Weekend Preview
January 29, 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 Independence, MO to face the undefeated Missouri Comets on Friday night before returning home and hosting the Wichita B-52's at the Sears Centre on Saturday night.
The Mustangs are returning to the field after an odd series of events unfolded last weekend resulting in a rescheduled game and eventual Tulsa forfeit. Chicago has a tall task ahead of them on Friday as no team has been able to fully figure out the Comets. Chicago and Missouri faced off in Chicago's home opener and the Mustangs were downed 12-6. It will be a big test for Chicago who seems to be a different team than they were at the beginning of the year. Following their matchup in Missouri, the Mustangs will ride into the Sears Centre to host Wichita. The B-52's are 8-7 and nipping at the heels of Chicago and Milwaukee for 3rd place and a playoff berth.
TonCar 3 Keys of the Weekend!
1) Don't make Friday's game bigger than it is. Sure, you're traveling to the undefeated Central Division Champion's house, but this is sports...once you shed all the titles and accolades, the game starts out at 0-0 and anything can happen. If the Mustangs remain focused on their game plan as opposed to focusing on the craters of destruction the Comets have left around the league, they have just as good a chance as any team to take down Missouri.
2) Stay healthy. With 2 huge games, it will be important to stay out of the trainer's room and keep yourself fresh. The Mustangs have a lot of skill within their team, but 1 injury can derail many things and especially create tired legs with a back-to-back.
3) Short-term memory. No matter what happens on Friday, win or lose, the Mustangs must be able to separate Friday night from Saturday night. While you sure hope the team can win and gain immense momentum into the Wichita game, they will need to make sure to keep their emotions in check. You don't want to ride too high and lose sight of what is ahead of you but you also don't want to get too low and dwell on it during a very important playoff positioning match Saturday night.
Players to keep an eye on
Chicago Mustangs:
1. Mustangs Defense - The defense as a whole will be crucial to this entire weekend. Starting with Missouri, this is an offense that has a ton of firepower. There aren't just a few players they rely on for scoring so it will be very important to play a fundamentally sound defensive game and give goalkeeper Jesus Flores a chance to shut them down. As for Wichita, the aforementioned tired legs will be a huge factor and it will be imperative that the defense rely on instincts and discipline so there are no breakdowns on the back end. Sometimes fatigue can change the whole dynamic, but a well prepared team can still counter that.
2. Efrain "Wilo" Martinez, Forward - Wilo was the only player who seemed to be able to figure out the Comets in their first matchup with 3 goals. Add that to 6 points in his last 2 games including 4 against Tulsa and Wilo looks like he very well could be the key to defeat the streak. He likes to score in bunches so this could be a very fruitful weekend for the offensive weapon.
Missouri Comets:
1. Leo Gibson, Forward - Gibson, with 59 points on the season, is as dangerous as they come. He has 31 goals and 28 assists on the season and absolutely torched the Mustangs on both sides of the ball in their first matchup to the tune of 4 goals and 5 blocks.
2. Vahid Assadpour, Midfield - Assadpour was the other main culprit in the Mustangs loss to the Comets during the home opener. He chipped in 5 points on 4 assists and a goal and has amassed 46 points on the season and is just 4 goals behind Gibson for the team lead with 27. He has scored 4 points a game in his last 4 games. Clearly a dangerous threat, these 2 will keep the Mustangs' hands full on Friday night.
Wichita B-52's:
1. Kevin Ten Eyck, Defense - Ten Eyck is a potent combo of offensive skill and defensive wherewithal. On the season he has 20 points on 10 goals and 10 assists but more impressively he also has 16 blocks and doesn't commit a lot of fouls. Tired legs have been the trend on this weekend preview and Ten Eyck has the type of skills that could make life very frustrating for the Mustangs if he's at the top of his game. In a thrilling OT win against St. Louis, Ten Eyck had 3 goals and 2 assists on 4 shots and lead the charge that shocked the MASL Universe.
2. Byron Alvarez, Forward - Alvarez serves as Wichita's most consistent offensive weapon. While the B-52's play a very midfielder oriented game, they do a great job setting up Alvarez who has 16 goals on the season including 2 game winners. Alvarez hit a bit of a cold streak in the end of November but is back to his old ways having scored 3 points a game in his last 3 games including 3 goal games against Tulsa and Texas.
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Tickets for this weekend's game as well as the final Chicago Mustangs home game February 15 are on sale! 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 29, 2015
- Match Preview: Comets Face the Chicago Mustangs for the Third Time - Kansas City Comets
- Sockers Sign Evan Mundine to One-Game MASL Contract - San Diego Sockers
- Weekend Preview - Chicago Mustangs
- Ontario Fury Add Three for Stretch Run - Ontario Fury
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