OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: BERTO PALMER

The offer came out of nowhere, but it was too good to ignore.

After all, how many times does anyone get an offer to coach a professional soccer team when he's still a player.

Robert Palmer took up the offer from the Empire Strykers last month. The veteran all-star defender became interim head coach for the rest of the Major Arena Soccer League season and the playoffs. He replaced Onua Obasi, who has been in talks with the team about taking on other responsibilities.

"It didn't take much convincing because I've coached so many years,” Palmer said. “I’ve ideas together for past couple years with stuff that I've learned from all the coaches I've had, especially from Vlakto."

That would be former Missouri Comets and U.S. women's national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski.

“I was prepared for it, not knowing it would be this soon," Palmer added.

Berto, as he is known by friends, teammates and many Strykers supporters, took written notes on training in detail and saw how coaches communicated.

"Little things," he said.

That go can a long way.

Palmer has coached at many levels through the years, including as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Park University, Lake Tahoe Community College, and countless youth teams.

"It's the path that I know because I coach college and club at high levels," he said. "I know this is a path for me. I want to go to the next phase of my life. I'm getting older. I was writing down stuff, putting things in context whenever I get opportunity to coach.”

During an interview earlier this week, the 37-year-old Palmer mentioned Andonovski several times, because he influenced him in several ways.

"It's just more than just coaching and being on the field," he said. "His presence in man management skills. I've learned so much from him as a coach, to take it to the next level. ... His first year, he won the championship with us. The next year, we went 20-0. We were very good. It was a well-oiled machine."

Palmer said that he wants "to try to create that culture and that standard here with my players."

"It's just never give up, be very resilient," he added. "That's how he was with us. Training games were like a battle. Sometimes the practices were harder than the games because of the way we trained. It was a good model for me to have.  He always wanted to be best in everything from man down, man up, set pieces, everything. He wants to statistically be up there. I want to drive that as a coach, as well."

Palmer took over as player-coach a day prior to the March 15 match at the Milwaukee Wave, first speaking to the team.

"I told them I was nervous," he said. "I'm not going to lie. It's not nervous to where this is going to be bad, but nervous kind of have some excitement, to know about what we can do. … I felt like that once we do our best, whatever the outcome is, I'd be super proud regardless. So far, they've been doing their best, and we've been winning.”

They recorded a 6-3 victory in his debut. Palmer, a two-time MASL defender of the year, and five-time all-star, also took shifts on the backline.

"That first game was nerve-wracking for me in the beginning," Berto said. "At the end, it was so much emotion to where the players were celebrating with me, because they know how much it meant to me, but also to them."

Palmer was named interim head coach prior to Empire's 5-3 victory at Utica City FC on March 22. Then came a 5-4 home triumph over the St. Louis Ambush in the regular season finale on March 29.

The sixth-place Strykers (12-11-1, 33 points) are 3-0 under Palmer entering the postseason after securing the final playoff berth. Their goal-scoring has been spread out. Midfielder Justin Stinson led the team with 15 goals and 12 assists, followed by forward Mounir Alami (15-10) and midfielder-defender Alan Perez (13-8). Palmer, who had three goals, has recorded a team-high 14 assists.

They meet the Wave in the quarterfinals, hosting the opening game at Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif. on Thursday, April 2 at 9:35 p.m. ET. The teams then will play at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee on Monday, April 6 at 7:35 p.m. ET. If the series is tied, then a knockout game will be played immediately afterwards.

The third-place Wave (15-7-2, 43) is led by midfielder Alan Sanchez (32 goals), the MASL Golden Boot winner, who finished second in points (49). Oscar Flores finished fifth in goals (26), Alex Steinwascher and Mario Alvarez were tied for ninth place (21 apiece).

The Strykers won the regular season series, 2-1. They dropped the opener on Dec. 31, 3-1, but bounced back with an 8-7 win on Feb. 16 before adding that March 15 victory.

Palmer, however, wasn't taking anything for granted.

"They are a mix of veteran, young, exciting players," he said. "Look at their coaching staff. It's a veteran group. Marcio Leite. He's in his first year as a coach. He was a first assistant coach for many years, and he's done a fantastic job taking over from Giuliano [Oliviero]. I have the utmost respect for him. I know what I'm going up against.

“The little things matter, that we will try to iron out, the set pieces, the power play, the top of the box. If we can clean up these things, I think this will propel us to get over the Milwaukee Wave because they're good at all these things. And not to mention their sixth attacker, their the young, exciting goalkeeper."

That would be Gerardo Perez, who has scored seven goals in that role over 14 games, four starts and 41e minutes.

"These are the things that we have to overcome," Palmer said. "Is it going to be easy? Absolutely not. Even if we get past them in the first game, the second game in Milwaukee is going to be even much harder. We just have to stay level. We've been great on the road. We can keep this momentum going."

The winner will meet the Baltimore Blast in the best-of-three semifinals.

In his younger days, Palmer was a member of the Missouri Comets' 2013-14 championship side.

Asked what winning a title would mean to him, he replied, "Oh, massive. If I could trade individual awards I have for a championship. I'll take that. I still have memories when we won with coach Vlatko. I still have great friendships with a lot of these guys. What we've accomplished, this is something that can't be erased. The individual awards and things like that, you celebrate. If I can win a championship, it's just the icing on the cake."

As for becoming a permanent Strykers head coach, that remains to be seen.

Palmer wants to focus on the playoffs.

"It would be easy to answer if I was just a coach, but as a player-coach, it's something that after season will be more discussed about," he said. "I'm open minded. I'm trying to see how the playoffs go and just go from there with the team."

Michael Lewis, the sixth recipient of the Clay Berling Media Career of Excellence Award in 2025, can be followed on X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky at @Soccerwriter. His 10th soccer book, Around the World Cup in 40 Years: An American sportswriter's perspective, will be published this spring.