ECNL Girls Tennessee: Five Center Backs to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After stops in St. Louis, San Diego and Phoenix, the ECNL Girls League is set to host its fourth event of the season this weekend in Tennessee. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Between Friday and Sunday, 210 teams, including some of the best in the country, will be in action in Murfreesboro in order to test themselves and show what they can do.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It will be a great opportunity to watch some exciting prospects in action against strong competition and these center backs will work hard to keep opponents away from their teams' goal:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["25314"],"_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":"Shepherd will play a big role in the backline of her team OK Energy FC G07 against Concorde Fire Platinum, Beach FC and Slammers FC. She first emerged as an outside back, but has since moved to central defense and improved there. Shepherd is really good at reading the game and identifying potentially heavy first touches, immediately stepping up to apply pressure. Thanks to her high soccer IQ, the defender is very rarely caught out of position or punished by misjudging a play. She's also solid in possession and, because of her time as an outside back, knows how to quickly progress the ball upfield, be it by passing or driving it.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-656140a3720bd"} /--> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wwHO7To1zc","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wwHO7To1zc </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["23578"],"_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":"Coffman will anchor Kansas City Athletic G07's backline when they play NVA, Del Mar Sharks and Placer United this weekend. A center back with the skills of a midfielder, she's a big part of her team's playing system and is capable of making a difference on both sides of the ball. Coffman uses her physical tools extremely well to get the job done on defense, thriving with her good positioning and reading of the game. She's just as strong offensively and often gets on the score sheet because of her ability to score off of headers and from long-distance shots.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-656140a372177"} /--> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/SydneyCoffman5/status/1661216232266186753?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/SydneyCoffman5/status/1661216232266186753?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["60350"],"_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":"Riggs and her Washington Premier G07 team will be faced with FC Alliance, Sporting Californa USA and Richmond United in Murfreesboro. A tall and technical center back, she will play a pivotal role in the team's defensive efforts during the event. Riggs is at her best when covering her teammates as her ability to read the game and to quickly get to the ball make her win plays - and her long legs prove to be an extra hurdle for opponents trying to beat her. She can play as a forward too and, because of that, is a great finisher and moves really well around and inside the penalty box.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-656140a372202"} /--> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6BX_81lx1k","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6BX_81lx1k </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["20502"],"_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":"Fassora is the defensive leader of her Real Colorado National G07 team that will match up with Slammers FC HB Koge, SUSA FC and San Diego Surf this week in Tennessee. She's not the tallest or most physical center back, but her quickness and explosiveness make of her a tough matchup for any forward, especially when away from the penalty box. Fassora times her tackles very well and is great at understanding the big picture in every play, knowing what to prioritize in her decision-making. She's also excellent at taking free kicks and finishing from distance and contributes in a strong way with the team's goal-scoring.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-656140a3722ed"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14921739/63fd72262348010de0bdf4e9' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-656140a372351"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["27052"],"_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":"Wiele will lead Sting Austin G08 as they duel with NC Courage, Arlington Soccer and Mustang SC in Murfreesboro. She's really tough to beat defensively because she has incredible spatial awareness and is never caught out of position. Wiele is also very athletic and often comes out of nowhere to step up and cover teammates who were beaten off the dribble. A midfielder with her high school team Westwood, she has tremendous quality on the ball and is highly influential when in possession as well. Besides connecting great passes from the backline and helping dictate the team's rhythm, Wiele also hits the ball very well, be it when shooting or crossing and typically gets a lot of assists off of set pieces.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-656140a3723d7"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/18426256/655d0ae832dc430abcf1e1ea' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-656140a372404"} /-->