Weekend Preview
January 23, 2015 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Chicago Mustangs News Release
Hoffman Estates, IL- The Chicago Mustangs, proud members of the Major Arena Soccer League (www.MASLSoccer.com), will travel to Tulsa, OK to face the Tulsa Revoluion Saturday, January 24th.
The Mustangs defeated the Revolution 9-1 at home on January 18 and look to complete the season sweep in Tulsa. The Revolution were playing without a head coach as they fired David Yates during game week, but they have officially announced the promotion of Assistant Coach Alex Miranda to interim Head Coach this week. Under the new coaching, the Revolution played a much cleaner game last weekend than the 16-2 loss against the Mustangs on January 3rd and they look to continue to improve with more experience with new leadership. Of the Mustangs 102 goals this season, 25 of them have come against Tulsa.
TonCar 3 Keys of the Weekend!
1) Continue to push forward. There's something about Tulsa that brings a lot of creativity and confidence to the Mustangs offense, it'll be important to keep that aggressiveness up and build up as much forward momentum going into a big home match-up with Wichita on January 31.
2) Clean up the little things. While Tulsa didn't pose a very big threat in the January 3rd game, they had a ton of great opportunities during last Saturday's game but they just couldn't finish. This is a team that is rapidly improving and was able to expose some lapses in coverage for the Mustangs the second time around...even if Chicago jumps out to another big lead, it'll be extremely important to maintain focus and fine-tune the little things as they approach a very competitive end of their schedule.
3) Have fun. Things can get intense during a playoff race, especially when you're the team sitting on the fringe of many possibilities. These guys love the game and it's important to remember that, amidst all of the chaos, sometimes you just need to take a deep breath and have some fun out there. There's a ton of talent on this team, the rest will come naturally.
Players to keep an eye on
Chicago Mustangs:
1. Joshio Sandoval, Defense - Sandoval had a goal last Saturday against Tulsa and has surpassed his rookie totals in fewer games during his second campaign. Sandoval's tough pressure on defense and his offensive improvement were noticed by the MASL as Joshio was named to the MASL Team of the Week. The second-year defenseman looks to build on his momentum as well as his accolades in Tulsa this weekend.
2. Efrain "Wilo" Martinez, Forward - After a quiet weekend against Tulsa and Rochester to open January, Wilo seems to have regained his form with 6 points in the last 2 contests. Normally a major goal scorer, Martinez had 3 assists to go with a goal against Tulsa last weekend as well as a block on the defensive end. The increased focus on a support role may have hurt Wilo's numbers a little bit, but it has definitely made him more of an asset to the entire team.
Tulsa Revolution:
1. Richard Nolasco, Goalkeeper - While the numbers (11.74 GAA, .566 save percent) say one thing, Nolasco seems to be constantly hung out to dry by his defense. Nolasco has made some remarkable saves against the Mustangs and, when given actual help, looks like he's developing into a real threat. At 24 years old, these are exactly the type of growing pains that will turn Nolasco into the real deal. The young goalkeeper looks like he's ready for that breakout game.
2. Felipe Guedes, Midfielder - While Tulsa's offensive studs received heavy focus from the Mustangs, Guedes was the only player who was able to get anything going on multiple occasions. Guedes hammered home a power play goal last Saturday in Chicago. Guedes got off to a hot start and then tapered off a bit but looks to be settling in on the offensive side of the ball to compliment his aggressive defensive tactics.
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The Chicago Mustangs return to the Sears Centre Arena Saturday, January 31 at 7pm to face the Wichita B-52's. Tickets can be purchased online (click here), on the phone by calling (847) 805-6633 or by visiting the Sears Centre Box Office (5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates, IL 60192). For questions regarding the Chicago Mustangs please call (847) 805-6633.
Major Arena Soccer League Stories from January 23, 2015
- Ambush Score 11 in Win over Tulsa - St. Louis Ambush
- Sockers Rout Turlock 10-3 Behind Perera Hat Trick - San Diego Sockers
- Comets Remain Undefeated and Clinch a Playoff Berth - Kansas City Comets
- Revolution Lose at St. Louis - Saturday Game Moved - Tulsa Revolution
- Revolution at St. Louis Friday Night - Tulsa Revolution
- Weekend Preview - Chicago Mustangs
- San Diego Sockers Game Notes at Turlock - San Diego Sockers
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