The St. Louis Ambush launch their twelfth season this Friday, November 29 at 5:05 p.m. CST, when they host their cross-state rivals, the Kansas City Comets, at The Family Arena in St. Charles.
The Ambush take to the field with a new look for the 2024-25 season. While they didn’t undergo a full-blown roster rebuild during the off-season, the Ambush did retool their lineup for 2024-25 in an effort to field a playoff contender. Of the 34 players (active and inactive) on last season’s final roster, 13 are no longer with the team and several new faces have arrived via free agency or trades.
The most notable off-season acquisition is Franck “The King” Tayou, a four-time MASL MVP and the league’s leader in goals, points, game-winning goals, single season goals and career games played. Other notable roster moves include signing defender Uzi Tayou (Franck’s brother), a former all-star and defensive player of the year; local product Dylan Hundelt, a stellar defender in his own right who began his career with the Ambush and now returns home; and Duduca Carvalho an imposing physical presence in the forward position who returns to action after sitting out last season due to visa issues. Those players combine with returning stars like Will Eskay, last season’s team scoring leader, Lucas Almeida, last season’s leader in assists, along with a host of promising young players, give the Ambush arguably the best roster the team has had in its 11-year history. Back in goal for the Ambush is veteran keeper Paulo Nascimento, who has been recognized throughout his career as one of the league’s best between the pipes.
The Ambush and Comets squared off six times last season, with the Comets winning five of the six. The two teams will collide five times this season, with three of the five games being played on the Comets’ home turf. Given the improvements made to the Ambush roster coming into this season, they figure to be more competitive; not just against the Comets but against the rest of the league as well.
It’s an all-Missouri opening weekend for the Major Arena Soccer League. Friday’s duel at the Family Arena, followed by Sunday’s rematch at the Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence are the first two games, league-wide, of the new season.
The first 2,000 fans in attendance for Friday’s match will receive a free Ambush Home Opener tee shirt. Following this weekend’s action, the Ambush will host the Milwaukee Wave on Sunday, December 15, 2024 at 2:05 p.m. CST at The Family Arena. Single-game, group and season tickets are on sale now. Call the Ambush office at 636-477-6363 for more information. Fans can stay current on all Ambush news by visiting the team’s official website, stlambush.com and on social media outlets.
