ECNL Girls Tennessee: Five Goalkeepers to Watch
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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. Between Friday and Sunday, 210 teams, including some of the best in the…
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Continue ReadingAfter 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.
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.
It will be a great opportunity to watch some exciting prospects in action against strong competition and here are five goalkeepers worth your attention:
Fuller is the starting goalkeeper for FC Dallas G06/05 and her presence between the posts transmits a lot of confidence for the team that will play San Diego Surf, Slammers FC and Concorde Fire Platinum. She’s the type of goalkeeper who steps up and delivers in big moments. Fuller is very acrobatic to make difficult saves, but is also very firm when dealing with shots that go closer to her body, very rarely allowing attackers a second chance to beat her. The goalkeeper is also very quick and determined when leaving her line to make stops and frequently ignites quick transition plays with her ability to make long throws.
Another talented goalkeeper from Texas, Manning will be between the posts when her team DKSC G06/05 battles Tampa Bay United, Tennessee Soccer Club and Washington Premier in Murfreesboro. She’s having an excellent year, having played at the ECNL Houston National Selection Game in February and being called up to the USYNT ID Camp in May. Manning is very strong in the air and deals very well with crosses, either catching the ball confidently or punching it away from the penalty box. She also has excellent reflexes, which benefit her in 1v1 situations and when she has to make saves with a lot of players blocking her vision.
Sellers and her United Futbol Academy G07 team will be in action against Legends FC, Slammers FC HB Koge and Indy Eleven Pro Academy this week in Tennessee. She’s a very physical goalkeeper, who uses her size well to take up space from opposing attackers in 1v1 situations and is not afraid to get in their way. Sellers is very agile too and reacts well when tested from close range. She’s also very quick to leave the line when needed and does a very good job with her positioning. Sellers is also very good with the ball at her feet and has even been used as a field player – and scored goals – during the season.
Rodriguez will try to help her team Classics Elite G07 have strong displays against Charlotte Independence, Beach FC and FC Pride Elite in this week’s event. She does a very good job with her positioning, be it by being ready to catch crosses inside the penalty box or to take away angles from opposing attackers. Rodriguez is also very good with her decision-making, knowing exactly when and how to use her legs to make stops when she has to. The goalkeeper also communicates well with the defenders in front of her, keeping everyone one the same page.
Highlights
One of the finest goalkeepers in the ECNL Texas Conference this season, Johnson will be faced with San Diego Surf, Concorde Fire Platinum and PDA Blue while representing her team Real Colorado National G08 in Tennessee. She’s very long and uses her size to take up a lot of space between the posts but is also very quick to get down to the floor when she needs to make a lower save. Johnson is excellent when dealing with crosses, standing next to the near post and knowing the exact moment to advance and intercept the ball in the air. She’s also confident with her feet and often helps the team’s buildup and connects good passes out of the back.