ECRL Boys Texas: Albion Hurricanes 07 vs. DKSC 07
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Club soccer leagues around the country have already kicked off their seasons and us, at Prep Soccer, are committed to covering as many of them as possible and keeping our eyes wide open for the rise of talented players everywhere…
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Continue ReadingClub soccer leagues around the country have already kicked off their seasons and us, at Prep Soccer, are committed to covering as many of them as possible and keeping our eyes wide open for the rise of talented players everywhere in the nation.
On Saturday, October 7, I was at the Campbell Road Sports Park, in Houston, to follow an ECNL – Regional League match between the Albion Hurricanes FC ECRL B07 and the DKSC ECRL B07 – here’s a photo gallery of the match.
Albion Hurricanes FC ECRL B07 0 – 3 DKSC ECRL B07
DKSC were in control since the start of the match, dominating possession and pushing forward. They got their first goal early on, when a good combination play found forward Josue Moreno inside the penalty box and he finished to score. Before the halftime whistle, Moreno stroke again, intercepting a pass in the final third, beating a defender off the dribble and sending the ball into the back of the net with a low, left-footed finish.
Albion were punished again by their passing errors at the start of the second half, when Kevin Valenzuela gained possession inside the opponent’s penalty box and had no trouble scoring DKSC’s third goal in the match. The hosts pushed forward to try and get one back and had a couple of good opportunities with Jorge Corcos, but couldn’t get the ball into the back of the net.
Top Performers
Brian Luna
Brian Luna
The center back played a big role in DKSC’s clean sheet, helping the team make stops in some of Albion’s most dangerous offensive plays. Luna is not very tall or physical, but he read the game extremely well to make interceptions, won most of the duels he was involved with and demonstrated great pace to cover his teammates when they were beaten. The defender also displayed good quality with the ball at his feet, finding good passes from the back and having the patience to circulate it for as long as needed. DKSC ended the match with a three-man backline and Luna, playing on the left side of it, used the freedom to make some smart attacking runs.
Tiago Narvaez
Tiago Narvaez
Narvaez was the engine of DKSC in the match, remaining very active in his central midfield position and getting very involved with everything the team did on the field. Pretty much every play initiated by the team got his stamp and Narvaez was excellent with his passing, knowing when to play long or make a switch and when to keep possession with shorter, quicker passes. He also did a great job in terms of keeping the ball himself, making some smart moves in tight spaces and using his body well to shield it from opponents. The midfielder also played hard defensively, winning duels and covering a lot of ground in midfield.
Saul Rios Saul Rios GK State #23 Nation TX
Saul Rios Saul Rios GK State #23 Nation TX
Rios came off the bench for DKSC and made a big impact on the team. He played on the right side in the team’s midfield trio and brought a lot of energy and strength to their offense. Rios was great at dribbling the ball forward and displayed great soccer IQ to change his positioning in order to get more space to operate, at times playing wider and on other occasions moving to more central spots. He made some good forward runs and was very good with his decision-making, pushing it upfield when he had space and finding teammates in good spots when he was under pressure. Rios also helped the team defensively, tracking back and fighting for the ball.
Josue Moreno
Josue Moreno
Moreno was the big name of DKSC’s victory, scoring two goals and being the focal point in the team’s offense. He proved to be an excellent finisher, but brought a lot more to the table, dropping back to combine with his teammates, finding space to play away from the penalty box and often connecting accurate one-time passes. Despite being the team’s striker, he moved a lot on the field and spent some time playing on the wing and even at midfield. Moreno displayed good technical skills and used both feet well to make plays. He also did some great work off the ball, putting pressure on defenders and working hard to win it back.
Anthony Rivera
Anthony Rivera
Playing as Albion’s defensive midfielder, Rivera played bigger than his size. He worked hard on the defensive side of the ball and tried to stop DKSC’s plays through the middle, but had limited success because of the number of quality players he was up against simultaneously. When in possession, he gave his team a good rhythm, always trying to push the tempo and playing one-time passes when he had a chance. He also pushed forward to support the offense and had a good presence around the penalty box, attempting shots from distance and helping the team circulate the ball.
Jorge Corcos
Jorge Corcos
Corcos was Albion’s most dangerous offensive player, getting involved in most of the chances created by the team. Playing underneath the team’s striker, he had great movement off the ball, drifting to wider positions to get passes and initiate plays. He didn’t have a lot of success against DKSC’s strong backline, but displayed great vision to find good passes and an interesting ability to beat opponents off the dribble. He attempted to be more aggressive in the second half and had two good chances to score with a shot from distance and by making a run inside the penalty box and sending a header over the goal.