ECNL Dallas: Five Texas Forwards to Watch
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The ECNL Girls League is coming to Texas this weekend as the city of Dallas is set to host the second event of the 2024 calendar year and the sixth of the 2023-2024 season from Saturday to Monday. Matches will…
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Continue ReadingThe ECNL Girls League is coming to Texas this weekend as the city of Dallas is set to host the second event of the 2024 calendar year and the sixth of the 2023-2024 season from Saturday to Monday.
Matches will take place at the Toyota Soccer Center, in Frisco, and the MoneyGram Soccer Park, in Dallas, and as many as 224 teams will be in action, competing in the U14, U15, U16, U17 and U18/19 divisions.
Texas will obviously have massive representation in the event, with 50 teams from the top clubs in the state entering to compete and showcase their skills over the three days of the event.
Prep Soccer will be on-site following all three days of action, but before we get there, we’d like to highlight some of the most exciting prospects of the host state that will be on the field. In the last article of the series, let’s look into some forwards who could make a difference for their teams:
Pete will be with Sting Dallas Royal G09 when they play Michigan Hawks Magic, Indy Eleven Pro Academy and PDA White this weekend. A class of 2028 prospect, she’s playing one age group up, but still gets to be an impactful player for her team. She’s a ruthless goalscorer, who plays aggressively up top, but also thrives when played a little bit deeper, where she has space to make plays. Pete is very fast, and uses that to hurt defenses in transition, but also gets to create problems with her dribbling when backlines are set up for her. She’s always goal-hungry on the field, but has great vision and feeds her teammates with great passes too.
Highlights
Taylor will be with FC Dallas G08 in their matches against Sporting Blue Valley, SLSG Navy and Evolution SC – Mercurial RL. She recently returned to action with her high school team after missing several months due to a brutal ACL injury and will have her first opportunity to compete against elite club teams in a long time. Taylor is a very complete striker and her game should make her team even stronger offensively when she’s back at full pace. Because of her background in futsal, she’s great at dribbling in tight spaces and beating defenders with quick moves. Taylor is also physical enough to battle inside the penalty box and make holdup plays and can finish extremely well with either foot.
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Cunningham and her Classics Elite G07 teammates have matches scheduled against FC Alliance, Northwest Elite FC and Florida West FC this weekend in Dallas. A class of 2027 prospect, she will be playing not one, but two age groups up and will probably still be a difference-maker for her team. A forward with impressive physical and technical tools, she’s really difficult to stop and can hurt defenses in a variety of ways. Cunningham is certainly at her best when she has room to run with or without the ball, but she can also play with her back to the goal and gets to shield the ball extremely well. She often gets into great spots inside the penalty box and is a very efficient finisher. The forward will take part in a US U16 national team training camp in California a few days after the event.
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Clark is a dangerous offensive player with her Sting Austin G07 team that will be tested against Seattle United, FC Pride Elite and NCFC Youth in this weekend’s event. She likes to play more centrally, but can perform different roles, being the focal point of the team’s attack as a mobile striker or playing a little deeper to bring the ball into the final third. Clark’s dribbling is really creative and effective and she’s truly unpredictable when in possession around or inside the penalty box. A player capable of finishing from distance or in front of goal, she has excellent vision and knows exactly how to create space and unlock defenses before firing a shot or feeding a teammate with an assist.
Highlights
Lambert will be challenged against FL Premier FC, Atlanta Fire United and FC Pride Elite as she plays for Albion Hurricanes FC G06 in the event. A very creative player, she thrives when playing underneath a striker or even as a No. 10, where she has the freedom to be the team’s main playmaker. Lambert is very dangerous in the final third because of her ability to dribble in tight spaces and her vision to find excellent passes and through balls, many of which are in one-touch plays. She’s also a very good finisher, who can score from outside the penalty box in the run of play or dead-ball situations.