Rankings Analysis: California’s Under the Radar 2025 Gems
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Sophia Carbone Sophia Carbone F State CA The PrepSoccer player rankings for California’s 2025 class were updated this week. Check out this link to see the full rankings. The depth of talent in California in roughly unrivaled as this is…
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Continue ReadingThe PrepSoccer player rankings for California’s 2025 class were updated this week. Check out this link to see the full rankings.
The depth of talent in California in roughly unrivaled as this is shaping up to be one of the best classes in many tears for the state. With a number of top prospects all over the state, there are plenty of prospect that have flown under the radar up to this point.
Below is a breakdown of a few players who are new to the rankings or players who have just been under the radar in our coverage recently.
Lee is a terrific player and would probably be a top 10 talent in most states. She is a center midfielder with great ball control and vision. The knock on her from scouts is she is right-foot dominant. She does not suffer much at the youth level due to this though – she was an ECNL All-Conference selection last season – but there is the question for the next level. I think she has the quality to still shine at the division I level and should be a three or four-year starter for a program. She is clever with the ball and moves well off the ball. Lee is a player to watch during the spring of the ECNL season as she could really make a name for herself before the recruiting period opens for this class.
rnWoods is a player who very well could be much higher on this list if she was at a different club. To be clear, I also believe she is at the perfect place for her development. She plays for one of the best teams in the state. It’s just a point that she is not in the spotlight as much because of how good some of her teammates are – but she is improving greatly with the training and facing off against the top attackers in the region in practice so she will be ready for the next level when her time comes. From game film, it’s obvious that Woods has the versatility to play any spot in the back four. She is likely a left center back at the next level. She is excellent in possession as she puts in the work to move off the ball and show at different angles of support for her teammates. She makes good decisions on the ball. Defensively, she’s matched up well in games against top attackers – from speedy options to back-to-the-goal players, she can cover pretty much anyone. Woods is a player to watch on the Bay Area Surf 07 team.
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Highlights
rnCarbone is a center forward for Mustang SC. She stood out from game film for her quality on the ball. She is comfortable playing with the ball at her feet and can combine with teammates in tight spaces. She is also good at bringing the ball down from the air and being an option to play with her back to the goal. Carbone has been one of the most porlific goal scorers in the club game in recent years, which has earned her a reputation to be marked out of the game. She has still found success even while facing double teams in many games. She is a top option at that position in this class.
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Gaida seems to be one of the unheralded members of the talented Surf squad. She played left center back against MVLA during the ECNL National Event in November. She does all of the little things really well. She is a smart defender, comfortable on the ball, and does well in organizing the players around her. She has been a key player for the Surf team for some time and looks to be one of the early targets for the next level from that group.
Dizon is an outside back on the So Cal Blues 07 ECNL team. She is a right back with the quality of on-ball defending to shut down even the best wingers. She has the pace and tenacity to excel at the position. She likes to get forward, but she has a preference to hit an early cross rather than get to the end line. Dizon has the quality to be a top outside back in this class in California for 2025.
Butters is a player who has a number of fans among scouts. She is a bit of a do-everything type of player. It’s easy to see how she could impact the game in any position through the center of the field (center back, defensive midfielder, or even center forward). She is an imposing player who is aggressive in the tackle and quick to react. She does well in the transition element of the game because she has the ability to pin a pass across the field and over the defense with accuracy. Butters is a competitor too. There’s been multiple games where she has thrown her body in front of a shot to prevent an attempt on goal.