Texas players looking to shine

The Club season is heating up in Texas, with ECNL playoffs taking place for many. Hundreds of players from Texas are going to be under the spotlight this upcoming weekend, and all summer long, for all intents and purposes. In the first of a two-part story, here is a look today at seven players from Texas who will be looking to standout this summer.   Jaelyn Bracamonte, Keeper, Clear Lake, Class of 2025   Bracamonte just joined the Houston Aces of the WPSL two days ago and will finish their season with them. She plays her club at HTX, playing on the 2005 Girls Academy 2 team. Bracamonte is a keeper who plays high school at Clear Lake High in Houston who is relentless. She plays with an aggression and a competitive edge. She also plays with control. She makes good decisions in terms of when to come off her line, where to position herself and when to come get a ball in the air and she comes quickly because she is very athletic and explosive. Lastly, what coaches love about Bracamonte is that she listens to instruction, wants to get better and she also communicates with them and her teammates very well.   Laila Brown, Forward, Abilene, Class of 2024   Brown plays forward at Abilene High and plays club for Sting SC's NTX Royal RL U18/U19 team. She can play any of the three forward positions, including as a lone center forward. She can do so because she is very dependable. If you put her somewhere she will remain focused and disciplined and get the job done. She is also incredibly dedicated and determined which makes her want to perform well for the people entrusting her to score goals. With an incredible competitive streak and great passion, Brown plays hard, but she remains humble and is a team-first player.   [player_tooltip player_id='85781' first='Jalen' last='Chaney'], Forward, Flower Mound, Class of 2025   Chaney recently made the switch to Sting SC, playing for the Black U18/U19 ECNL team. She is a Flower Mound product and was recently the first female player in the United States to play in the Alianza National Event in Phoenix. She is a very fast forward, who has a penchant for scoring goals in big moments. She does not back away from the moment or a challenge. She remains poised in those moments, because she being poised is a big strength of hers. She works hard and competes, she plays with aggressiveness and with passion, but is technical, gifted and always in control.   [player_tooltip player_id='26532' first='Aviana' last='Gutierrez'], Keeper, University-Waco, Class of 2025   Gutierrez is from Waco, attending University High and plays her club for the FC Dallas 2007 ECNL team. As a keeper, she shows true determination as she is resilient and can adapt quickly. She thinks fast and is able to rise to the challenge in any situation. She plays with passion and a competitive edge, and plays with an aggressiveness that shows how competitive she is between her posts. She remains focus, never switching off and is a loud, commanding voice on the pitch.   [player_tooltip player_id='101791' first='Eliana' last='Hernandez'], Keeper, Wylie, Class of 2025   Hernandez is from Wylie, near Plano and not far from Dallas. She plays for Wylie High, and plays her club with Triumph, playing on the 2006 Storm DPL team. She is a keeper who really means business. It has been said about her that when she's between the posts, it's worth a one-goal lead to the team. She plays hard, she's tough, she plays mean. This means Hernandez is brave, but she is also a smart player. She plays with great energy, an excellent attitude, doing what is needed for her team to accomplish their mission.   [player_tooltip player_id='62298' first='Addison' last='Huber'], Keeper, Flower Mound, Class of 2025   Huber is a keeper who is quick to react and makes smart decisions. She comes off the line quickly, and is very brave in doing so. She reads angles well, and reads the ball well, especially when a ball is lofted in or sent in from a corner. She is a good shot stopper, with good hands and an excellent parry. She is already tall for her age group and is going to get taller, giving her even more coverage. She is an honors student with a 4.4 GPA, she was a 20222 South Region ODP Selection. She plays high school at Flower Mound High, and plays her club for the FC Dallas 2007 ECNL team.   Emma Grace Jeffiers, Keeper, Byron Nelson, Class of 2025   Jeffiers is from North Texas, playing at Byron Nelson High and playing Girls Academy with the BVB International Academy 2006 team. Jeffiers has a fearless streak in her and is relentless when it comes to competing. She is incredibly vocal, leading the way for her team on the pitch. Jeffiers reads play very well, anticipating what is coming at her and reacting accordingly. She can stop shots or come out for crosses, and her calmness in the box allows her to think rationally in terms of when to come out, close down the angle or read play and let it develop. Oftentimes keepers get a nebulous label of being athletic, but she comes from an athletic family and has played a multitude of other sports at the club level. She is an honors student with a weighted GPA of 4.8 in addition to being a standout soccer player.

The Club season is heating up in Texas, with ECNL playoffs taking place for many. Hundreds of players from Texas are going to be under the spotlight this upcoming weekend, and all summer long, for all intents and purposes. In the first of a two-part story, here is a look today at seven players from Texas who will be looking to standout this summer.