Up and Comers to Watch in 2026
Just because you're a good or skilled outdoor player doesn't mean you will excel in the indoor game.
Both sports are played with a ball but demand different skills.
Some players might take longer to adapt to indoor soccer and when they do, the results can be quite rewarding.
Today, we feature five Major Arena Soccer League players who, after their rookie seasons, are on the way up.
In alphabetical order, they are Mounir Alami (Empire Strykers), Luis Birrueta (Tacoma Stars), Max Ludwig (Milwaukee Wave), Sergio Pinal (Utica City FC) and Daniel Torrealba (St. Louis Ambush).
All statistics are through yesterday's NYE matches.
Mounir Alami (Empire Strykers)
When the 5-foot-11 Alami signed with the team last year, Jimmy Nordberg, then the Strykers' executive vice president, felt the team had found a special player.
“We feel fortunate to have Mounir Alami joining us,” he said. “He’s an example of a gifted, young player whose unique path has caused him to fly under the radar and become available at the perfect time. We believe Mounir’s technical ability lends itself nicely to our sport and that he has the potential to do something special. We’re all rooting for him to succeed.”
He was correct.
The former Moroccan youth international enjoyed a superb start to his indoor career, totaling 16 goals and 12 assists in 22 games during the 2024-25 MASL campaign. He has followed that up with four goals in five matches this year.
A graduate of College Omar ibn al-Khattab in Oued Zem, Morocco, the 26-year-old Alami has performed with the Moroccan Under-19 team. Before signing with the Strykers in 2024, he played with several teams in the Chicago area, including Panathinaikos Chicago (National Premier Soccer League), Chicago FC United, Berber City FC and Chicago Nation FC.
Memorable game:
* Alami bagged a brace, including the game-winner in overtime to boost the Strykers to a 5-4 win over the San Diego Sockers at Frontwave Arena in their season opener on Nov. 28. Goalkeeper Brian Orozco brought the ball into the attacking zone on the right flank and whipped a shot from the yellow line that Alami headed home from close range past goalkeeper Chris Toth only 74 seconds into overtime. The victory snapped Empire’s 14-game losing streak against the Sockers.
Luis Birrueta (Tacoma Stars)
The problem with being a soccer goalkeeper is that unlike every other position, only one individual can play at any one time. So, even if you are a talented and up-and-coming netminder, you might have to wait your turn.
That was the case of Birrueta, who was the understudy to a pair of superb keepers - Danny Waltman and Chris Toth.
Birrueta did his best while waiting in the wings, winning two Western Indoor Soccer League. championships with the Tacoma Stars reserve team from 2022-24, while earning PASL first team all-star honors.
The wait was worth it for the 6-foot, 183-lb. goalie. He played seven games with the Stars during each of the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons before getting the regular nod this campaign. The Yakima, Wash. native has not disappointed, winning three of four matches this season en route to a 4.77 goals-against average, fourth in the league.
Memorable game:
* Birrueta produced 12 saves in a 3-2 home win over the Strykers on Dec. 20.
Max Ludwig (Milwaukee Wave)
In his second season, the 27-year-old Ludwig is starting to make some, ahem, waves. He tallied one goal and five assists in his 2024-25 rookie season before blossoming this campaign. Ludwig already has surpassed last year's totals, with four goals and six assists in seven matches. He has recorded at least a point in each appearance prior to NYE.
It should not come as a surprise to the Stuttgart, Germany native because he excelled in scoring and setting up goals for years. Demonstrating his skill and creativity, he was a NCAA Division II All-America at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, registering nine goals and 13 assists in his 2021 senior season.
The 5-9, 170-lb. midfielder was a key member of the Milwaukee Torrent, helping the NPSL team reach the National Amateur Cup Final in July 2024, losing to the New York Pancyprian Freedoms, 6-0.
Memorable game:
* Ludwig registered a goal and two assists in an 8-4 triumph over the host San Diego Sockers on Dec. 7. After assisting on two goals early in the second quarter, he connected for an insurance tally that gave the Wave a 5-3 advantage at 11:43 of the period.
Sergio Pinal (Utica City FC)
The San Jose, Calif. native made a splash in his rookie season with an impressive 15 goals and nine assists in 28 appearances. He is off to a speedy start, averaging 2.8 points a match with six goals and five assists for 11 points in only four contests.
Pinal, 23, has inclemently increased his production in each of his matches, connecting for multiple points each time.
The 5-10, 215-lb. forward produced a wonderful season for Evergreen Valley College during the 2023-24 season, collecting 23 goals and 12 assists in 23 matches.
Memorable games:
* In Utica City's season opener on Dec. 7, he scored once and set up two goals in an 8-7 home defeat to the Kansas City Comets. He was named second star of the match.
* He raised his production to a pair of goals and two more assists, earning first-star honors in an 11-5 home loss to the Comets on Dec. 14.
* Pinal secured first star accolades, striking for a hat-trick and assist in 7-6 win over the Wave on Dec. 28.
Daniel Torrealba (St. Louis Ambush)
After a solid rookie year in which he averaged a little more than a point a game (10 goals, 5 assists in 14 appearances) with the Texas Outlaws, the 24-year-old midfielder has revved up his game. Through seven contests, Torrealba has accrued seven goals and three assists, recording at least one point in each encounter prior to NYE.
“Daniel Torrealba showed a lot of potential last season, generating offense on a team that scored the fewest goals in the league," Ambush owner and head coach Jeff Locker said after Torrealba signed as a free agent in August. “He is still developing in the indoor game and has the talent to be an impact player.”
The 5-foot-6. 120-lb. Torrealba, who began playing soccer at the age of 10, hails from San Cristobal-Tachira, Venezuela.
Memorable games:
* He punctuated a two-goal performance, scoring 95 seconds into overtime past goalkeeper William Banahene in a dramatic 7-6 home victory over Milwaukee on Dec. 14. It was his second consecutive brace, accomplishing it in an 8-3 road loss at the Comets on Nov. 29.
* Torrealba earned third star of the match honors after recording a goal and two assists in a 9-6 away defeat to the Comets on Dec. 27.
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.