ECNL Girls Playoffs – Midfielders to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After long nine months of competition, the highlight of the season is right around the corner in the ECNL Girls League, with the playoffs set to begin on Friday, June 24, in San Diego, California.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As many as 348 teams from the entire country will head to the West Coast to compete in the six age groups in an event that will reunite the absolute best talent in the country to fight for a spot in the ECNL Finals, which will take place in Richmond, Virginia, in July.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the days leading up to the start of the ECNL Playoffs, I'll highlight some of the most promising players I got to watch during the season, and these are some midfielders with game-changing potential.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["23512"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Freer is one of the top holding midfielders in her age group and will play a massive role with SLSG Navy G06. She covers a lot of ground in midfield and helps shield the team's backline with her high-energy, intense play. Her work rate is so elevated that she's capable of single-handedly handle the central area of the field and also covering the outside backs when they push forward. Freer also gets on the ball a lot and is very involved with her team's offense. She has great vision and connects excellent passes from her midfield position but also makes runs on and off the ball to support the attack.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64890d76990da"} /--> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://vimeo.com/491607964","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"vimeo","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://vimeo.com/491607964 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["28131"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Studebaker has a key two-way role in the midfield of her Crossfire Premier G06 team. She plays sort of a box-to-box midfielder position and has big responsibilities on both sides of the ball. Studebaker is a very physical player and uses her size to outmuscle opponents in the middle and win possession. An excellent tackler, she's also very active and drifts to the flanks to cover for her teammates. She's also very important in possession, helping the team break lines and move the ball forward with her ability to break lines with her passing. She's also a threat in set pieces because of her aerial ability.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64890d7699138"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["26791"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"A centerpiece in the midfield of her FC Dallas G07 team, Martinez is very smooth on the ball. She's very calm and intelligent when in possession and is one of those players her teammates know they can get the ball to in any situation that she'll find a solution. An excellent passer, Martinez thrives for her incredible vision, which allows her to spot passing windows and movements off-the-ball that not many others would. She's very strong at moving the ball forward herself too, making dangerous runs and shielding it from opposing defenders. Martinez is also getting better at finding open spots to get to inside the penalty box so she can finish chances.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64890d7699182"} /--> <!-- wp:image {"id":98954,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/02/IMG_1598.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-98954" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FC Dallas 07 vs. SLSG Navy 07</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["21579"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"One of the top midfielders in Georgia, Stack is the main chance-creator for her Concordia Fire Platinum G08 team. Her vision is probably her main asset as she impressed me with some of the passes she made when I saw her in action during the ECNL Houston event, in February. Stack is very difficult to defend against because she uses both feet extremely well to dribble the ball, pass and finish and typically makes very good choices when in possession. She's the kind of player that keeps her team in a good rhythm by making good plays every time she gets on the ball. Stack is also very disciplined, tracking back to help on defense and doing a lot of work without the ball.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64890d7699209"} /--> <!-- wp:image {"id":113845,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/03/Concorde-Fire-Platinum-08-12-crop-4801x3152-1678725442.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-113845" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["111550"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Holub is a lockdown defensive midfielder playing for Eastside FC G08. Her potential is incredibly high and that's because her understanding of the game is further ahead of what most people would expect from a player of her age. It's hard to believe Holub is so effective with her defensive duties having such a tiny frame, but that's the case because her positioning is outstanding and she knows exactly when to step up and make a play to get the ball. She's a very strong tackler, putting a lot of energy into her defensive actions, and doesn't back down against more physical players. She's also a solid passer, who plays a simple, yet efficient game when in possession.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64890d7699256"} /--> <!-- wp:image {"id":99599,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/02/IMG_2020.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-99599" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Eastside FC 08 vs. Kansas City Athletics 08</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->