I-10 Shootout: Five Midfielders to Watch
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One of the most traditional and competitive preseason High School Girls’ soccer tournaments in Texas, the I-10 Shootout will be held this week in the Houston area, providing teams with a unique opportunity to fine-tune their games ahead of the…
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Continue ReadingOne of the most traditional and competitive preseason High School Girls’ soccer tournaments in Texas, the I-10 Shootout will be held this week in the Houston area, providing teams with a unique opportunity to fine-tune their games ahead of the start of the regular season.
Held from Thursday to Saturday, the three-day event will reunite as many as 64 teams from Houston and beyond. They will compete in eight brackets, hosted by high school programs in the ultra-competitive Katy ISD.
Prep Soccer will be following the action later in the week, but, between now and then, let’s take a look at some of the most promising prospects that will be on the field. These midfielders will run the show for their teams.
Emma Quintanilla
Emma Quintanilla
Quintanilla had a promising freshman season with Travis and will now return in a much larger role in 2024. A Nicaraguan international, she has what it takes to control the game from her central midfield position, bringing intensity and quality on the ball. Despite not being tall, she uses her body well to shield the ball and create space to make plays. Quintanilla sees the game well and is very precise and intelligent with her passing. Another strength in her game is her ability to take set pieces, be it sending them directly to the goal or crossing to a teammate.
Recruited as a center back to Austin Peay State, Arnold typically plays in midfield with her high school team Fort Bend Elkins. In that position, she gets to make a larger impact in the game with her passing and also gets in better spots to attempt long-distance shots, another of her strengths. Arnold is very tall and physical and that helps her control the center of the field, covering a lot of ground and cutting passing lanes to make interceptions. She’s also very strong in the air and wins most of the aerial duels on both boxes, converting into a dangerous player when in the attacking penalty box.
A defensive midfielder who plays with great intensity and covers a lot of ground with her club team Challenge, Pazahanick is often used in a more advanced role with her high school team Klein Cain. Closer to goal, her quality on the ball makes more of a difference as she’s able to connect smart passes and finish chances. When playing that position, Pazahanick is great at attacking the space behind the backline and needs little time to control the ball and finish. She uses both feet well to beat defenders off the dribble and finish chances from inside or outside the penalty box.
Highlights
Joanna Pastore
Joanna Pastore
A senior, ‘Jojo’ Pastore is a key piece for her Lamar team. A defender with her club team HTX, she plays in midfield for the Texans and makes of that area the heart of the team. Pastore has great quality on the ball and is very good at distributing it from her central position. She uses her body well to retain possession and also has a strong presence inside the penalty box to finish chances with her feet or her head. The midfielder also does heavy work on the defensive side of the ball, tracking back and helping her team win possession.
Brynn Farrar
Brynn Farrar
Farrar operates as an anchor to her Friendswood team team from the defensive midfielder position. She’s excellent at shielding the team’s backline and uses her ability to read the game to anticipate plays and intercept passes. Farrar is also very calm and effective in possession, connecting good passes that often initiate dangerous offensive plays. Because of her well-rounded game, she can be pushed back to the backline, but also has the tools to make an offensive impact, be it by using her size to score off of headers or by making some runs through the middle.