ECNL Dallas: 16s – Day 3 Standouts
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The ECNL Girls League hosted its sixth National Event of the season this past week in Dallas and as many as 224 teams from all over the country flew to Texas to compete for three days against top-level opponents. Prep…
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Continue ReadingThe ECNL Girls League hosted its sixth National Event of the season this past week in Dallas and as many as 224 teams from all over the country flew to Texas to compete for three days against top-level opponents.
Prep Soccer covered the event on-site and each day focused on one age group, bringing a photo gallery and highlighting the top performers of the matches we get to attend. Positional standouts will be featured in the weeks following the event.
On Monday, the third and last day of the event, we were at the Toyota Soccer Center, in Frisco, where we got to watch eight matches in the 16s age group:
Real Colorado National 0 – 1 SLSG Navy
Dalke was huge for SLSG Navy as besides handling her duties at the left back, she also scored the match’s game-winning goal by sending the ball over Real Colorado’s goalkeeper from an unlikely spot on the left side of the box. She was very active on the left flank, stretching the field with her runs off the ball and constantly offering a passing outlet to her teammates. Dalke displayed great technique on the ball and was solid with her passing, be it playing short in the buildup or attempting to find runners in behind the backline. She also did a good job defensively, protecting well her area of the field.
Linder stood out in her central midfielder position for Real Colorado. She played with a lot of intensity and used her physicality to win duels and help shut down attempts down the middle – she also got first to several 50-50 balls. Linder did a good job in possession too, connecting good passes and finding open teammates. With her team trailing, the midfielder had to support more the attack and she did that with smart runs off the ball into the penalty box. She was also very solid with set pieces, taking free kicks and corner kicks for the team and hitting the ball with good power, precision and spin.
Highlights
La Roca FC 1 – 1 Richmond United
Harding was La Roca’s most creative player and most of her team’s goalscoring opportunities went through her. She was very dangerous playing more centrally, as an attacking midfielder, as she unbalanced Richmond’s defense with her dribbling ability and her vision to send through balls. Harding spent some playing out wide on the left and was effective there as well, taking advantage of the space to push the ball forward. She also worked hard defensively, putting pressure on opponents and tracking back.
Lombardo played with a lot of energy and was one of the glues that kept Richmond United together in the match. She played in a box-to-box role and was very intense defensively, winning duels and helping shield the team’s backline. Lombardo also did a very good job with her passing, not keeping the ball for too long and finding teammates in good spots very quickly. Her distribution kept her team in a rhythm and made it difficult for La Roca to put pressure on them.
Highlights
Heat FC 0 – 1 Seattle United
Johnson’s work rate was truly impressive in the match against Heat FC. She started the match at center forward and player with great energy, repeatedly making runs off the ball and putting a lot of pressure on defenders. Despite not being very physical, Johnson also displayed an interesting ability to drop back and receive passes with her back to the goal and feed the winger, at times with one-touch passes. She dropped to midfield during the match and continued to play with great intensity, doing a good job on defense and passing the ball with precision.
Loo had a major offensive role with Heat FC, standing out in her box-to-box midfielder role. Playing centrally, she got on the ball a lot and connected good passes, helping the team keep possession. Loo was also excellent at breaking pressure and beating defenders with quick moves in the middle. She had some very good runs through the middle, beating defenders as she progressed with the ball, which generated the team’s most dangerous opportunities in the final third.
Utah Avalanche 1 – 1 NCFC Youth
Page worked very hard during the match and her efforts were rewarded with a big run down the right that result in the team’s equalizer. With NCFC controlling possession and playing on Avalanche’s field for most of the second half, she was a much-needed transition weapon, getting on the end of long passes on the right and playing aggressively against defenders. Page also displayed a good understanding of the game, dropping back to get on the ball and helping the team build the game when they were struggling.
Smith had a big role in NCFC’s game as the team went as well as she did in the match. She got on the ball a lot in midfield and did a good job with her distribution and with making some runs through the middle when she sensed there was space to be attacked. Smith also scored the team’s goal in the match with a shot from outside the penalty box that deflected off of a defender. She also did a good job defensively, covering a lot of ground and winning duels in the middle.
Challenge SC 2 – 3 Liverpool IA Michigan
Dauer was part of Liverpool FC IA Michigan’s strong midfield which was one of the team’s strengths in the match. Her vision and passing were very important as they tried to break Challenge’s pressure and move the ball into the attacking half. Dauer also did a good job with set pieces and shots from outside the penalty box, stepping on the final third to contribute offensively. She was also very active defensively, covering ground and making solid tackles.
Boedecker thrived in her defensive midfielder role, impacting the game on both sides of the ball. Her passing was always precise and intelligent, finding the team’s outside backs and wingers in areas where they had more space to operate – the midfielder also dropped near the center backs to initiate the buildup when she felt the need to do it. Boedecker scored Challenge’s first goal with a beautiful left-footed shot from well outside the penalty box and also did a good job defensively, stepping up to put pressure on opponents.
Sting Austin 1 – 2 Eclipse Select SC
Rogers was a difference-maker for Eclipse Select against Sting Austin with her ability to beat opponents off the dribble and create chances. She played most of the match as an attacking midfielder, but also spent some time up top, and in both positions was a nightmare for opposing defenders. A lefty, she was very aggressive on the ball and scored the game-winning goal in a strong run through the middle which she finished with a beautiful right-footed shot that went into the upper corner. Rogers also played with good intensity off the ball, putting pressure on defenders and forcing them to play long.
Highlights
Coughlin was one of Sting Austin’s most active players against Eclipse Select in her right back position. With the team trailing for most of the match, she was an important offensive weapon down the right and was involved in the play that generated their goal. Coughlin was very good at dribbling the ball forward and alternated her approach in plays, sometimes going wider and on other occasions bringing the ball inside. She also did a good job defensively, playing with energy in duels.
Sting Dallas Black 1 – 3 San Diego Surf
Roesch was one of the main reasons why San Diego Surf limited Sting Dallas Black’s strong offense to just one goal. Her positioning was outstanding as she was very effective when she tried to anticipate plays, but also was exactly where she was supposed to be when she needed to cover a teammate. Roesch played hard too and had a high success rate in the duels she was involved. The center back also displayed great quality on the ball, using both feet extremely well to pass and making some surprising runs from the backline.
Highlights
If Roesch kept things tight at the back, Cecil made the magic happen offensively for San Diego Surf. Playing in a hybrid attacking midfielder/second forward role, she was the focal point of their offense and displayed a very creative game. Cecil’s vision was excellent and she always found great solutions to plays, making switches that caught defenders off guard and connecting quick backheel passes in the middle. A tall player, she used her body well to shield the ball and was very precise with both feet, scoring the team’s first goal with a beautiful left-footed finish from outside the penalty box.
Highlights
Sporting Iowa 0 – 1 Classics Elite
Brown was one of the standouts in Classics Elite’s tight victory over Sporting Iowa, getting her first clean sheet in three matches. The goalkeeper was very agile between the posts and made some athletic saves to keep the ball out of the goal. She was also very quick to come off her line and take up space from opposing attackers when managed to break into their defense. Brown was particularly important at the start of the second half, when Sporting pushed hard for an equalizer and she stopped them multiple times in just a few minutes.
Morgan Nichols
Morgan Nichols
Nichols was very active in midfield for Sporting Iowa and helped her team keep an intense rhythm in the second half. As they were behind, Sporting pushed forward and left her with a lot of room to cover in midfield. A physical player, she was very good at prevailing in duels, winning the ball back and immediately delivering it to a teammate so they could keep the pressure on. Nichols also did a good job with her passing, finding ways to move Classics Elite’s backline around with her distribution.