Texas High School Boys Team Spotlight – Eisenhower Eagles
The high school soccer season is underway in the state of Texas and until mid-April, then the State Tournament will be held, thousands of teams will be in action all across the Lone Star State competing for a spot in…
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Continue ReadingThe high school soccer season is underway in the state of Texas and until mid-April, then the State Tournament will be held, thousands of teams will be in action all across the Lone Star State competing for a spot in the playoffs.
Prep Soccer will be following the action and constantly providing match reports on some of the most exciting duels and highlighting the players that are standing out for their teams. We’ll also be presenting some of the most promising teams that we get to watch live so you know them a little bit better.
Eisenhower Eagles
The Eagles from the Eisenhower High School located northwest of downtown Houston are part of UIL’s Division 6A – Region 2, District 14. The team enters the season with the goal of returning to the playoffs and making their tenth postseason appearance after missing out last season. Defense and midfield are the strongest areas of the roster, which has some solid senior leadership.
Players to Watch
Ernesto Hernandez
Ernesto Hernandez
Hernandez can be used anywhere on the backline, but typically plays more on the left of Eisenhower’s defense. He’s not the most physical player, but is strong in 1-v-1 duels on the grass or in the air and can play hard when needed. His role allows him to push forward and help the attack when he sees the opportunity and he’s very good at identifying these moments. Hernandez’ pass is also very reliable and often helps the Eagles get out of pressure on the back.
Edson Meijia
Edson Meijia
Meijia plays in the center of Eisenhower’s backline and does a very job in cleaning up for eventual mistakes from his teammates. He has good physical strength and pace and uses his body well to win positions and shield the ball. Also good in the air, Meijia is very calm on the ball and often makes good passing decisions from the back, helping the team move the ball forward.
Kevin Rodriguez
Kevin Rodriguez
Rodriguez plays a key role for the Eagles, circulating through the central portion of the field and getting involved in a lot of what the team does. He’d probably be best described as a box-to-box midfielder, but gets the job done in a variety of ways as he can drop deeper to help Eisenhower build out of the back, but can also position himself a little further up in the field, where he can combine with the wider players. A very good passer, Rodriguez makes very few mistakes when in possession and can be dangerous with his forward runs off the ball as he often places himself in good positions to finish inside the penalty box.
Nahun Barrios
Nahun Barrios
The diminutive Barrios plays a big role in Eisenhower’s playmaking. He has freedom to move around the attacking third and uses it very well to get into spots from where he can make plays. A lefty, Barrios is probably the most dangerous when he drifts to the right and brings the ball inside with combination plays or dribbling runs in order to get a good finish with left foot. He’s also a very good passer, combining good accuracy and superior vision of the game.
Alex Alfaro
Alex Alfaro
A very dynamic player, Alfaro offers an interesting variation to Eisenhower’s offense. While most of the players around him are more dangerous with their passing, the winger is very good at making runs on and off the ball and using his dribbling ability to break lines and disorganize opposing defensive systems. Alfaro is not afraid to try to make plays and creates a lot of goalscoring opportunities. He’s also very flexible from a tactical standpoint, being capable of playing wider or more centrally.