one of the league’s most exciting offenses.
Fabián, a former Mexican international, is a favorite amongst me and my friends. With a media pass, I knew I’d get the chance to interview him after the game. I brought with me my best outfit and my friend’s Mexico Marco Fabián jersey to get signed.
I couldn’t wait to meet him, but the game needed to be played first. Toyota Arena was buzzing to start the match. Nevertheless, the Sockers weren’t fazed. They scored a quick goal in the opening minute before jumping out to an early 3-0 lead.
They’d even extend their lead to 6-1 in the third quarter before the Strykers rallied back. Despite losing for the most of the game, the energy in the Toyota Arena never faded. The home side fed off the adoration of the fans as they went on a 7-1 scoring run in the late third and early fourth period.
Fabián would score during this run as I couldn’t help but smile as the Strykers took an 8-7 lead. The Sockers would get one back to force overtime, but all the momentum was still with the Strykers.
In sudden death overtime, the Strykers kept pushing for that game-winning goal. Each chance looked increasingly dangerous, but they couldn’t quite find the back of the net. Stinson even hit the post, yet the Sockers stayed alive just long enough.
After an unfortunate bounce for the Strykers, the Sockers capitalized on the turnover and escaped with a 9-8 overtime victory. The Strykers were devastated as they knew their playoff hopes were now hanging in the balance.
Stryker’s head coach, Onua Obasi, shared postgame, “We have a style of play where errors can lead to goals quickly in the right way we play. But the aim is to try and grind the team down and take over the game as the game wears on, which, I guess, we did. You don’t want to get in a five-goal hole, but we did, and we dug ourselves out of it, which is nice, but still a lot of errors to give them that many goals.”
After talking with Obasi, it was time to interview Fabián. I had been watching him on TV and on YouTube for years, but now he was finally right in front of me.
Despite the loss, Fabián stressed the importance of the game, sharing, “Sesay, for us, is a legend. He teaches us a lot of things, and it’s a pleasure to just share the field with him, and we were just gonna keep going and try to get [to the] playoffs just for him.”
Fabián also showed his appreciation for the fans, who maintained their energy throughout the match. He expressed, “It’s good because today we have a lot of fun. This is really important for us, and at the end of the day, [the fans] enjoy [the game]. We go play extra time and it’s exciting.”
I then asked him about his all-time favorite goal. Fabián has always had a knack for scoring a jaw-dropping goal with his powerful right foot combined with his flair. His YouTube highlights are amongst the best and it’s why he’s a favorite amongst my friends.
I told him my favorites are his pair of goals against FC Barcelona, but I really wanted to hear from Fabián. He chuckled and responded, “Of course, especially the second one against Barcelona is one of my favorites. But also one of my favorites was against Germany at the [2017] Confederations Cup in Russia. And one against Inter de Porto Alegre in the Copa Libertadores Final [is one of my best goals].”
He then signed my friend’s jersey and I was the happiest man in the world that night. I still couldn’t believe I interviewed one of my favorite soccer players of all time, let alone met him.
The Strykers didn’t know it that night, but they would eventually qualify for the MASL playoffs. Coincidentally, they’d face the Sockers in the quarter finals this past Friday.
Obasi mentioned what his team would need to do if they played the Sockers in the playoffs, “Well, it’s likely we will face them … [The Sockers] are a top team. They’ve got seven all-stars on their team … We push them all the way back, and they still have confidence just to [comeback] at the end like that at the end. So we just [have] to make sure we understand their strengths and [put out a good performance].”
Unfortunately, they would lose to the Sockers once again. Fabián scored in the 4-2 loss, but it was former Highlander and 2022 Big West Champion Leopoldo “Polo” Hernandez who was the man of the match for the Strykers. He assisted on both goals, ending his first season in the MASL on a high note.
