MLS Next Cup U17 Semifinal Spotlight: Defenders & Goalkeepers

<strong>FRISCO</strong>, Texas - The MLS Next Cup held the semifinal matches for the U17 age group on Friday, July 1. Los Angeles FC, Philadelphia Union, Orlando City SC, and the Columbus Crew were all competing for a shot to play in the championship on July 3. The Philadelphia Union defeated Los Angeles FC (2-1), and Orlando City SC fell to the Columbus Crew (4-3) in penalties. This article will highlight the defenders and goal-keepers who made an impact in the semifinals. <span style="font-size: 14pt;">Goalkeepers</span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="47350" first="Stanislav" last="Lapkes"], No. 1, Columbus Crew:</strong> Stanislav is an athletic keeper with great technical skills. He made several impressive saves from close-range shots that showcased his impressive reaction time. His decision-making is very good and chose to come off his line at the right times. He made several critical saves to keep a clean sheet at full-time. Stanislav’s impressive shot-stopping and athleticism ended up being the difference for Columbus- he saved two penalties during the shoot-out which secured his club a spot in the final. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="46602" first="Dominic" last="Pereira"], No. 1, Orlando City SC:</strong> Dominic is a tall keeper with great hands and an impressive wingspan. He is a very good shot-stopper which helped him to keep a clean sheet through 90 minutes. Dominic’s size allows him to go up over attackers and control crosses in his box and makes him a formidable 1v1 goal-keeper. He made an impressive diving penalty save in the shoot-out. <span style="font-size: 14pt;">Defenders</span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="46740" first="Tahir" last="Reid-Brown"], No. 3, Orlando City SC:</strong> Tahir is a very athletic defender with the pace to chase down attackers and the size to win balls in the air. He can play in the center or on the outside and is very versatile.  He is tall and has a great vertical jump for an outside back, which can give him an advantage over attackers. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="7231" first="Carlos" last="Diaz"], No. 18, Los Angeles FC:</strong> Carlos’s pace, physicality, and tackling abilities are his strengths. He can catch up to forwards running onto through balls, and gets up and down the wing very quickly. His physicality allows him to win headers and challenges against taller players. Carlos is very good at going to the ground and has an impressive ability to make clean slide tackles. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="15114" first="Daniel" last="Krueger"], No. 4, Philadelphia Union:</strong> Daniel is a lock-down center-back who is hard to beat both off the dribble and in the air. His combination of height, strength, and speed makes him difficult for attackers to deal with. Daniel’s marking and tackling are excellent. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="11559" first="Ty" last="Nero"], No. 14, Columbus Crew:</strong> Ty is a strong and physical center-back. He is good in the air and is a threat on attacking set-pieces.  He reads the game very well, which allows him to anticipate passes and be first to the ball. Ty can play out of the back and is an effective passer. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="46603" first="Victor" last="Saade"], No. 19, Orlando City SC:</strong> <p style="text-align: left;">Victor is an athletic center-back with a high soccer IQ. His vision and technical abilities make him stand out among defenders.  He has a great touch, is an accurate passer, and has the skill to play long balls to players going forward.  Victor is a complete center-back who uses his strength and size very well.</p>