Thieves Can't Steal Sidekicks' Spirit
February 21, 2020 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Dallas Sidekicks News Release
Allen, Texas - The Dallas Sidekicks traveled to Southern California on February 19th, 2020 for a game against the Ontario Fury. While eating lunch before their match later that night, the Sidekicks equipment and personal belongings were stolen from their vehicles. The police were notified, and a report was filed immediately.
Sidekicks players were both shocked and dismayed that on top of getting focused for a game later that night and a game on February 21st on the road in California, that they now had to think about replacing the numerous items that were stolen. When asked about the incident, Sidekicks goalkeeper Juan Gamboa said, "I lost my wallet, passport, keys, and all of my soccer gear. As far as how I felt.... I was in disbelief at first and then I felt angry that people would take advantage of us. We are good guys who bust our butts to play the sport we love, and to have all of our stuff taken from us was a hard blow. After waiting for the police to show up to take the report and finding a sports store to get the stuff we needed to play we arrived with about forty minutes left before kickoff. I personally tried to use the game as an escape from reality, even if for just those 2 hours. Once the game was over, it was back to trying to figure out how I would be able to get on my flight without any documents, and how I'd get home if my car keys had been taken as well. It's an experience I hope no one ever has to go through." Gamboa was able to hop a flight through a special screening process and get back to his family in Dallas, but the whole ordeal shook him. Gamboa will not be playing in tonight's game, but will be resting for the Sidekicks home game on Sunday.
Rookie forward for the Sidekicks, Victor Almendariz, had similar thoughts and was grateful to the Fury for their quick response. "The whole experience was a very stressful situation. Several of the guys lost their passports, visas, ID's and money that can be very dangerous if gets to the wrong hands. Having to deal with a police report and the uncertainty of what would be next was very stressful. We didn't have uniforms, shoes, shin guards nothing. We were late to the game, barely got to warm up and were emotionally and mentally drained. Ontario was very nice in helping us out as much as they can. Another team let us use their uniforms and Sidekicks bought us shoes so that we can play. Funny enough some of the shoes weren't even the right size as the store didn't have all the sizes. It's just a story to remember. Scoring the first goal was more than a personal relief. The game was already against us and at that point all we wanted to do is come out and play how we have been doing it the past 3-4 games, and I think we did well. The team showed personality and desire of going out and playing for our club after all of that."
Sidekicks fans, Major Arena Soccer League fans, and general sports fans alike expressed interest in helping the Sidekicks' players out in this situation and the club is so grateful for the kindness from the sports community. The Sidekicks will be sharing a list of items that were stolen from the players and if anyone would like to donate any items, they can contact the Sidekicks' legal counsel at alex@dallassidekicks.org.
The Sidekicks next game is on the road tonight at 9.00PM CT against the Turlock Express and fans can tune into the game by going to MASL.tv. Dallas will be back in their own uniforms tonight so don't miss out! The Sidekicks next home game is Sunday February 23rd against the San Diego Sockers at the Allen Event Center at 3.00PM CT. For ticket information call 469.393.0160.
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