Million-Dollar Showdown: Six Strykers Reach TST Final

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MASL Empire Strykers

Million-Dollar Showdown: Six Strykers Reach TST Final

June 9, 2025 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Empire Strykers News Release


Cary, N.C. - Boasting no fewer than six players who wore the Empire Strykers kit during the 2024-25 Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) season, Bumpy Pitch FC continued its magical run at the 2025 edition of TST on Sunday afternoon. The side constructed in large part by the Strykers' former head coach and executive VP, Jimmy Nordberg, reached the final of the prestigious 7v7 competition by defeating Pasha Luxury FC 4-1 and will battle Pumas de Alabama for the trophy on Monday afternoon at 5:30 PM PST. The showdown for the winner-take-all prize pot of $1 million will air live on ESPN+, ESPNU and ESPN Deportes.

Goalkeeper Brandon Gomez, defenders Momo Gueye and Jose Gonzalez, defender-midfielders Alan Perez and Andy Reyes, and forward Mounir Alami all represent Greater LA's MASL club as members of Bumpy Pitch FC. All six players have appeared in all seven of their team's TST matches thus far, with Gomez making seven starts. Alami and Perez have each collected a total of one goal and two helpers.

In its first of three group games, BPFC beat Soccer Central Saturdays Football with Empire forward Walter Díaz González 3-1, followed by a 3-5 loss to Sneaky Fox 97. The Strykers-heavy squad then managed to advance to the knockout rounds by defeating La Mexicana Express - with Empire's Randy Martinez and Garrett Blume - by a score of 5-4.

After edging out Villarreal CF 2-1 in the round of 32, BPFC squeezed past KWIK Goal FC in the round of 16, taking home a 1-0 victory that came courtesy of a ripper from well outside the box by Empire goalkeeper Gomez. In the quarterfinals, the Strykers' 2024-25 MASL Rookie of the Year finalist, Alami, scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over Drip FC.

BPFC earned an emphatic win in the semifinals, downing Pasha Luxury FC 4-1. With his side leading 1-0 in the second half, Empire's Perez collected an assist to help double the cushion. Gomez then put an exclamation point on his standout performance when he threw up his right arm to produce a stunning reaction save on a free kick by Bakary Sako from just outside the area. On the counterattack immediately following the play, BPFC made it 3-0, with Alami setting up former Strykers star Charlie Gonzalez. The team's final goal was also preceded by a strong Gomez block.

On the whole, the 2025 edition of TST was highly successful from an Empire perspective. With 16 players and two coaches competing in the high-stakes event - in addition to the involvement of the club's former head coach and executive VP, Jimmy Nordberg, as Bumpy Pitch FC's general manager - five of six teams featuring Strykers made it out of their groups, Ramirez and Blume's La Mexican Express being the only one unable to advance.

West Ham United - with goalkeepers Brian Orozco and Claysson de Lima, midfielder Justin Stinson, and defender Robert Palmer - was eliminated in the round of 32 alongside Díaz González's Soccer Central Saturdays Football. While De Lima, Stinson and Palmer played in five games, Orozco appeared in four. St. Louis native Stinson bagged two meaningful goals during the group phase, including the game winner against Villarreal CF. Stinson is a former member of West Ham's youth academy. Díaz González also saw the field four times over the course of his team's run.

Empire star Marco Fabián and assistant coach Jesus "Chuy" Molina reached the round of 16 with Boca Dallas. Mexican Fabián, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA World Cup veteran, played in all five of Boca's matches and contributed an assist along the way.

Newtown Pride FC made it all the way to the quarterfinals with help from player-coach Onua Obasi and late 2024-25 Empire signing Leonardo Espinoza. Each appeared in six TST contests, with Espinoza finding the back of the net twice. Fellow forward Isaak Somow, who also joined the Strykers well into the most recent campaign, missed the tournament due to injury. Obasi, who won TST's inaugural edition with Newtown in 2023, recently took home MASL Coach of the Year honors after taking over Empire shortly before the 2024-25 season and returning the club to the playoffs following three straight absences.

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