ECNL Houston Difference-Making Forwards
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Houston hosted the latest ECNL Girls National Event on President’s Day weekend, with 225 teams from all over the country competing across five divisions at two venues in the region from Friday to Sunday. Some of the best talent of…
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Continue ReadingHouston hosted the latest ECNL Girls National Event on President’s Day weekend, with 225 teams from all over the country competing across five divisions at two venues in the region from Friday to Sunday.
Some of the best talent of American club soccer was in attendance and so was Prep Soccer. We covered the last two days of the event and have already shared our first impressions about some of the individual standouts from Sunday (Recap | Photo Gallery) and Monday (Recap | Photo Gallery).
We’ve continued to highlight the most impressive players we got to see in action over the week, but now splitting them by position. In our last positional piece, let’s list the forwards that had big performances for their teams.
Camille Quarterman
Camille Quarterman
Quarterman’s dynamism on the left side of Atlanta Fire United 06’s frontline was a big asset for the team. A winger with excellent pace and great ability to dribble the ball, she was very aggressive in possession against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 06 on Sunday. Quarterman is very good with her positioning and makes herself available to get the ball in a deeper position and dribble it forward or to get a through ball in the open space. She also provided some valuable help on defense by tracking back and closing the space on the left.
Maggie Drozda
Maggie Drozda
Drozda was the most dangerous player in her SLSG 07 Navy team when they fell to FC Dallas 07 2-0 on Sunday. Although her efforts weren’t rewarded with a goal, she made some really good runs down the flanks, putting pressure on the opposing backline. Drozda started on the left and then moved to the right, showing a good ability to play on either side. she also made good combinations with her teammates and worked hard on defense.
Bryant was brilliant in the 3-0 victory of her Solar SC 06 team over Crossfire Premier 06 on Sunday. She drew the penalty kick that resulted in the second goal but more than that, was just very productive in creating chances. Bryant spent time on both flanks and was really dangerous with her attempts, taking opponents off the dribble and finding teammates with her vision. She moved around very well, always looking for pockets of space to play, and also made some good diagonal runs off the ball.
Fults made a big impact up top with her OK Energy FC 06 team. She didn’t find the back of the net when I watched her play against SLSG Navy 06 on Sunday, but was easily her team’s most dangerous offensive player. Fults has great pace, but, more than that, does an excellent job of controlling the ball while she sprints, which allows her to make moves and dribble opponents in movement. She also made some really good runs off the ball, always getting herself in a position to create chances.
Highlights
Other Positional Standouts:
Newman had a clutch performance for Eastside FC 08 against Kansas City Athletics 08 on Monday, scoring the first goal and assisting for the second in her team’s 2-0 victory. She’s a very complete player, who knows her way inside the penalty box but can also operate from a deeper position. Newman has some good physical tools to get on the ball outside the penalty box and also has impressive vision to connect with her teammates and a good touch on the ball to make passes.
Highlights
A pacey and physically strong winger, Hill was a constant threat on the left side of Solar SC 08’s frontline. She didn’t score in her team’s 1-1 tie with Concorde Fire Platinum 08 on Monday, but showed how good she can be. Hills is very fast and very good on the ball but what makes of her a very difficult player to stop is her athleticism. She’s hard to outmuscle and holds her own even against big defenders. She can be lethal when sent a diagonal pass behind the backline and times her runs very well.
Highlights
Taylor impressed with her ability to do-it-all up top. She scored FC Dallas 08’s game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory against Sporting Blue Valley 08 on Monday, but was important for her team in a variety of plays. Taylor is very strong physically and can make some good holdup play by using her body to shield the ball. A stellar futsal player, she knows how to operate in tight spaces like few others and is also very good with her passing. Taylor also uses both feet well to finish and pass and is very accurate when taking corner kicks.
Highlights
Few players were as important to their teams over the weekend as Cunningham, who scored seven of Classics Elite 08’s nine goals in the event. I watched her in action in their last match, a 2-2 tie with Pride SC 08 on Monday, and it was easy to understand her success. A long-legged forward, Cunningham has incredible pace and plays with a lot of intensity. She makes excellent runs behind the backline and doesn’t slow down if a defender gets first to the ball, putting a lot of pressure on them. She also moves really well inside the penalty box and often gets in good positions to score.