Overtime Hero Orozco: “Motivated to Get Win” at Texas

Strykers face upward-trending Outlaws in midweek MASL clash

Ontario, Calif. — Coming off Sunday’s emotional overtime win against the mighty Baltimore Blast in front of over 3,800 at Ontario’s Toyota Arena, the Empire Strykers aim to make it two in a row when they travel east to take on the bottom-dwelling Texas Outlaws for a midweek Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) battle. While the fixture in the Lone Star State could seem like an easy three points in the bag to some, Empire’s coaches and players are keenly aware of their next opponent’s improving form, as Texas has collected all five of its points in its four most recent matches.

The 7-8-1 (wins-losses-overtime/shootout losses) Strykers face the 2-11-0 Outlaws on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 5:05 PM PST. In the U.S., the action will stream exclusively in English on the MASL’s official YouTube channel (@MASLtv). Outside the U.S., the broadcast will be available on Sportworld.

Against Baltimore, Empire controlled much of the possession and created a clear majority of the game’s quality chances, outshooting the Blast 25-10. The visitors had good fortune and backstop Julian Rodriguez to thank for the point earned on the road, as the Strykers hit the inside of the post four times and the 26-year-old Rodriguez boasted 14 saves as well as an outstanding .778 save percentage. Strykers backstop Brian Orozco became the day’s hero when he fired home the golden goal on a stunning long-range effort from the yellow line.

“Oh, man! It’s a surreal feeling for sure,” said the 23-year-old Orozco a day later in reflecting on his rocket into the upper left corner, which sent the home crowd into a frenzy. “I doubt there are many ‘keepers in the MASL who have scored an overtime winner. I’m thankful to God that I get to continue to do what I love, and I take it as a blessing that I have the opportunity to go out and have a moment like that. The fact that it went in and got us two points makes me incredibly happy and excited.”

In his interviews immediately following the final whistle, Orozco shared the credit with first-year head coach Onua Obasi, who had encouraged him to drive into open space and shoot if he were to see an opportunity. Empire’s strong performance in the match showcased the potential benefits of Obasi’s approach, which intermittently uses the goalkeeper as an additional attacker. While the Southern Californians made very frequent use of the strategy earlier in the season, lately Englishman Obasi has fine-tuned his tactics and been more strategic about when to overload the offense.

“It was definitely a strong team display,” said Brian Orozco of the Strykers’ performance in the contest. “Everybody stayed composed and calm. Those had been exactly our instructions — to be calm with the ball and to choose the right moments to push up and attack. We executed our game plan and knew exactly what to do during the entire game. Getting the win was the result of studying the opponent and of everyone doing their homework and sticking to their roles. We really showed what we’re capable of when we make the right decisions. It feels like we’re headed in a good direction.”

Whether or not Orozco’s side can start a winning trend will depend to no small degree on how its performs in its upcoming clash with an inexperienced Texas team that seems to be finding its feet of late.

After a turbulent offseason, the Outlaws found themselves without legendary head coach Tatu and with a mere five players who had regularly seen the field as the side made it back-to-back playoff appearances in 2023-24. Unsurprisingly, the group now guided by Ed Puskarich dropped its first nine games of the current campaign as it attempted to make do with a roster featuring eight rookies and eight others who had previously played fringe roles across the league, five of them not having laced up in the MASL since 2022-23 or prior.

While sitting in last place, Texas looks to build on the momentum of having collected two wins in its last four, including Saturday’s shocking 7-6 overtime upset of host Milwaukee Wave, which was preceded by a 3-7 road loss to the Dallas Sidekicks. The Outlaws now have a realistic shot at climbing out of last place, as they could leapfrog the Harrisburg Heat in eleventh and eventually even the St. Louis Ambush in tenth. The former is just two points ahead, with the latter holding a seven-point cushion but having played two more games.

Empire has already faced its next opponent once away from home this season. In Texas’s season opener back on December 21, the Strykers, on the heels of reacquiring from the Outlaws a trio of their former fan favorites in Andy Reyes, Jorge DeLeon and Emmanuel Aguirre, dominated play throughout the 60 minutes and came away with a 10-5 win.

“We knew that it was a rebuild year for them and that they would probably struggle in the beginning because they had lost a lot of players,” recalled goalkeeper Orozco. “But we also knew that sometimes it just takes a couple of good games to get the chemistry going, so we expected Texas to at some point start showing signs of being a stronger team than they were early on. We’ve already studied them and talked about what they do, and it’s clear there aren’t any easy opponents anymore. That said, coming off a big win, we’re motivated to keep it going and get another one on the road.“

After already missing his team’s first meeting with the Strykers due to a penalty point accumulation, David Ortiz, the only remaining veteran who last season had a significant impact on the Outlaws’ offense, is expected to miss Thursday’s match due to injury.

Another one of Texas’s handful of more experienced MASL players, Stephen Gonzales, will likely lead the backline. The 27-year-old is tied for sixth in the league in blocks (26), with Suriel Arauz (17) ranking second on his side’s roster. Behind the defensive duo, netminder Jesus Rivera has done his utmost to prevent opposition tallies, as he sits runner-up in the MASL in total saves (180).

The Outlaws attack is jointly spearheaded by rookie David Stankovic and Billy O’Dwyer. While Stankovic holds the team lead in points (14) and goals (11), he is also second in points per game (1.1 in 13). In addition to topping Texas in points per game (1.3 in 8), O’Dwyer shares second place in points and assists with Steven Chavez (10 each and 4 each, respectively) as well as in goals with Chavez and veterans VcMor Eligwe and Erik Macias (6 each). Midfielder O’Dwyer and forward Eligwe both rank tied with others for league-wide runner-up in power play goals (2).

The Empire backline is anchored by captain and reigning MASL Defender of the Year, Robert Palmer, who is fourth in the league in blocks (32), with Emmanuel Aguirre (10) a distant second on the two teammates’ squad. Meanwhile, 2025 All-Stars Marco Fabián and Justin Stinson form a formidable attacking duo, with Stinson’s dazzling footwork perfectly complementing Fabián’s powerful right foot and exquisite vision.

Fabián is his team’s undisputed leader on offense, as he ranks fourth in the MASL in both points (30), fifth in points per game (2.0 in 14), tied for third in goals (19) and tied for ninth in assists along with fellow Strykers midfielder Andy Reyes (11 each). In addition to sitting tied for seventh in the league in goals (16) and tied for ninth in points (22), Stinson is second on Empire in points per game (1.4 in 16). Mexican Fabián and American Stinson are among the players currently sharing MASL runner-up in power play goals (2 each) with the Outlaws’ O’Dwyer and Eligwe.

Among Empire’s greatest strengths is its unpredictability going forward. While Orozco has collected two goals so far in 2024-25, the team’s other two netminders boast even more points per game than the Guatemalan futsal international. While Claysson De Lima has three helpers in ten appearances, Brandon Gomez has a goal and an assist in seven.

Maintaining a firm grip on their postseason position after a 5-6 home loss to reigning champion Chihuahua Savage and their dramatic overtime win against visiting Baltimore, the seventh-place Strykers look to keep as much air as possible between themselves and a trio of playoff hopefuls. While the Dallas Sidekicks trail by six points, St. Louis and Tacoma Stars each hold a pair of games in hand on Empire while having collected seven and nine fewer points, respectively.

By beating Texas, the Strykers would retain their outside shot at cracking the top half of the standings and take another major step toward finalizing their return to the knockout stages following three straight absences.

Brian Orozco and company face the Outlaws this coming Thursday, February 20. Empire’s next home game is a clash with the Milwaukee Wave on Monday, February 24. Tickets are available here.