Two-Game Road Trip Begins with 7-4 Ambush Win
Published on March 21, 2026 under Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
St. Louis Ambush News Release
Tacoma Stars' Franck Tayou and St. Louis Ambush' Robert Williamson on game night
(St. Louis Ambush, Credit: Tacoma Stars)
Tacoma, Washington - The St. Louis Ambush defeated the Tacoma Stars 7-4 at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington. The victory improved St. Louis to 12-5-4 on the season, while Tacoma dropped to 9-13-1. The Ambush have already punched their ticket to the postseason and are now jockeying for a favorable seed position in the final standings.
The Ambush got on the board first in the third minute of the first quarter when Tacoma goalkeeper Luis Birrueta got a hand on a shot from Daniel Torrealba but was unable to get control of the ball before it kissed the net. St. Louis went on a power play in the twelfth minute when Tacoma's Uzi Tayou was sent off for holding. Christian Briggs took a shot that come off the boards and made its way to Mehrshad Ahmadi, who pounded the power play goal into the net. At the conclusion of the first frame, the Ambush held a 2-0 lead.
Jamael Cox gave Tacoma their first goal in the seventh minute of the second period when he caught Ambush goalkeeper Paulo Nascimento out of position and outmaneuvered him to put the ball on target. The Ambush answered when Jeff Michaud was able to lure Birrueta out of the penalty area, then send a pass to William Eskay, who scored easily on the open goal. At halftime, the visitors in teal enjoyed a two-goal lead.
At the start of the second half, Claysson De Lima replaced Birrueta between the pipes for Tacoma. The Stars got a power play in the fourth minute of the third quarter when James Togbah earned a trip to the penalty box for tripping. The penalty proved to be costly for St. Louis when Cox scored his second of the match to make it a 3-2 game. The Stars drew even in the fourteenth minute when Franck Tayou sent a slow pass to a charging Nani Mendoza, who beat Nascimento for a 3-3 score and a fourth-quarter showdown.
St. Louis regained the lead in the second minute of the fourth period when a shot by James Togbah came off the board to Ozzy Santana, who got the job done and put the ball away for a 4-3 Ambush lead. Just over two minutes later, Ahmadi notched his second of the night to give St. Louis a two-goal (5-3) advantage. Cox came in as the sixth attacker for Tacoma with over nine minutes remaining. The Stars got one back on a restart in the seventh minute when Nascimento came forward to join the wall and it backfired when Micheal Ramos scored, shaving the lead to 5-4. St. Louis answered in the eleventh minute when Torrealba buried a long shot from the top of the arc. With 40 seconds left on the clock, John Gates scored an empty-netter for the Ambush for a 7-4 score that held until the final buzzer.
Next for the Ambush is the second leg in their two-game road trip out west. They square off with the San Diego Sockers Sunday, March 22 at 6:00 p.m. CDT at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California. Saturday's win moved the Ambush to one point behind the Sockers in the standings, so Sunday's game takes on added importance as both teams scramble for an advantageous seed position in the final regular season standings.
The next Ambush home game is slated for Friday, March 27, when Utica City FC invades The Family Arena for a 7:05 p.m. CDT first kick. The regular season concludes when the Ambush visit the Empire Strykers Sunday, March 29. The postseason kicks off in April, with at least one home playoff game at The Family Arena.
Ambush group and single-game tickets for the remainder of the 2025-26 season are on sale. Call the Ambush office at 636-477-6363 for more information. Fans can stay current on all Ambush news by visiting the team's official website, stlambush.com and on social media outlets.
Images from this story
 Tacoma Stars' Franck Tayou and St. Louis Ambush' Robert Williamson on game night (Tacoma Stars) |
Major Arena Soccer League Stories from March 21, 2026
- Two-Game Road Trip Begins with 7-4 Ambush Win - St. Louis Ambush
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