November 5, 2024 – Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Empire Strikers Press Release
Ontario, CA – The Empire Strykers announced today the addition of Jose Gonzalez to their roster for the upcoming Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) campaign. The move sees Empire re-sign another player who was at the club during one of the most successful periods in its history. Jose, the older brother of former Ontario Fury (now Strikers) star and current San Diego Sokers forward Charlie Gonzalez, joins after most notably helping the Empire to the 2021 Ron Newman Cup finals.
Jose Gonzalez’s contract runs through the 2025-26 MASL season. The 32-year-old is one of the longest-tenured players on the roster, with team captain Israel “Izzy” Sesay taking first place in that category.
“It’s nice to have everything come full circle for me,” Gonzalez said, reflecting on his return to world-class indoor soccer. “After taking some time off to focus on other aspects of life, it feels like coming home. I’m excited to get out on the field with my teammates and reconnect with the fans who have supported us since day one. Izzy , Robert (Palmer), Claysson (De Lima) and the likes of Fury’s early efforts are instrumental in getting us back into the play-offs.”
MASL Defender of the Year Palmer and 2021 MASL Goalkeeper of the Year De Lima both rejoined the Empire in the summer.
Born in Mexico, Jose Gonzalez came to Los Angeles County as a child and grew up in the city of Lancaster. After playing locally for Quartz Hill High School and elite youth club South Bay Force Brazil, he went on to compete with Taft College and Cal State San Bernardino. The Mexican-American, who first joined the Ontario Fury in 2016, enjoyed his best MASL campaign in 2017-18, making 20 total appearances. In 2021, he appeared in the postseason five times as his team narrowly missed winning the league title over rival San Diego.
“We’ve seen the unintended consequences of the sweeping changes we made last year,” said Strykers executive vice president Jimmy Nordberg, who served as head coach with the team for most of Gonzalez’s previous campaign. “Our struggles have been primarily due to a lack of experience and leadership, so we are proud and excited to have another veteran back on board who wants to fight for the family. Jose knows this organization and provides the calming presence we need. “He is an important acquisition for us.”
Season ticket packages for the Empire Strykers’ 2024-25 MASL campaign are now available and can be purchased here. Single game tickets will be on sale soon.
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