This winter catch Sunflower State FC participating in MASL3 at Soccer Nation KC at 520 S 55th St. Kansas City, KS 66106 or on MyCujooTV. Tonight begins the 2020-2021 Winter season where Sunflower State FC takes on the talented Springfield Demize in Springfield, MO. Kickoff is at 7:30PM CST. “MASL 3 will serve as a gateway for players who are looking to develop into the professional players featured in M2 and MASL” (Husted, 2020). Players will be able to retain their college eligibility should they compete in MASL III, so look for a high level of play with many returning collegiate players. The Heartland Conference will include, but is not limited to, teams such as Des Moines, Topeka, Springfield Demize and Omaha Kings.
Now, many soccer fans do not know about the MASL, which stands for Major Arena Soccer League. MASL has been around since 2016 when it merged MISL (Major Indoor Soccer League) and PASL (Premier Arena Soccer League). Some of you will say, “Hasn’t indoor soccer been around longer? I say, “Yes, you are absolutely right.” Indoor soccer in the United States peaked in the late 1970s, but the shortage of fans, funding, and organization lead to short-lived leagues. In Kansas City, we began with The Spurs but became The Comets in 1979. The Comets played until 1993, and again in 2000-2005, and finally found a strong foothold in 2010 and have been operating to this day. They are the premier indoor soccer team in Kansas City and their games take place at Cable Dahmer Arena.
Before Major League Soccer’s first season in 1996, indoor soccer was what a lot of Americanslooked forward to if they wanted to stay connected to the game. Indoor soccer has been a staple of North American Soccer for years and brings to the table all that is good about soccer. Here, dribblers are kings, divers get thrown into the wayside, skill is more valuable than gold, speed is killer, honor and pride is prized above all else, and heart is everything. Anybody who has played or seen indoor soccer knows how intense and fast the play is.
Tune in to see some spectacular matches as Sunflower State FC looks to top the conference with the majority of the team back that did so well this past summer. Tito Favela will be the first Youth R.I.S.E. player to start or play a match in MASL. Also, the match will feature for SSFC along with some of our very own legacy players who have been with us from the start (Mike Keon, Wyatt Fowler, Girma Kassa, and Eddie Banks-Johnson).
-Salvatore Sesti PT, DPT.
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