
MetroStars Open MASL Season on the Road
November 30, 2018 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Mississauga MetroStars News Release
The Mississauga MetroStars open their inaugural campaign in the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) Saturday when they travel to Baltimore to face Eastern Division rivals and the defending league champion Blast at the SECU Arena (kickoff 6:00 pm ET).
MetroStars GM and Head Coach Phil Ionadi named 16 players to his opening day roster. Among the group is forward Dwayne De Rosario who has come out of retirement to resume a brilliant career that has seen him win four Major League Soccer (MLS) titles, an MLS MVP award and the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup with Canada.
De Rosario, 40, who will double as an assistant coach this season, leads a veteran core that includes former Toronto FC defender Adrian Cann and former Croatian first division goalkeeper Adrian Becic. But the MetroStars also boast an exciting group of young players including former TFC forward Mo Babouli, Colombian futsal star Sebastian Lopez and midfielder Marco Rodriguez, who has MASL experience with the Florida Tropics. Rodriguez, however, is suspended for the first match after an accumulation of cards dating back to last season.
The MetroStars' first opponents, the Blast, are coming off a championship season after defeating the Monterrey Flash 4-3 in the 2017/2018 MASL title match to capture the Ron Newman Cup. Championship game MVP and goalkeeper William Vanzela returns to lead the Blast who will compete for their fourth consecutive MASL title this season. Midfielder and captain Tony Donatelli, who led the team in scoring for a fifth consecutive season last year, is entering his ninth season in the MASL.
The MetroStars are traveling with the following 16 players to Baltimore. Only 15 however are eligible to dress for tomorrow's match:
Mujtaba Ameen
Mo Babouli
Adrian Becic
Shawn Brown
Adrian Cann
Dwayne De Rosario
Martinho Dumevski
Damion Graham
Josip Keran
Sebastian Lopez
Joshua Paredes
Matthew Rios
Luis Rocha
Spyros Stergiotis
David Velastegui
Lerohne Young
The MetroStars face the Blast Saturday at the SECU Arena with kickoff set for 6:00pm (ET). The MetroStars will return to Mississauga immediately after the match.
The MetroStars' home opener, at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga, against the Florida Tropics, is set for Saturday, December 8, at 3:05pm (ET).
For season and single game tickets and information, contact the MetroStars at sales@mississaugametrostars.ca or by phone at 1-866-56-STARS (1-866-567-8277).
Major Arena Soccer League Stories from November 30, 2018
- Ontario Rolls In Home Opener Over Turlock - Ontario Fury
- Kansas City Comets Set to Open Season in Milwaukee Saturday - Kansas City Comets
- Harrisburg Heat Add Local, International Names to Roster - Harrisburg Heat
- MetroStars Open MASL Season on the Road - Mississauga MetroStars
- Season Opener Game Preview - Harrisburg Heat Host Utica City FC - Harrisburg Heat
- Baltimore Blast v. Mississauga MetroStars and Blast v. Utica City FC Game Previews - Baltimore Blast
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