ECNL Dallas: 15s – Midfielders
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The top teams in the ECNL Girls League in the country were in Dallas from February 17-19, where the league held its sixth National event of the season. Over 220 teams were in action over the three days of the…
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Continue ReadingThe top teams in the ECNL Girls League in the country were in Dallas from February 17-19, where the league held its sixth National event of the season.
Over 220 teams were in action over the three days of the event and Prep Soccer was in attendance, following several matches a day and taking a lot at some of the top-level prospects in the country. On Sunday, we were at the MoneyGram Soccer Park, in Dallas, where we got to watch 16 of the 58 teams of the 15s age group compete.
We’ve already highlighted the players that stood out in the encounters we got to watch and now we’ll expand that a little bit and list more prospects that left a strong impression, looking at one position at a time. It’s time we highlight the talented midfielders that were on the field:
Burnett was a key cog in the Sting Dallas Royal team that navigated the weekend extremely well, winning all three matches. She was heavily influential from her defensive midfielder position and managed to control the game on both sides of the ball. Burnett had a very strong defensive presence and, alongside the team’s center backs, gave a lot of confidence for the other players to push forward. She was also very strong in duels, going to the ball with a lot of energy and excellent timing. Her passing was very precise and she facilitated the team’s offense with intelligent shifts that got opponents out of shape.
Highlights
Weber was one of the most dangerous players in her FC Wisconsin team that got a tie and two losses, while scoring three goals. She was very active in her attacking midfield role, at times trying to make combination plays through the middle and on other occasions drifting to wide positions to get the ball with more room to operate. Weber was very good with her vision, finding good passes behind the opposing backline, but also made good moves herself, dribbling the ball. She combined well with fellow midfielder and the two were very dangerous when they worked together.
McKenzie Hawkins
McKenzie Hawkins
Hawkins did a fine job in midfield for her XF Academy team that earned two ties and one loss in Dallas. A tall player, she used her body well to win duels and shield the ball from opponents. The midfielder also displayed great quality with her passing, finding good solutions to difficult plays. Hawkins on several occasions got the ball under pressure and beat defenders with quick turns, also showing excellent vision to connect passes and get the ball to teammates in better spots.
Smith was very good in midfield for her PDA Blue team that ended the event undefeated with two wins and a tie. She was very active in midfield and was one of the team’s main playmakers with her ability to see the game well and connect good passes. Smith is a player that doesn’t need much time on the ball to make an impact and her ability to quickly move the ball upfield was extremely valuable when they were playing in transition. The midfielder was also very good at striking the ball, doing a nice job in set pieces.
Highlights
Natalie Scott
Natalie Scott
Scott was one of the standouts in her Sting Dallas Black team that got one win, one tie and one loss over the weekend. She was very good in a 6-1 win over Concorde Fire Premier, getting the job done in her central midfielder role with great efficiency. Scott’s main skill on the field is probably her quick decision-making, which allows her to get out of difficult situations and win the vast majority of the 50-50 duels she gets involved with. She’s also a technical player, who does a good job with the ball, and has good determination and intensity to play defense, putting pressure on opponents.